Goodbye, 2011 [EXPLICIT]

If I could put 2011 in a box, holy hell. WHACK. The top right corner caves under the crushing blow of a hammer. THWOMP. The middle buckles as I repeatedly jump on it with all my weight. SSSSRRRRIIIIPPPP. The packaging is torn to hell and stood on its end for one more…one more…CHINK. Broken glass rattles around inside the box. The cardboard packaging frantically pleads for mercy. Guess what, baby? We're JUST getting started. Several fireworks are crammed into the opening in the upper right corner. A golden flame roars to life on the tip of a match; eager to ignite the pending explosion. It's time to begin the journey. It's time to blast this fucker to hell.

Like countless others, New Year's Eve has been a time for me to wrap up and put a pretty little bow on the past year. A time to reflect on all of the good, the bad, and the indifferent things that happened. They're all tucked away neatly into a figurative box and stored with the others. 2011 will be the exception to that rule. 

Granted, there were a lot of good things that happened - and I'm appreciative of that. But if we're talking about 2011 as a whole…Let's just say it'll be my turn to play the role of the bouncer.

"Hold up. Are you 2011?"

"Why yes, yes I am."

"Great. Get the fuck out. NOW." 

I can almost hear the sounds of guns clicking around the room; ready to unleash their fury should 2011 - or anything even resembling 2011 - show it's ugly face around here again.

Anyway, now that that's out of the way, it truly is time to put the past year behind me. I've made my peace with how life has unraveled over the past year for me. I'm painfully aware of how my actions and misguided priorities triggered a year full of misfires, miscues, and mistakes. Net result? Even by achieving some personal highs this year, those successes and triumphs did not even come close to offsetting the losses I experienced and created.

So what's the good news? In several hours, it truly will be a new beginning. I'll be starting off the New Year in an unusual manner. I've got a knife and first-aid kit sitting on the couch, a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge, and a flashlight that could light up an aircraft landing strip. Let's have some fun, baby.

I'm going to start the year off right. It's just me, tranquility, and a beautiful view of the world. I'm going to start the year with two winter hiking adventures - marking the first time I have ever hiked in the wintertime. Tonight, I plan on finding a beautiful spot to catch the fireworks in Burlington. Tomorrow, I'll be embarking upon a nice 4.4 mile trek up a mountain. 

I'm giving myself the gift of love, peace, and serenity. 2012 will be the year I can reclaim everything I've let slide over the past few years. It's time to be born again. Not born again in the bat shit crazy sense of traditional religion, but of something even more important…to be re-born into living, loving, and thoughtfully experiencing life.

I'm hopeful that moments on the trail and views from the mountain's summit will help craft a foundation for me to build upon. While there undoubtedly will be moments of numbing wind chills and countless shards of frozen ice slashing across my face, there will also be moments composed of peace, love, and a sense of accomplishment. When I return from the elements, I'll be back in my apartment - back on the couch, quietly reflecting and remembering that you can go back to where you left. It may not be what I envisioned or even dreamt of as my ideal home, but it fits the bill. For now. 

2012 will be the year I reconnect with myself, my creativity, and discover where my next adventures will take me. See you on the other side.