Here's to you, 2012

Robyn Brown - of Allyn Street fame - used to ask me every birthday, "What was your best moment of the last year?" Since the world didn't end, I thought I would speed things up this year and reflect on the question as the ball dropped (and ask everyone else as well because I wanted to pass on the warm fuzzies that come with reflecting on all of your happiest moments). Before I dug deep into my memories of 2012 - which is a difficult task for someone who can't remember what she ate for breakfast - I had to define happiness. I came up with this definition: A feeling of complete satisfaction, wholeness, love, and the absence of any sadness or worry. The longer I dug, the more I came up with. Here are some noteworthy ones in no particular order:

- Landing in LAX in June and walking through immigration in the "Citizens" line after two days on an airplane. Had the following conversation with the immigration officer:
Where are you coming from?
Indonesia.
How long have you been there?
Ten months.
Welcome home, Ma'am. 
Thanks. 

- Ok, this one was actually 2011, but it was noteworthy and close enough: Going to visit my cousin at her house around Christmas time last year, and catching her parents outside just as they were leaving. Standing in the brisk night air, I passed presents of Indonesian chocolate bars through the window of their truck. I can't remember just what words were exchanged, but I remember feeling so loved at that exact moment.

- End of the Bintan triathlon in June. Surrounded by hugs and friends.

- Random but awesome cha cha with a guy from Columbus.

- Bike ride with Lo through Rocky River near Cleveland.

- Reaching the top of Mt. Rinjani.

- Sitting with My Mo and her handsome lil' man at her house and at DnDs diner in good ol' East P.

- Driving

- Running the 3 mile trail through the woods near my big brother's house in VA.

- Coming in from the above trail run to the sounds of my two little nieces running and screaming, "Aunt Jackie's back!!"

- Getting 'lost' during hide and seek with a handful of Indonesia teenagers and listening to them holler their feelings of freedom in the middle of a field, on the edge of a cliff, just across the creek, on the other side of the world.

Here's to you, 2012.