Last Saturday I hosted a dinner party for some of my favorite people (some of them could not make it because it is the busy holiday season after all).  I love when we are all home and together.  I especially love when we share a meal and conversations around the table.  Moments like these are my favorite.  And because it is 2014 we had take a group selfie and commemorate these moments with a hashtag, #CountryCocktailParty.  The “country” part is for the location (my house is in the middle of nowhere), “cocktail” because we needed a fancy word, and “party” because it was a dinner party.

We got dolled up for this #CountryCocktailParty.  We put on heels, did our hair, and wore lipstick.  We did it to feel “fancy.”  We didn’t do it to impress boys.  Although there was one boy in attendance.  We call him TA.  He is boyfriend to one and friend to all of us.  He is a champ for putting up with our ridiculousness, which is why I think we accept him into our group.

Back to the ladies of the evening because that’s what we like to think we are for this fancy feast.  But first we toasted!  We toasted to us, the best of friends.  The best of friends that have endured saying goodbye to old jobs and accepting new ones in 2014, to moving into new apartments in new cities and for some in new states.  For some 2014 was filled with saying goodbye to old boyfriends and loved ones and hello to new family members and maybe future beaus.  Many of us took road trips together throughout the year.  Whether it was across other states or just the back roads of our beautiful flyover state. Our 2014 was filled with many things that everyone experiences, but what made our year different?  We had each other every step of the way.

This group of ladies made my 2014 significant.  They inspire me to be myself and to step into those not so comfortable zones.  They make me proud of where I come from and where I will go next.  They also make me sad at times.  Sad because we are all traveling on different roads that will lead to different endings.  But I am learning that it’s okay.  It’s okay because God has a way of always crossing our roads when we need it most.

To sum it up, Cheers to 2014 and to the ladies that made it possible!  I love you all and I can’t wait to see what 2015 has in store for us!