As we all usually do at this time of year, I’ve been thinking back over everything that has happened over the course of 2013. When I look back at the beginning of the year, I can’t believe all that has happened in such a short time.

This has been a big year for me, in both good ways and some bad ways. Here’s my Top 10 major events from 2013, in no particular order:

At the beginning of the year, I was in a cast and had just made the decision to train for my second half-marathon. I had no plans to go ahead with another surgery. I was still just becoming comfortable with everything that comes along with being a health activist and sharing your story in a public setting. I had just gotten back my score on my GRE and was nervous about submitting my application for grad school.

All of these things seem like they happened so long ago. It amazes me to think that in just another year, I will probably be looking back on where I am right now and think that there’s no way it has only been a year.

Thinking back over this year as a whole, even with some disappointments, both in myself and in life in general, I am proud of how this year turned out and how I feel that I have grown during it. I am so thankful for the new friends I made this year and the new experiences I had. It makes me really excited for the year ahead. I am looking forward to making plans and setting goals for the next 365 days. 2014, I’m coming for you!