Welcome, 2014. I've been waiting for you.

So 2013 was not the best year. It wasn't even a good year. It was an okay year at best, and a complete crap year at worst. Hell, I wasn't even supposed to be here - because 2012 was a pretty dark damned year, too.

But 2014 is going to be different, and I want to go into this year with positive energy. So here are the things that happened in 2013 that kept me here past my planned expiration date:

-  I continued embracing comic books, which helped save my life back in 2012. By writing for my friend's site, WhatchaReading, I became even more steeped in comics and comics culture, met some amazing people and read some fantastic stories that kept me going forward. It was my escape hatch and my adrenaline shot.

- I read like a maniac. I went after books with an appetite I hadn't had in a while. Steampunk, sci-fi, nonfiction, fantasy, cookbooks - you name it, I read it. I went back to blogging my book reviews for kids, and I discovered, thanks to my friend, Stacey, the joy of Overdrive. So now my local library system's e-circ may be going through the roof. You're welcome, Queens Library.

- I volunteered. I do work for Reading with Pictures, and even got a full pass to New York Comic Con because of it. I keep meeting great people, and learning new things. I am forever grateful. I also volunteer as a children's librarian at the Rego Park Queens Library (my neighborhood), where I truly feel like I've found my calling. I love working with the babies, toddlers, schoolkids, and tweens. I love all of it.

- Related to that, I got my Master's Degree in Library Science after four years! I climbed the mountain, and I did it through a pregnancy and nursing an infant. I am pretty damned proud. And I got my public librarian's certification.

- My friends kept me connected. I am blessed to have close friends that kept me going. You all know who you are. My Ladies Who Lunch let me throw pity parties for myself as needed, never judging and only offering solutions when the situation presented them - otherwise, they were all ears. Sometimes, you just need someone to let you cry. Meme Mondays gave me a reason to hate Mondays a little less. My weekly knitting group was an oasis in my week. And Fangirl Friday became a daily thing, which proved, as Doctor Who once said, that time is "wibbly wobbly". You guys are all the best, and I adore every one of you.

So what's next? Well, I have a job! No kidding! I accepted an offer from a great nonprofit to be a consulting librarian. I'm going to help kids and parents love books. I'm knitting regularly again, and every day is looking a little better. Some days are harder than others, but it's going to be a good year. Make it so.