Dear 31,

On the opening day of February, our world is covered in white. The trees are dipping low, covered in wet, heavy snow. There's no horizon line: the streets are as colorless as the skies. It's beautiful, but a wee bit dangerous if you're out on the roads. We've hunkered down and the Property Brothers have been today's soundtrack. 

I have big plans for February.

Big ones. While I'm looking ahead, making plans, writing vows and assessing the successes of January: I am feeling all kinds of nostalgia. 

I started writing my "Love Letter to a New Year" in 2010.  I made a list of goals and plans for my 27th year of life and planned to write about it along the way. At a time when Des Moines still felt new and intimidating, the blog became place to chronicle adventures and to plot them. To quote myself, because that's not weird, writing the blog changed how I was living: "I felt ultra-aware of what I was doing, how much fun it was, what was thrilling, who was there, what they said, what I saw. All because I wanted to write about it (some great posts. other mediocre.) That kind of living is addicting."

Over the years I've written a lot. About food and music, being a grown up and glee. I spent an entire episode of the Property Brothers marathon digging through the XO-LP archives. For your reading pleasure, a few of my favorites:

• Coq AuVinture: I'm still trying to pronounce the dish, but we've now made it twice as a team. [Another favorite food post: the Trust Me sushi adventure.]
• New Job Monday: My haircut was absurd. 
• Mar and Wildcat: This post made Emily cry. Now that I'm getting married, this post means even more to me.  
• An Ode to the 4404: A free form poem about that apartment that was home to so many.
• So maybe you've heard I draw things: posts I wrote about the early days of XO-LP make me feel so proud and accomplished. #goingsolo is something I always wanted... and look, guys. Here I am.
• Rejected!: I love that I rejected the idea of going fishing back in 2011. Ha. 
• Then there are the posts that make me laugh at myself and think fondly on my little adventures: This, this, oh and this and of course this one. 
• Being a grown up has been a common blog topic. All the life lessons.

The next 28 days will be full of all the feelings (all of 'em) and big plans for the little business. I sure hope your February is full of happy memories and exciting projects. 

Who knew a snow day could be so energizing? (oh and go football)

xo-LP