Every year my husband and I figure out what our “New Years Resolution” is going to be.  Traditionally you pick something you want to improve or focus on, be better at. In my mind though it sounded like a true and honest way to begin the new year, I knew was not right for me. So I decided to create a new family tradition and re-define the meaning of a New Years Resolution. I call this new tradition the New Year Bucket List!

Normally this bucket list is created on Christmas morning, when the air is quiet and still, presents still under the tree, waiting for the rest of the family to wake up. I look down at all the presents under the tree and think to myself, “what’s something I can give myself that isn’t material, that is an experience I will never forget.” To me, being able to have an experience is more important than material things, hands down! When I look back on my life, I want to remember all the great adventures I went on, not all the things I bought. So with that in mind I decided for 2015 I wanted to stay at my favorite winery.
That winery happens to be Justin Vineyards in Paso Robles.

On a normal mid-week work day in April, I gained up enough courage to go online and book my reservation at the JUST INN. That moment of truth when you enter in your payment information and review the contact information multiple times. Turning a blind eye to the total cost and hitting the submit button. For me, in that moment, I knew I did it. I had accomplished my 2015 New Year Bucket List! Now it was just a matter of waiting for August to come around.

It wasn’t until I was sitting on a wooden rocking chair on my patio of the Savant Suite. Sharing a cheese plate and a bottle of Justin Savant wine with my husband. Thinking, “This is what success feels like.” Out of all the societal expectations of what success is suppose to looks like, I broke that stereotype by making my own success. Deciding and defining for myself what success looks like. It wasn’t making a boat-load of money, or buying something material that I’ve always wanted, it was creating a memory and an adventure with my husband. Knowing that I set a goal for the year and made it happen, that is success to me. Following through on something, making plans and not making excuses on why it didn’t happen. We all have our own version of success, you just need to find out what that means for you. Is it making a lot of money, is it being able to go out and buy anything you want?

I made sure to capture this milestone in my life by hiring Mike Larson to photograph my time at Justin Vineyards. I knew I wanted to document and have photographs of my time here without having to use a selfie-stick or arm reach iPhone pic.

I haven’t figured out what my 2016 New Year Bucket List item will be. Thankfully I have until Christmas to figure that out!