things i'm looking forward to

{photo credit}

i think it's important to have things on your calendar to look forward to. a coffee date with your best friend, a weekend trip, a new movie, or a trip to goodwill with a crisp $20 in your pocket.

anticipating a fun event gives me energy and excitement. i'm generally very happy and content with simple, daily pleasures like morning coffee, a favorite show on netflix, or even taking a new class at the gym, but sometimes life calls for something big. something to really anticipate. something that compels you to pick up a red sharpie and cross off days on your calendar.  

right now i have a few things that i am really looking forward to. 

taylor swift concert tonight. yes, taylor swift. that energetic blonde girl who sings about breakups. you know her? my roommate loves her with a capital L (as in LOOOVES), and when i saw that she was coming to raleigh, my friend liz and i jumped at the chance to surprise her with tickets. her current tour/album is red so i've got red lipstick, a bottle of sparkly red chanel nail polish and a new red mini skirt that i snagged at the gap outlets for $5. it feels like one of those nights. 

a trip to nashville next month. my friend carrie and i will be attending donald miller's storyline conference. i've been a fan of donald miller since i read blue like jazz way after everyone had read blue like jazz. i had heard a lot of good things about it, but i felt it to be pretty hyped, so i waited it out. i didn't read it until last year, but i get the hype now. it's really awesome and helped bolster some of the patches in my faith that were a little weak. the storyline conference is meant to encourage you to make your life more meaningful not just more productive. i'm excited not only to travel to nashville (never been!) but also to hopefully gain a little more perspective and direction for my path and purpose in life.

a trip to england for thanksgiving. this might just be the most exciting that has ever happened to me second only to that time i won mix cd's from a blog giveaway. long story short: my roommate is moving to england in november so my friend liz and i decided to go with her. no, not permanently (too bad), but we are planning a week-long vacation in jolly old england. our good friends ben and brian (amy's boyfriend) are currently stationed there so we will be spending time hanging with them, sight seeing, visting harry potter world, drinking at pubs, watching time pass on big ben, and hunting down prince harry because prince harry. our flight is booked so now i am saving my change in a piggy bank so i can afford a few souvenirs while i'm there. i hear it's quite pricey. 

i will most likely be flat broke at the end of all this, but in my experience, traveling and sharing moments with your friends and making memories are always well worth it. this is what savings accounts are for, right?

so, what about you? do you have things on your calendar that you're looking forward to? a fun concert or dining out at a new restaurant? visiting a friend? an art class you've signed up for? please share! i'd love to hear what you're anticipating.