It’s funny seeing myself write that title, since my hometown is home to the famous line from “The Wizard of Oz”: “There’s no place like home“.  Kansas has been home to me my entire life, but a few months ago I made a big move for the sake of fashion and adventure.  And what’s not to love about NYC?  From the gritty, well-traveled sidewalks and bright city lights, to the screeching subway trains, I have never felt more at home.

There’s a great Thai food restaurant down the street from me, and right around the corner, a shoe repair shop.  My gym is 2 blocks away, and across from it is a well-stocked grocery store where I can pick up ingredients for dinner.  Everything is so close, and everyone is constantly going somewhere, yet they are the friendliest people I’ve met.

Not to mention I now live within 30 minutes of the best fashion boutiques and event venues in the fashion world!!!  So hopefully, you’ll be reading more about my NYC life here and on Shoe Smitten, and if you’re not already following me on Twitter you can find me here: http://www.twitter.com/shoesmitten

This New Year, not only did we usher in a new President; we said hello to what we hope will be a fresh start for us all.  Maybe it’s because I just graduated from college and I’m entering the work force full-throttle, or maybe there’s just something about 2009, but this feels like a monumental year.  This February will be a month of firsts:

• Attending the WSA Show in Las Vegas next month.  I’ve never been to Vegas, never gambled, and never been to a fashion trade show!
• Working for ShoeHunting.com as the community manager (and attending the WSA Show on their behalf, in addition to representing Shoe Smitten)
• Getting to chat with David Froment, shoe designer, over dinner at the WSA Show.
• Starting a blog with Mark Schwartz, shoe designer and artist.
• Spending a week in Boston next month, meeting Damien and the rest of the team from ShoeHunting.com, and meeting a few of my Twitter friends.
• Beginning an internship as a newsletter writer for The Shoe Club.

And all the while maintaining my sanity!  I’d say that, if all of this is happening in just one month, 2009 truly is a year of change.  What changes or opportunities have surfaced for you?

I can’t begin to describe to you how happy I am that 2008 is over!  Not because it was horrible, but because I’m really excited about what the New Year will bring.  But in order for my hopes and dreams to be able to come true, I know there are many things I need to do.  Here are my New Year’s Resolutions for 2009:

1. Exercise more.  I used to go to the gym every day, but now I’m lucky if I make it 3 days a week.  I’m not overweight, but going to the gym clears my head and lifts my spirits.  I think I will be more mentally fit and physically fit if I can exercise 5 days a week, in the mornings before work.
2. Blog more on Shoe Smitten.  I also wrote a list of my New Year’s Goals for Shoe Smitten.
3. Land a job at a company that values their employees and allows for upward mobility.
4. Spend more time with my family.  I’ve made too many excuses not to make the 3 hour drive to Wichita to visit them.  In 2009, I’d like to visit them once a month, unless my career takes me elsewhere, in which case I’ll visit as often as possible.
5. Take a class in fashion design.  I have been afraid to take a course in design up to this point because I believe that, while I have an eye for fashion, I have no real training or artistic ability to design shoes.  But how will I know for sure if I never give it a try?
6. Travel more.  I want to ride in a gondola in Venice, climb the Eiffel Tower in Paris, shop in London.  Even just take a vacation to California to soak up some sun.
7. Refine my wardrobe.  I have so many clothes and shoes.  In 2009 I hope to keep only the items that I wear at least once a month in my closet.
8. Keep a cleaner house.  I tend to let the household chores go when I find myself preoccupied with fashion and events.  This year I will take time each day to clean up a bit so that nothing piles up.
9. Participate in wine tastings, especially with @mmwine.  I really know nothing about wine, but I would really like to develop my taste so that I can intelligently explore the different types of wine and find ones I like.
10. Blog more on this blog!  I just started this blog, and I started it so I could express the daily happenings in my life.  In 2009 I resolve to blog at least 3 days a week.