Since it's 2013, here's a list of things I'm looking forward to this year:

The Great Midwest Trivia Contest ("Trivia"): Nearly every year, my cousins and I get together and participate in Trivia. Our team is We Need More Cowbell, Martha, and we've been together since 2003. I love being up at all hours (though sleeping in short spurts does take its toll after awhile), making up Jam Team Names, eating tons of junk food, and answering phones. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, I've provided a link to our team page above.

Kitsune Kon: Appleton's first anime convention. Can I just say how much I love/appreciate that there is an anime convention 10 minutes away from where I live? Don't get me wrong - I love Anime Reactor and Anime Central/ACEN - but they're 3 /12 hours away, and it's great to finally have a con in my own backyard! The staff is great, the location (the Paper Valley Radisson) is amazing, and the other con-goers are fun, crazy people. I feel like I'm among My People there. And it's something my dad and I do together, as he is an anime fan, too. Enjoy the "kone"!

Movies: There will be some great films coming out this year. I'm looking forward to (in no particular order):
Iron Man 3
Thor: The Dark Worlds
Catching Fire
The Host (yes, I know, Stephenie Meyer, Twilight, blah blah blah. It looks good. So sue me ;)
Oz: The Great And Powerful
Carrie (They need to get the ending right!)
Star Trek: Into Darkness
Man Of Steel (Which, hopefully, is better than Superman Returns)
Kick-Ass 2
The Lone Ranger
Despicable Me 2
The Wolverine
Red 2
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Anchorman: The Legend Continues

Noah's Ark: Every year, my cousins and I pick a day in the summer, and we go to "America's Largest Water Park". We pack our own lunches and snacks to share, and from roughly the time the park opens to the time it closes, we spend the day going on water rides. What could be better? :)

Family Vacation: Usually in the summer, but sometimes later, my family and I travel to California for about a week. We go to Disneyland (!), do wine tasting (well, my parents and sister taste, I enjoy the beautiful scenery), hit the beach, good restaurants, Seaport Village, etc. It's relaxing and it's fun spending time with my family. It's really the only vacation I go on, and I look forward to it every year.