This will likely be one of several nostalgic 2013 posts as the new year approaches. Today, I was looking through some of the photos I’ve taken this year and realized that I spent most of the big holidays and celebrations of 2013 outside of the country. Some of my favorite holiday/celebration photos are below. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have met so many incredible people, visited such beautiful places and had such meaningful experiences this year (and every year for that matter).

May 14, 2013: MY BIRTHDAY.

On my 21st birthday this year, I landed in Haiti with a group of students and faculty from my university to work at an orphanage in Les Cayes for a week. I will never forget having “Happy Birthday” sung to me in the boy’s village at Proje Espwa. I can’t think of any better way to spend my birthday.

JULY 4, 2013: INDEPENDENCE DAY

I spent America’s independence day in Nepal with my friend Ellie. We had just finished a week-long trek in the Himalayas the day before and spent independence day touring around Kathmandu and having lunch at a rooftop cafe.

This picture, however, is from one of the tea houses we stopped at on the trek.

NOVEMBER 3, 2013: DIWALI

I got to celebrate a new holiday this year because I was in India. Over our week-long Diwali break I visited a friend’s family in Bangalore where we got to light firecrackers and celebrate the festival of lights.

NOVEMBER 28, 2013: THANKSGIVING

I also spent Thanksgiving in India finishing up the final few days of my study abroad program. In the afternoon I suited up and learned some of the basics of cricket with a few other students from the program and we celebrated our Thanksgiving dinner at an upscale restaurant in one of the fancier areas of Pune.

This is actually a photo from before our farewell dinner…I can’t find any of the cricket game!

And for New Years this year, I’ll be celebrating with my family in Mexico. There’s something wonderful about celebrating holidays from the comfort of home with family and friends, but after this year, I’m starting to think there’s also something to be said for celebrating away from home. It turns out you can find friends, family and home just about anywhere.