I’ve always been superstitious when it comes to celebrating the new year. Growing up, my mom established the tradition that our family had to wear stripes or polkadots on New Year’s Eve because it would attract good luck and wealth. She also stressed the importance of being around family and loved ones because that would symbolize how close we would be the following year.

So with that type of background, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I came up with my own superstitions—er, traditions.

It’s my belief that the first activity you do in the new year will set the tone for the rest of the year and that being outdoors will breathe new life into a relationship.  So for the last three years, Ting and I have always gone on a hike on New Year’s Day. And this year, Ting and I headed to Cowles Mountain to embark on our annual tradition of  a day hike.

I was actually really quite surprised at how crowded it was on the trail. We saw other couples, bands of friends, and even parents with small children going up and down the trail. Occasionally, we had to stop because of the traffic but it was fine because it gave us a moment to pause and enjoy the scenery around us.

To avoid getting distracted, I brought my old iPod and rediscovered a couple of tracks I haven’t heard for a long time. The one that really stood out to me was “Adieu,” from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack. With a mellow piano melody and a soft and somewhat sultry voiced singer,  it felt appropriate since everyone was saying goodbye to 2012.

Listen to it yourself and let me know what you think.

Happy New Year everyone! May 2013 be filled with love, laughter, and blessings from the heavens above.