Happy belated New Year!
I know it is corny, but I do have to say that this has been quite a year for me and B. It didn't really hit me until last night, just before the year was over. Although every year seems crazy busy, this year seemed especially intense.
Almost a year ago today, I helped B move back from Kentucky after he accepted a job. It was a big decision, since leaving Kentucky also meant leaving school sans a degree. He settled in really well at the paper and has been producing amazing work ever since.
January also marks my start with the Museum-- as an intern at least. Who knew that a small internship would lead this far?
February wasn't anything huge. I celebrated a birthday, but who really cares about 23 anyway? March and April seemed to move at a crawl. Then again it could be because I was counting down the days until graduation. I officially graduated in May; my five hard years of work finally paid off as I walked across that stage with my degree.
I was offered an independent contractor position with the Museum almost immediately after I graduated, although it wasn't until July that I was brought on with a salaried position. It has been a learning experience since day one, although I can without a doubt say that it is the first job ever that has provided enough of a challenge to keep me interested.
The summer seemed to fly by, with B shooting more weddings than I can count. I jokingly call it my summer without a boyfriend. Even so, it was a summer filled with family, friends and more than one awesome weekend at the lake.
July also marks the start of our (failed) house hunt. Looking back, I can't believe we were so optimistic right out of the gates. Although we didn't find our dream house, I think we learned a lot about life, each other and growing up.
Fall seemed to come out of no where. It took me a few weeks after the start of the semester to realize that this was the first time I would not be returning to college. Liberating? Definitely. But weird nonetheless.
September was a challenge, as it marked the one year anniversary of Mom's death. I am so lucky to have B in my life-- I think he knows me better than I know myself sometimes. We spent the day hiking around the state park Mom always took us to growing up. Although I now have more good days than bad, I miss her more and more as time passes.
The rest of fall was insane. Although I still lived in the city, I was spending nearly every weekend in the suburbs as B and I continued our house hunt. I am definitely going to miss the Sunday night pizza nights we would spend with his parent, poring over the pictures of potential places.
I finally moved back to the suburbs in September. Leaving the city was a lot harder than I expected, especially since I had to move back home. I hit a bit of a low as we lost house after house. It was the worst when I finally realized there was no way we would be living together by Christmas-- that had been my goal for so long.
Then December came, bringing along snow and icy weather. We officially ended the house hunt right before Thanksgiving, thinking we'd maybe get into a place after the New Year. Much to our surprise, apartment hunting is a million times easier than buying a house-- we only looked for two days!
I was ecstatic when I realized my dream of living together by Christmas would actually come true. We ended up moving in December 9, something I would not recommend to anyone in their right mind if they can avoid it. The last few weeks have been amazing. Sure, we have hit our bumps, but overall we love living together and having a place to call home.
So, corny as it may be, this year has taught me a lot. I have learned more about myself this year than I thought possible. I feel for the first time like I really know who I am, what I am doing and where I want to go. I have also learned that wherever I end up, having family by your side is the most important-- however messed up or blended you may be. People are what matter.
I hope that I can apply all that I learned in 2010 to 2011. I know that there are more challenges ahead. Bring it on-- I am ready for another crazy year!