Here’s something I am not quite ready to say: 2011 is nearly over. Where the heck did this year go? As I scratch my head to dissect the past 12 months, it suddenly seems… right. Therefore, it’s time for an obligatory reflection post. This year actually contained many “firsts” for me, including my obvious submersion into the “real world.” That being said, below I’ve summarized a handful of the eventsthat have had the most impact on my life in this Year of the Rabbit,2011.
1. I graduated college. I could expand very much upon this subject. I won’t, though. My relationship with the private Christian university I attended was less than stellar, for many reasons (i.e. it was basically boarding school). Not really over it yet. But I graduated, and that was one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had.
2. I landed a job at a rockin’ agency. Don’t ask me howit happened, because I’m not sure — but working at Evolve has been a pretty revolutionary experience. I’m always up for learning and expanding my knowledge/ comfort zone. Much like my graduation, this is a topic that I could expand upon in far greater detail (but in a good way); the experiences I’ve had at Evolve have been sweeter than I could have imagined. That sounds really typical and insincere, but it’s actually the truth. I’m humbled and honored to have somehow acquired the opportunity to work f
or this brand and alongside its rad-iculous team.
3. I moved out. I adore my parents. They’re supportive, uncommonly funny, and extremely generous. It’s not fun to live with them, though, especially at 23. Fortunately I was blessed to score a job almost directly out of college, so in September of this year, I moved to downtown St. Louis. It’s been three months of beautiful freedom, and I can honestly say that the urban lifestyle suits me pretty well.
4. I adopted Vince. After my sweet Chocolate Lab, Claude, died, my parents adopted a Rotty mix from Stray Rescue. This brief introduction to the organization led me to start volunteering during the evenings (once I moved downtown and was only a few blocks away). I immediately fell in love with a dog named Dispatch. Before long, I was fostering him in my apartment… and eventually I committed to adoption. He has since been renamed “Vince,” since I think that fits him better. He’s a riot, a demon, and everything that had been missing in my life.
5. I made dreams come true, sort of. Some people think I’m joking. What I want to make clear is that I am, in fact, 100% serious. Since I can remember, I’ve wanted to learn how to skateboard. Something about it completely enchants me. So I decided to do it. Got a great starter board from Ramp Riders in St. Louis (as well as a helmet, of course), and I am signed up to take lessons from Clayton. Is he about 10 years younger than me? Yep. But he’s a legend; I can already tell.
Without a doubt, this has been a pretty sweet year (not to mention many consecutive beginnings and firsts for me). I’ve been blessed to have a fantastic family, great friends ( including my bf of nearly 20 years – Tyler, who recently got engaged!) and an awesome boyfriend, Matt. I’m fortunate, and although I now have to start paying student loans, I appreciate everything this year has offered to me. But seriously, Sallie Mae, if you’re reading this, I HATE you.
Thanks for reading.
