I started this blog almost a year ago with the obligatory New Year’s Reflection post. It’s strange that it’s already time for another one.
2014 wasn’t easy on us. There were empty spaces around our holiday tables, more stress than we felt like we could handle, and days we’d rather forget. But there were good things, too— new houses and puppies, new friends and reunions with old ones. I spent the summer at Duke assistant teaching two of the best classes I could have ever hoped for. I still missed Rome and Segovia. I finished my third semester of grad school. I learned that New York is not the place for me. I still missed Providence. I saw a lot of doctor’s looking for answers that I never got. I lost count of the number of jobs I applied for, and the number of rejections. I had three different jobs that I loved. I flew on 12 planes (my 73rd-85th), spent 2 weeks in hotels and other people’s houses, 50 nights in a dorm room in Durham, and 7 months in my apartment in Manhattan. I hosted 6 visitors and crossed some things off my NYC To-Do list. I survived the polar vortex. I got a nice email from John Green. The film based on the short story I wrote premiered at several film festivals. I saw my friends get published and act in plays and make movies. I read 75 books. I wrote some things.
I like New Year’s Day— the concept of it. I like how it’s a shared starting point, a much needed page break. I like how everyone feels a little refreshed, a little more optimistic.
I hope 2015 is a beautiful one for all of us.