New Year Resolutions

It's time to re-evaluate. There is a time every year for everyone as the new year roles around, but this year I find it poignant for some reason. It's been an awfully strange year for me.

• My finance and I set a date. After being together for more than 4 years, engaged for more than 2, I finally felt ready to set the date, and go for that next milestone together. I finally have my life together separate from him, and he's on track too. I feel like marriage is so hard, that we needed to work out our individual issues before we combined our lives forever. I was lucky that we grew together instead of apart. December 20th, 2009 I will be married to an amazing man, who just happens to be my best friend. I'm lucky, I know...
• I took the next step in my career. I love working at BCG, for a lot of reasons, but one of the big ones is that the company genuinely wants you to succeed. The people around you really want you to learn, and grow. No one wants to hear what they aren't doing right, but they have a great way of showing you what needs to improve and what you do well already. I improved exponentially this year, and it makes me really proud of myself. Even though I'm not an assistant anymore, I take a lot of pride in doing a good job, and I'm glad that my peers and bosses thought I did well.
• In the same vain, I've started over again in terms of the learning curve. Being a program coordinator is really challenging, and while it is sounds, and can be, glamorous, it is a TON of work, long hours, and completely new to me. I thought that what I had planned previously would give me an idea of what I was up against, but I was wrong. Large scale, big deal, big accomplishments, and big rewards or failures. It's a lot of pressure, but I work better under pressure. So far, it's everything I thought it would be. If anything, I thought it would be worse, but that's just because I thought it would be REALLY bad, and it's just hard at this point. Either way, I've been completely challenged, and for that I'm grateful.
• I've reconnected with G-d this year. I've always been connected, but I have a different relationship with him now. Not the go to synagogue every Friday night relationship although we are going to start going this year) but the kind where I feel at peace. It's good to have a constant companion in your corner.
• My grandma passed away, and it's the first family member where I really had a connection with her, and I really do feel sad about the loss. That was on December 23rd, so that one is still fresh in my mind and heart, and I guess it's the first time that I've really ever grieved. I'm not quite over it actually, which is surprising to me, because I usually bounce back pretty fast. Life lesson: time is the only thing that cannot be replaced. You only have one today, and to waste it is the biggest middle finger to the universe. I'm done wasting my time.
• I miss my friends. I mean I really feel a hole in my heart without Kirsten, Emily, Jules, Noor, Jer, and all the rest. We are all growing up and getting married, making our dreams come true, but I'm randomly sad that we aren't all together on the Clairmont campus at Emory, driving each other bananas and having the time of our lives. I'm happy with my life now, but I miss being roommates with my favorite people in the world.

So I have a lot to look forward to you this year. New job, planing a wedding, and hopefully finding my dream house. A lot for 2009 to look forward to, but as you read this, I hope you raise a glass of whatever you're drinking and learn one thing: don't waste your time with the trivial things. You only get one real shot, so make it count.

Lots of love, and really positive thoughts and well wishes. Cheers to 2009, new beginnings, and not wasting time that is so precious...