I feel like there hasn’t been a year in at least a decade where I could honestly say this, but 2015 was, in fact, a good year.
This year felt like it was three distinct years, from wildly different lives, blended into one. The first half is a whole different beast from the summer, as well as with the fall.
But they were all important for my growth.
I finished journalism school, where I created a huge portion of my personal and professional connections. I wrote as a freelancer, appreciating the sunshine and taking the time to care for my body. And I started as a full-time reporter in a small town, acknowledging the opportunities being in those places can bring, as one of the biggest developing stories in this field is just a 10 minute drive away.
Looking back, I’m satisfied with all the places I have taken myself this year, both in a physical sense and in an emotional sense. It feels like the grapevine of my mind, which was brittle and breaking down, has been trimmed and sheared for new growth to come in.
But as I write all this, I can’t help but wonder if I’m lying to myself about receiving 2015 as an enjoyable year, because I know there were difficult times.
Finishing school, finding work, the depression that came of the two, topped off with moving to such a place out of my comfort zone … all of those had me at my weakest. But as I’m getting older, I’m realizing that it gets easier to realize that time will surpass every moment, and even the moments I thought I couldn’t move on from found a way to move on from me.
I laid the foundation, and I will continue to build to it. I stay awake at night thinking about all the places I can go from here, finally awake because the excitement of life keeps me up at night. (Okay, on the flip side, the anxieties of existing and finding my purpose in life keeps me up, too.) I’m slowly building my empire of confidence and writing prowess, excited to see which branches form. And, while I’ve had difficulty along the way grasping just what I am truly capable of, I’ve learned that nothing worth while comes without a challenge.
So here’s to 2015, the fondest memories were made this year, and won’t be forgotten. And here’s to 2016. As we get closer to the day, that year sounds less distant.
Cheers!