New Year

I thought of writing about the things I would like to focus on in the New Year... 2009. I guess in a way, that's what I'll be doing. But what I wanted to do was briefly reflect on my 2008. I'm pretty happy with how the year went. It was definitely an eventful one for me. I finished my degree. I went to Germany. I moved to Oakland. I got a job that was NOT the graveyard shift... breath of fresh air. It really felt like a year of new beginnings for me. I ended a long relationship, so it was also a year of endings.

I think back about 2008 and what comes to mind is faces. The people I saw the first few months... the new people I met when I went to Germany... the people I was reunited with when I came back... the new people I've met just in the past few months... I guess I'm just really grateful to have these people in my life. And sad that I can't keep Victor in my life in some way. What would we all be without each other? The true necessity of each person in my life is felt when they are no longer a part of it, or not as present in it as they once were. Each person really brings out something different in me. I wonder what I bring out in each of them, if anything at all?

This year has no foreseeable big changes coming. If I do pursue a second degree in nursing, I won't be ready to start that till at least 2010. So I plan to continue working at my job, stay in the Oakland area, and... that's about it as far as big plans go for this year. I will have a new nephew in February or March. That's big. And I'll finally be playing basketball again. That's really big for me. And play at my first open mic. It'll be interesting to look back in a year and see what else has filled in the gaps. I wonder what new faces I will see when I reflect on 2009. Or if any faces I currently see will no longer be in the picture.

Who did you start your New Year with? I started mine with my best friend, Kristen. I was exactly where I wanted to be at 12:01am. Then I had a great car ride up later in the day as I drove back up to the Bay area with a couple of good friends. With people like this in my life, no wonder it's hard those evenings I have nothing planned after work. I wonder to myself why I'm not with one of these amazing people in my life? So then I pick up my phone...

I hope you've been calling people, seeing people, writing to people. Do it, if you haven't been.