In the last week, I have moved into my own place and turned 30. Now, I feel I must take a few moments to reflect. Life is strange and it is only when everything is quiet that I can slow my mind enough to ponder the paths that lie ahead as well as the roads that I have taken that have brought me here.
Contentment is often fleeting for me, but lately its presence has lingered much longer than its usual alotted time. While I still think too much and rack my brain constantly about anything and everything, I have also taken the time to appreciate those closest to my heart as well as the little things that can easily be taken for granted, like laughing. It is something that I absolutely adore whether it is my own or the chuckle of another. There is nothing like a good laugh, especially when it is a shared one. It is something that I hope to continue doing as often as possible.
In the last year, I have completed half of my graduate degree, moved a couple of times, started, stopped, and didn't get jobs, opened myself up, closed myself down, stumbled upon a happy medium and found myself surprised on many occasions which is well...surprising. Perhaps, I am finally coming into my own. I have always lived for others because giving pieces of myself away is what I do best. Yet, I find myself stronger today than I was yesterday. Ernest Hemingway said "the world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." I've been broken, but I do not give up.
For the first time in a long time, I look forward to what the future has in store for me. I wouldn't call myself an optimist just yet, but I am starting this new chapter a bit less jaded than I was a year ago. Or maybe I woke up this morning with newfound wisdom. We'll see...
