Time for a New Year

They say it every year. Where has the time gone? This year is exactly the same. It's just been a blur, but a good one. I've learned a lot.

Of course the biggest part of the year was a new job and a new city and new state. Learning to make new friends and continue to find time for the old ones. 2008 was about adjusting to a new schedule, new coworkers, a different way to cover news, readjusting a long distance relationship. From all this I feel like I got one thing out of this year, patience.

I wouldn't say I am patient, but it's more a part of my life now than it's ever been.

I've noticed that I'm much more patient at work. Things don't bother me at much. This time last year I wanted things done my way and nothing else. Now I realize you win some and you lose some, it's more about being prepared. Always do your best and when the timing is right, things will fall into place. I've been told this before, but this year for the first time I feel it kicking in.

I am much more patient in my relationship with Greg. Though we are "only and hour a part" as everyone liked to point out when I moved here, our schedules are much more hectic. I moved here in April, right at the start of Churchill's racing season when both of us were working extremely long hours and random schedules. When things did calm down, we found that we were working completely opposite days and opposite times. That meant even when we did get time off, we were never together. Both of us had to adjust to visiting on weekends and sitting in empty apartments for much of the time.

I've gained extra patience for my goals too. As long as I can remember, since junior high or high school probably, I've had a plan. I wanted to go here or there, do this or that, and that would lead me to another place and so on. Well I had to wait patiently for months at the beginning of the year before I got the right job offer. It did not come easy. It did finally come and I was exhausted. I thought to myself I never wanted to have to find a new job again. Of course that's not realistic. There is always a new job or a new promotion to aim for, but now I'm a little more prepared that it won't come easy.

I'm happy for all I've learned this year. Now it's time to set my resolutions for next year. I think I have some good ones.

The first is to find more time for friends. Because life moves me around and I have friends who live similar lifestyles, few are very close. In 2008 I didn't visit enough and I want to do that more in 2009. I want to find time to take trips to visit friends. I already have a tentative schedule to visit Liz in Florida. Christy just got engaged and plans to get married in Jamaica. I plan to take time away from my life to be there for her wedding plans. I would also love to find time to go to Chicago to visit Riehle and Northern Indiana to see Lindsay. I'd really love to find time to go out to California to visit Brett. I don't know if all these will happen, but I'm going to try.

The second is to be more friendly. I was always referred to as a leader when I was younger. I was outgoing and did my own thing. This Christmas as I was scanning pictures from when I was little for Dad's digital picture frame I loved seeing how happy I was. Nearly every picture I have some overjoyed look on my face. I know, especially when I was really young, my happiness could even be obnoxious, especially to my sisters, but I want to be more like that. Not overly obnoxious but more outgoing. Less worried about what others will think, less worried about myself.

I'm excited to spend the first three days of the New Year with Greg and can't wait to find out what I will learn and experience in 2009.