It has been more of a journey than I could have expected. I didn't expect to lose my job less than halfway through the year. I didn't expect that I'd be buzzing around in a helicopter over the glaciers of Alaska or walking the streets of Vancouver or trekking the rainforest of Olympia. I didn't expect to land a dream job just a month later. I didn't expect that I'd be laid off again just three months later. I didn't expect that I'd be writing a new play. I didn't think that I'd be asked to write a book. I didn't know I would host so many fascinating and wonderful travelers in my hostel. I didn't know I would be in two really great plays. I didn't know I would become an arts and music blogger. I didn't know that I'd become a dental actor. :) I didn't know I'd lose more friends on my journey. I didn't know I'd lose my favorite singer, Jascha Is. I didn't know that I would try in earnest and find some success in loving Indiana. I didn't know that I would finally feel so at home in my home. I didn't know that I'd wear the gown of humility to so many occasions.
Last year at this time, I was riding my bike on a balmy day, and I remember feeling happy and free. I was about to see family and after that take a fabulous road trip to Cape San Blas with Larry.
Today I woke up to snow. I'm not feeling happy or carefree, but I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I'm having a slumber party with my nieces. Friday I'll take my nieces and nephews to a movie and out for lunch. Then I'll see my grandma. Then I'll spend most of the weekend working on the book.
I think I might have been happier a year ago, if happy means carefree and secure. I'm glad I wrote it down and took pictures and took the time to commemorate it. Maybe a year from now, I'll look back and think I was very happy today.
I'm not extremely happy. But I'm not hopeless. And I can't ask for much more than that.
Here's a picture of me when I was at my happiest and hopiest. Yes, hopiest.
Shades State Park, Indiana
Here's a song I heard tonight. If you get them to stop singing about revenge, women country singers really are the best song writers.
"American Honey" Lady Antebellum
"Southside of Lonesome" Chely Wright
