Hello... anybody home?

Wow! It's been over a year since I've last posted on the blog, but here I am, once again.  I guess I can never really close this down for good.  It contains remnants of some of my most precious memories abroad and a time in my life I hold near and dear to my heart.

Since my last post in April of last year, I:

- took a work trip to Italy, which allowed me to meet with family I haven't seen in years
- ran my first half marathon in Lake Placid, NY
- started my final year of grad school
- flew down to New Orleans for a quick food-gorging getaway
- attended an International Ed conference down in Alexandria, VA
- visited Germany over Christmas into New Years to see family
- ended my work in student exchange to focus on my M.Ed. full time
- started and ended my practicum in Passaic Public Schools
- took a long awaited trip to Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon national parks out west
- completed and passed my state certification exams
- became an auntie again
- entered into my final year in my 20's... hit 29 and am already half way through!
- started spiralizing Zoodles and Swoodles in an attempt to eat healthier
- Konmari-ed my entire apartment to keep only the things that spark joy
- started reading real, physical books again (not including text books for grad school ;))
- set up a real-life Roth IRA account (phew, talk about finally entering adulthood)

It's funny how day to day, it always seems like time is flying, but when I think back on what has happened and who I was since my last post, I see and feel change much more deeply.  The short list barely touches the emotions tied to the last 365 days, feelings of joy and excitement, accomplishment, fear, worry... I find myself worried if I am making the right choices for the years ahead in terms of career path, in my relationships, in my physical, mental and financial health.

Am I doing things right?  Am I doing or not doing things I might regret in a few years time?

It's really hard to know.

I'd like to enter these next few months with low expectations (wait, hear me out) and just be grateful for the unknown.  It's freaking hard, and scary.  My first instinct is to plan and try to control life (at least fool myself into thinking I can control life) as much as possible... but when you stop and think about it, the unknown leaves space for change and for new developments.  The fact that I will be traveling again to a country I've never been before, ending my formal education (once and for all) and looking for a job again in the next few months leaves a lot of things out of my control, and I don't know how things will look by the time my 30th birthday rolls around in December... but maybe that's a good thing, because it leaves the door open for opportunities.

So, here's to the unknown days of 2016, and whatever they may bring.