Happy New Year
I said last year at this time, "It can only go up from here". I'm (insert emotion here: proud? thankful? thrilled? relieved?) to report back that "it", in fact, has.
I still hate New Year's Eve and the pressure that comes along with it. In my early and mid twenties, the pressure was mostly centered around finding the coolest party and having the best time ever, which never ever came at a price below $100. The objective over the last few years has been to find a more low-key good time, but that comes at an even higher price because "sophisticated" often translates into "dinner". And there's just as much pressure if not more, because somewhere along the way we all picked up on the notion that a good New Year's Eve would mean a good year ahead, and a bad New Year's, well, let's just kill ourselves now because next year is REALLY going to suck.
Don't even get me started on the New Year's kiss.
Traditions and pressure aside, I can't ignore the fact that 2005 was a great year. (Prefaced, of course, by a good New Year's - just kill me now, please.) Let's reflect - in 2005, I:
- up and quit my high powered NY PR job
- moved across the country by myself
- got my dream job - an in-house position - with almost as much power but none of the stress
- dated an actual guy for over five months!
- made new friends
- bought a car! Re-learned how to drive! Aggressively!
- basically took every comfort I had and turned it on its head and thrived at the challenge
Of course, there have been some growing pains:
- I miss my east coast friends tremendously. I fear I will never get back the time I missed or make friends like that again.
- I find that having a low-stress job is not satisfying. Apparently I liked being abused by higher-powered bosses and clients and am bored with this "quality of life" concept I so thought I wanted. Then again, maybe that's because I don't have as much of a life out here to enjoy.
But overall, I will remember this as the year I took control of my life. Until now, most of my major decisions were made for me. Camp and college were largely influenced by my aunt Barbra, as was a big part of my decision to move to New York after school. The fact that most of my friends were moving there as well only pushed me toward the same direction. Jobs all came easily, positions seeming so tailor made for my experience that in hindsight I can't imagine it any other way. Apartments and living situations all but fell in my lap, and I never suffered for a social life, thanks to the most active unofficial alumni network I couldn't have ever imagined in my wildest dreams.
Was I a fool to let it all go? Or did LA choose me, like I suspected it had after my first visit here not even two years ago? I still believe the latter, but would appreciate any insight that 2006 might allow.
Happy New Year!
I still hate New Year's Eve and the pressure that comes along with it. In my early and mid twenties, the pressure was mostly centered around finding the coolest party and having the best time ever, which never ever came at a price below $100. The objective over the last few years has been to find a more low-key good time, but that comes at an even higher price because "sophisticated" often translates into "dinner". And there's just as much pressure if not more, because somewhere along the way we all picked up on the notion that a good New Year's Eve would mean a good year ahead, and a bad New Year's, well, let's just kill ourselves now because next year is REALLY going to suck.
Don't even get me started on the New Year's kiss.
Traditions and pressure aside, I can't ignore the fact that 2005 was a great year. (Prefaced, of course, by a good New Year's - just kill me now, please.) Let's reflect - in 2005, I:
- up and quit my high powered NY PR job
- moved across the country by myself
- got my dream job - an in-house position - with almost as much power but none of the stress
- dated an actual guy for over five months!
- made new friends
- bought a car! Re-learned how to drive! Aggressively!
- basically took every comfort I had and turned it on its head and thrived at the challenge
Of course, there have been some growing pains:
- I miss my east coast friends tremendously. I fear I will never get back the time I missed or make friends like that again.
- I find that having a low-stress job is not satisfying. Apparently I liked being abused by higher-powered bosses and clients and am bored with this "quality of life" concept I so thought I wanted. Then again, maybe that's because I don't have as much of a life out here to enjoy.
But overall, I will remember this as the year I took control of my life. Until now, most of my major decisions were made for me. Camp and college were largely influenced by my aunt Barbra, as was a big part of my decision to move to New York after school. The fact that most of my friends were moving there as well only pushed me toward the same direction. Jobs all came easily, positions seeming so tailor made for my experience that in hindsight I can't imagine it any other way. Apartments and living situations all but fell in my lap, and I never suffered for a social life, thanks to the most active unofficial alumni network I couldn't have ever imagined in my wildest dreams.
Was I a fool to let it all go? Or did LA choose me, like I suspected it had after my first visit here not even two years ago? I still believe the latter, but would appreciate any insight that 2006 might allow.
Happy New Year!
posted by Lori @ 11:04 AM
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