Moving.

It’s been a long while. But my life is about to change, so may as well make note.

It all feels so small…

I’m moving all of less than five blocks away.

My new place looks like a smaller version of this place.

I get to keep my landlord and, thus, my repairman.

It all feels so big…

It’s the first time I’ve ever lived by myself.

My roommate that I’ve lived with for six years left on Friday for a new city.

This apartment has been my home for four years. The only place I’ve lived in longer is the house I grew up in.

 

I’ve been watching season/series finales to gear up for this.

And, as always, Leslie Knope said it best.

Yes. I’m ready.

The good things that happened this year.

2016 has been a long year, and I for one will be glad when it’s over.

But after watching all the snapchats/videos I saved on my phone, I realized that for all the bad, there was a lot of good, too.

• Seeing old friends again
• Watching the haka at the New Zealand embassy
• Hosting my annual Easter brunch
• The best coworkers at USAT
• New job at Nat Geo
• Trip to Ohio for a bridal shower
• Baseball
• High school reunion in Vegas
• Seeing dolphins at the beach in Delaware
• Rachael and Alex’s wedding
• JJ’s graduation
• Dancing in the street when Amy left
• Karaoke when Emily left
• Boat day
• Baltimore day trip that included pinball and fireworks on the bay
• Hamiltunes
• Harry Potter-themed birthday party
• ONA16 in Denver
• New York trip 1 + Waitress
• Sagebrush alumni dinner + Reno
• Bay Area trip + Hedwig and the Angry Inch
• District Karaoke
• The Cubs winning the World Series
• New York trip 2 + Dear Evan Hansen
• Discovering that they do sell choco tacos in D.C.
• Holiday parties
• Going home for Christmas

Memories are a wonderful thing, and this doesn’t even cover all of it. Sidenote, I apparently save a lot of things to my phone.

Myself.

While walking down the street this morning, I felt more like myself than I have in ages. I can’t pinpoint why exactly. Maybe it’s because I sleep at night again. Maybe it’s because I had just gone to yoga. Maybe it’s because I like my job. Maybe it’s because I love my apartment. Maybe it’s because I’m seeing my friends regularly. Maybe it’s because I got to see my family a few weeks ago. Maybe it’s because the crazy business of the past month is finally over. Maybe it’s because I had coffee in my hand. Maybe it’s because I had just planned out what I’m cooking for the week. Maybe it’s because I was playing Pokemon Go. Maybe it’s because I have nothing in particular to do today.

Whatever has brought about this feeling, here’s hoping that it continues.

Stars.

One of the most popular stories at work* recently has been about gravitational waves. To summarize: More than a billion years ago, there were two stars. The stars orbited each other. Eventually, the stars became black holes, and, as the reporter wrote, their orbits continued until they ended in a “violent merger.”

This resulted in shockwaves that traveled across literally time and space…so much so that those waves only reached Earth last year. The ripple effect was slight but noticeable, shifting the distance between sets of mirrors.

I’m no astronomy buff, and what I wrote is likely an oversimplified version of this phenomenon.

And yet. It all sounds so poetic, doesn’t it? A celestial dance that ends in a collision, that remains unknown for what seems like an eternity until waves of the aftermath wash over humanity for the briefest of moments.

It’s enough to make you sit back and wonder.

And also to make you think of appropriate song lyrics:

You and I are just one second/Spinning by in one split second/You and I have just one second and a million miles to go

*I have a new job, which was the change I alluded to in my last post

I need to write more.

Writing for the sake of writing always falls to the wayside in my life. I take a photo every day, I regularly post things on social media, I write for work, but I almost never sit down at my computer to just tap out words. Tonight is a fluke, and it’s going to be a short one at that, since I’ve still got some laundry to finish and more desk cleaning to do.

But my life’s about to change*, so maybe, just maybe, it’ll lead to some writing inspiration.

More to come.

*It’s so nice when you can see the change coming.

2015.

I could type some long thoughtful things about what this year meant. But there isn’t really a ton of time, as I’m supposed to be heading out the door for festivities shortly. Keeping it short, keeping it sweet.

What did I learn this year? That you’ll never know if you don’t ask. That you owe it to yourself to stick up for yourself. That you should go with your gut. That texting is a convenient but horrible form of communication. That friends are important. That promises are, too. That I should read more. That being witty is hard. That family is everything. That despite everything, I’m pretty lucky.

Happy New Year, friends.

Grateful.

It’s officially not Thanksgiving anymore, and I’m exhausted after a day of baking pies and driving around the DMV and working.

But even then, I still want to pause and remember that, even when I’m annoyed and tired at the end of the day, there’s still a lot to be grateful for.

I’m grateful for friends to share meals and drinks and laughs and tears and Snapchats and gchats and texts and phone calls and life with, no matter how long it’s been since I saw them last.

I’m grateful for a loving and supporting family that I’m so close to, even when I’m thousands of miles away. I’m almost always thousands of miles away.

I’m grateful for a job that I enjoy, one that challenges me and teaches me things and makes me think about the world beyond my small bubble.

I’m grateful that I have food to eat and things to drink and clothes to wear and books to read and music to sing along to.

I’m grateful for it all, big and small.

And I’m especially grateful for this bed and freshly laundered sheets.

Good night.

One of those days.

Robin: Have you ever had one of those days where nothing at all that monumental happens but by the end of it you have no idea who you are anymore or what the hell you’re doing with your life? Do you ever have one of those days?

Ted: Uh, about once a week.

HIMYM made me so mad with its finale, and yet this rewatch is speaking to my 20-something soul.

#adulting

My AC is out and I have to work the overnight shift tonight. But so far today, I’ve also:

• slept until 1 p.m. and was only awoken by a telemarketer’s call (let me reiterate that I am working the overnight shift tonight, lest you think I’m a bum)
• watched part of my favorite soap opera
• ate chicken wings
• am now watching Firefly while knitting a lace shawl

I’m going to update my 401(k) and go water a friend’s plants and whatnot. But maybe this #adulting thing isn’t so bad.

Yes, exactly.

Oh, LBD, you really do understand.

Coming soon: Jess Attempts to Do All of Jane Bennet’s Hairstyles.