Simplicity. Happiness.

After almost six years, I think it's time to end this blog. I've had trouble keeping up the posts, as you can tell by the dwindling number of posts per year. I'd like to blame it on my perfectionist streak - I can't even post a Facebook album without meticulous photo editing and caption writing, so it takes forever to publish a blog.

But, more importantly, I think my life has taken shape. When I started this blog in 2008, I needed an outlet. I wasn't happy, though I was trying to pretend (fake it 'til you make it, right?). My life felt out of focus and all over the place. It seemed like an interesting experiment to flex my creative muscles, write it all down and see if I was any good at that. And it was a fun experiment! For kicks, just read back through some of these posts. Some still feel really poignant and bring me back to those days, others make me roll my eyes.

My story isn't unique. I think these are feelings and issues most people have during those in-between years, right after college ends and you're spit out into the real world. Man, did I do some fun things while trying to "grow up," though. Travel (including a once-in-a-lifetime solo trip to France!), goofy nights with friends, ill-advised drunken decisions, beauty experiments, shopping addictions, adventures in cooking, finding my way into and out of debt... I kept it interesting.

With less than a month until my 29th birthday (cringe), I have to say, I feel pretty grown up. My life has a calm, happy rhythm, and I think it's primarily due to these three guys. They are my world and make me smile every day.

Having a job that allows me to write and be artistic, an apartment I can be proud of, and loving friends and family I can rely on helps, too. In a few words, the lessons VIPS in my life have taught me about being an adult:

Mom - love others, faults and all, always
Dad - dream a little dream, and keep it alive until it comes true
Evan - challenge yourself to do something great (this kid runs marathons!)
Regina - be strong, be kind, be open to what the world gives you
Rita - do your research and be bulldog for the things you believe in
Bryan - stay focused, be organized and be on time! (a lesson I still need sometimes...)
Mary - laugh at yourself, at others, at life
Sarah - embrace change, sometimes it can be pretty great
Theresa - never stop exploring; be a good friend to others
Jen - be poised and gracious (and a charming Southern belle if possible)
Amy - cooking is love; look for the deal everywhere
Minna - be spontaneous!
Karyn - it's okay to be exactly who you are, all the time

Though I will not be updating this blog anymore, I do still love sharing my musings and view of life in NYC. Here are two channels I do intend to keep up: Twitter and Instagram.

One Year Later

Over this weekend one year ago, I was graduating college.  (Cue in major bout of depression)

So what has changed?  Well, just about everything.  A lot of my friends have moved back home and I've fallen into the routine rut of the working world, but I have real money and I don't need to "study" anymore.

Congratulations to the class of 2008.  I know in some ways, you can't wait to get out of school, and it feels good to be done with classes and papers and lectures, but trust me, appreciate every last second of college life.  Over this next year, I promise you will wish on multiple occasions that you could run back to the dorms and do it all over again.

Here are my thoughts on what to expect during the next year:

Things can still be fun, but they will never be the same.

Whether you stay in the area of your school, or move back to your hometown or elsewhere, you will not see your friends near as often...even if you live only a few blocks away.  That said, when you do get together, it is just like old times (in a good way).

Even the slacker friends that barely rolled out of bed to get to class will find a job and clean up their act (on the weekdays at least!)  It's amazing what a suit does.

You will compare every major celebration to how it was the last 4 years...and 9 times out of 10, it will not live up to how it was then.

You will suffer through applications (if you're going to grad school), or resumes and the dreaded job search that everyone warned you about, and it will be more time-consuming than you ever thought possible.  But, eventually, if you keep working at it, you will succeed.  I promise.  

You will live for the weekend.  In college, you lived for the weekend, too...but really, if you wanted to go out on a Wednesday and skip class the next day, you could.  Now you will live for the weekend so you can sleep in...also so you can go out to the bars, but c'mon, I don't think that will change for awhile.

You will slowly stop wanting to go to the cheap college bar you lived at 4 nights a week, and desire to go to new and cooler places.  You will also realize it is possible to go out with less than 10 people, and that the world will not end if you stay in on a Saturday night.

You will have real money!  It will not be near as much as you dreamed your starting salary would be when you were in school, but hey, it's something.  Please don't blow it all.  It's hard, trustttt me, but save part of every paycheck.  (This only applies to those of you looking for a job. If you're going to grad school, sorry.  You'll still be poor.  That's what you get for still semi-living the college life.)

You will probably have a mini life crisis.  RE: What am I doing with my life??  Why did I major in that?  How do I find a job?  Where did my fun life go??  Someone tell me what to do please!  Take it one day at a time, and life will unravel in front of your eyes.  You don't need to know everything at age 22.  Live and enjoy being young. You will make mistakes, but you have plenty of time to make up for them.  We're young; that's what we're supposed to do.  

I hope I've imparted a little wisdom.  It's definitely an adjustment to leave the safe and simple community of college, but you will make it in the real world.  Sometimes, you miss the good old days, but keep in mind that there are still plenty of good memories to make.  Life is what you make of it; enjoy your days.