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one year. in retrospect time always flies. we're always commenting how we can't believe it's already (insert appropriate month or year), so it's no surprise i'm perplexed with how this year has passed so quickly. i will never forget the "i'm serious about moving to new york" conversation i had with my parents, the day i bought my one-way ticket to new york, telling people goodbye, my last plate of mexican food, and i will absolutely never forget the way i felt sitting on the plane that was taking me to my new life. with knots in my stomach and chaos in my head i tried to imagine what it would be like. i ventured to keep my expectations low, that way i'd be content no matter what. with an overweight suitcase and a loaded ipod, the sojourn began.

it has been my experience that when you acknowledge you don't have total control of your life, the curves in the road are simple and stress is minimal. that's the way i like it, and that's the way this year has been. i made friends, got a job, and managed to carve out a somewhat "normal" life here. things just fell into place, more than i could have ever asked for. my life is not perfect, but it's pretty damn good. at the end of the day i have quite a bit to be thankful for.

to say that living in new york has been a learning experience would be an understatement. i have learned the city. i have learned people. i have learned cold. i have learned doubt. i have learned coexistence. i have learned responsibility. i have learned public transportation. i have learned personal finance. i have learned walking. i have learned snow. i have learned simplicity. i have learned accents. i have learned advertising. i have learned sternness. i have learned nightlife. i have learned long-distance friendships. i have learned cigarettes. i have learned rooftops. i have learned resilience. i have learned fall colors. i have learned religions. i have learned acceptance. i have learned enchantment. i have learned loneliness. i have learned restaurants. i have learned distance. i have learned confidence. i have learned art. i have learned insecurity. i have learned love. i have learned friendship. i have learned beggars. i have learned rats. i have learned parks. i have learned life.

one year ago i walked through that door in the picture, and change was inevitable. i'm very much the same person, just tweaked a bit. i still eat black beans, wear converse, get obsessive about music, and hate the mornings. i continue to speak my mind, avoid worry, and get annoyed with people. however my earrings are bigger, i enjoy a smoke at night, i rarely say "y'all", and my sarcasm is probably a little more biting. my crowd is more diverse and my perspective has changed on many fronts. it's funny because we're always changing. we're often aware of it and even pursue it, but sometimes it happens unwittingly. it can be good and bad, but life without change is boring and stagnant.

"When are you coming home?" is the really special question i most frequently get asked by people from home. the answer: I DON'T KNOW (damnit). all i do know is that it's right for now. i am acclimated to life here and there are still new experiences to be had (the cold weather doesn't hurt things either). i greatly miss friends and family and often times long for the face time i once took for granted. but i have a life here, and i'm happy. it's impossible at this point to attempt to analyze things and project what the future might hold. i will simply trust that i will know where i'm supposed to be.

right now i've got much more to do: more people to meet, more days to work, more restaurants to try, more nights out with friends, more lessons to learn, more afternoons in central park, more questions to ask, more conversations on my roof, and the list goes on.

all this to say: who know's what's next, but i'll be here tomorrow.