The Old Year and The New Year

Thoughts on 2007 and thoughts on 2008.

As I sit here at work on my absolute favorite holiday I realize that I am really in no situation to complain, bitch or moan about having to work today or tomorrow. The year that I had in 2007 was the best of my life, and allowed me so many great opportunities that it would be totally wrong of me to end the year on a low note.

I had only a few goals heading into the 2007. All of which were accomplished, but all of which changed my life much, much more than I knew they would on this day one year ago.

My first goal was more of a conclusion, and was not completely accomplished during 2007. I graduated from CU in May, exactly four academic years after I enrolled. I was able to achieve much more in Boulder than I could have ever imagined. I learned more than I could have thought possible. I also grew to love the city of Boulder more than I ever thought I would. Most importantly of all, I found something that I really love to do and was able to get a degree in it. Whether I will use that degree fully I may not know for years to come, but I have a feeling I already have, and will continue to.

My second goal was to travel. Sometime last winter Andy and I came to the conclusion that we had similar ideas about a trip and the planning for our month-long excursion in Europe soon followed. NOLA and Vero/Miami for spring break, as well as some beach time in Cabo were also great trips.

Among other things, these breaks from reality made me realize that I love to travel, see new places, meet new people, and learn about new things more than I enjoy doing anything else in life. The experiences I had in Europe especially influenced a new-found desire to not stay in one place for too long, and not become too comfortable with any given situation. This desire actually gets to the point of frightening me at times.

The final goal I had was to find a job that would allow me to do something I liked to do, and would also allow me to support myself (defined in this case as rent, food, credit cards, insurace, bar tab clothing). I have pretty much found that job at Fox in that I'm doing something that I like to do and can support myself for the most part.

The one thing I didn't factor into the equation when I was hunting for jobs was the lifestyle job X allows you to have versus the lifestyle of job Y. The lifestyle I'm able to lead because of my job at Fox is the single best perk of the job. Rarely do I have to come in before noon, rarely do I get off past 10 p.m. and rarely do I dread that idea of going to work. All of which are much more important that I first thought. All are essestial one year out of college, and in the shitshow that is called "LA". This all leads me to wonder often how soon I want to jump into the Monday-Friday 9-5 atmosphere and career-driven lifestyle. Usually when I wonder this I quickly come to the conclusion that I really won't be ready for many years to come, if ever.

So my goals for 2008 are still being thought out and are really not concrete at all. I have no idea if they will continue to include LA, if they will involve a move back to the CO or someplace I haven't even thought of yet.

By the end of the year who knows where I will be, and what I will be doing. I like living in LA, except for the Hollywood gossip, and people that go along with it. I could do without the traffic, the struggle it becomes to run everyday errands, and the high cost of living. I enjoy living fairly isolated from all of that in the great town of El Segundo, and the weather is hard to beat. So just as I wasn't sure what 2007 held for me, I might be just as unsure what 2008 will hold. As I see it, 2007 worked out just fine, and so will the new year.