There is nothing better than sitting in a cozy room, wearing a fluffy robe and writing just by the light of the Christmas tree. Our apartment became ten times homier when peppermint and cinnamon graciously took over our senses. Candles and pine, stockings and a manger, our tiny space is filled with joy. This year, maybe more than normal, I am gleaming with holiday spirit. Maybe it's New York or maybe it's because I am finally going home after spending 3 years of distance from my family. Don't get me wrong- those Christmases in Boston were beyond amazing and I actually will miss it but there is no place like home.
I find myself in the ultimate winter break countdown mode which was very typical when I was a student. Until this year, I didn't know it applied to all educational positions and therefore I am yearning and longing for that final day and a 2 week escape. I need some sleep and R&R and to be held tight in California's arms and rest quietly in my parent's home. I need reunions with friends, copious amounts of good wine and a thick book to read by the fire. I want to run and work out not because I am so stressed but simply because it's something I love. In the chaos of these last few months, it seems those simple things have yet again faded away.
It seems that December is always a reflecting month- a time to start looking forward by first looking back. I've said it before but really I can't believe how fast time has gone. It seriously seems just yesterday that we moved to NYC and that we were adjusting to this new lifestyle. Chaos, distress, defeat- it all became the norm. And yet somehow, over time, we climbed out of the slump and into a normal way of life. I now hear of new people moving to the big apple and I have to catch my breath. I am overwhelmed with emotion and have so much to say but yet somehow remain quiet. It's a calling you have to answer, an itch you have to scratch- the move here will try to take you down but when you get to the other side you know it's all worth it. I suppose that's how I feel about this year. 2012- the year of getting pushed down and somehow finding a way to get back up. A year of following dreams, getting a job I love, meeting friends I know I'll have forever, independently exploring this jungle but together building a home with the man I continue to love each and every day more and more than I did before.
I know we still have 21 more days to go until we ring in 2013 but it's safe to say this was another magical, fabulous year in my life. Perhaps my favorite because even in the darkest of times we survived.
