Hello... It's me.

Were you wondering if after all this time, I was still alive? Well, I am, and I think I'm the best I've ever been.

I've spent the past few months focusing on other things besides this blog, but the approaching New Year seemed like a good time to get back into writing. Since the last time I wrote, I have completed a few more semesters of graduate school, most recently my MBA capstone class. I have two more classes and I graduate in May!

I've grown in confidence, independence and experience throughout these past few months. Some of my priorities have changed and some of my convictions have gotten stronger. I'm in the healthiest relationship I've ever been in, I'm working towards graduating with my MBA, I am about to start job searching for my next career move, and I'm excited to see what my next steps are.

Once again, just as two years ago during my senior year of college, I am on the cusp of a great big change. Right now, I'm comfortable at my job and in my tiny, perfect apartment. I like what I'm doing at work, I've just finished my most difficult grad school class and the last two should be easier. I live very close to my boyfriend and near my friends. I know my town well and am the managing editor of the local newspaper. I'm happy and comfortable and safe, so it's no surprise that this great big change is a little bit scary... but also very exciting.

excelsior

foreign term  ex·cel·si·or  \ik-ˈsel-sē-ər, eks-ˈkel-sē-ˌȯr\

still higher —motto of New York

I plan to meet this big change with as much enthusiasm and hope as possible, because I'm climbing and growing and just going up and up in my personal journey, in my career and in my life in general, and I can aim still higher. Maybe it will be difficult to leave this nice little part of my life behind, and move away from the general area that I've called home for 6 years (since I work at the university I began attending as a freshman in 2011). 

I have so many hopes for this New Year, and I can't wait to write them all down, check them off, abandon a few (it's just reality), add some on and tweak some a little bit, depending on what life throws at me... Here are just a few, quickly jotted down:

• Find a job - Hopefully by when I graduate in May 
• Take my vitamins every day - I take fish oil, a thyroid vitamin, iron, a multivitamin, etc. 
• Write more - whether it is blogging, poetry, a class paper, a letter 
• Take steps to reduce how much waste I produce - AKA working towards #zerowaste 
• Work on my professional social media presence - i.e. resurrecting my professional twitter account 
• BETTER SKIN - I've recently starting using frankincense oil with my moisturizer
• Organizing and decluttering my possessions - I've started in the kitchen 

Like I said, I plan on writing more to sort my thoughts and share them, and also because it's just a great outlet for me. Stay tuned - 

Happy New Year! May all your resolutions last longer than just January!

- Angela