Now! The good stuff. Lets take a second to celebrate the fact that 2016 is over! It was a shit show for sure, but it wasn't all bad. I did a lot in 2016. I completed my MFA. I travelled to London and Ireland with some of my best friends. I got to be involved in four of their weddings. I got to spend time with my classmates in NYC. I got to meet a lot of cool agents while we were there, and they were actually interested in my work. I met some wonderful people at the Highlights horror writing workshop. I started writing something new. But most importantly, I grew as a person. In 2016 I got validation, not only from other people in the industry, but also from within myself. I am learning to love myself, on the inside and the outside. I am learning that just because everyone else is moving at different speeds doesn't mean I am defective. And maybe, sometimes, I want to take the scenic route. It's okay out here so far. I'll let you know what I find along the way. We can swap stories.
2017 will be different, and not just for me. Not just in a good way. Sure, scary things are happening, but scary things have happened before. We need to just raise our wands and be the shining beacons in the darkness. I will be a light in the darkness, for myself and for whoever else needs it. I won't be afraid anymore, of my past or my future. I will make more proactive choices for the betterment of my life and my immediate future. This is the new year, my friends. Make it as beautiful and colorful as you can.
Now if you excuse me, I am going to a food truck rally with some of the people I am blessed to ring in the new year with every year. They're the best surrogate family a girl could ever ask for.