It now has been a year since graduation, living in Marion with friends, and several couples/friends getting married. The past year has really has gone by quickly and so much has changed. May is more like my January in terms of reflection and evaluation of the year, probably due to the fact I have lived in the cycle of school for the majority of my life and happened to get married in May.

I had set aside some time today to do my "'new years" resoultions and reflections and the biggest thing staring me in the face is the fact that I am SO much happier. There are tears of joy when I think about everything, rather than what seemed like constant torment mostly due to the fact that I am no longer feeling like I am leaving my faith or letting down the people that had invested in me during college.

I realize now that the past year was somewhat of a culture shock. Josh and I laughed because what seemed like a relatively easy transition for everyone else, I was responding to like Neo in The Matrix being unplugged and somewhat re-birthed, grasping for oxygen. It was like the person I knew to be was dying.

Now: I have so much more peace about life, who I am, and what I believe. Embracing not knowing where the path might lead, but believing we have the power to explore the possiblities. Some of my resolutions include...

1. Listen: believing I have something to learn from everyone 2. Write: a disipline I need to help organize my thoughts-they can be really confusing to listen to (or read for that manner) 3. Walk in Confidence: I might not know all the answers, but I would rather fail trying than always wonder had I not acted.

There are more, but these are good to have out in the open.