Twenty-two

Time really does go faster the older you get. I think you fit more into that time, though. Maybe using it more is what gives it wings? Wait. This is a blog post, not a soliloquy on time.

Honestly, when I think about the past year the first thing I do is roll my eyes and say, "Boys." My 22nd year started with my roommate getting flowers at work and continued with friends entering relationships, getting engaged, getting married and... all of the drama that sometimes comes before finding the right guy. I have given more guy advice this year than ever before. I don't know if my lack of experience with boys should disqualify me, but it's too late to go back to that now! Things that I might have had head knowledge about before are now made crystal clear through experience. Boys think differently than girls. Age doesn't have anything to do with being a real man. Men and women should communicate with each other rather than make assumptions. (Though I suppose assumptions are good for the counseling business!) I saw the best and worst of guys this year, from guys standing up for their girls in tough situations to the creeps that think it's okay to treat a girl like a plaything.

The other major thing that comes to mind is travel. I did a lot of that as usual, but this year was different because I moved twice and because I travelled by car instead of by plane or bus! I am so thankful for the way God provided for all of this craziness. I miss making the trip between the apartment in Georgia and Bob Jones University, but I'm so glad to be back in Wisconsin! I hope I'll be able to travel a fair amount through my 23rd year as well. I want to visit at least two new states this year. I was thinking Alaska and Hawaii. HA! No, I'll keep it a little more realistic.

This year I learned a lot about myself. Nothing like downtime all by yourself looking for a job for a few months! I realized how out of line my priorities were, mainly my time with God. I also realized just how much I need human interaction. I felt so lost and friendless while I was in Georgia. All I had was Cathy except on my fabulous weekends at BJ. I do not take my friendships for granted anymore. I am so richly blessed in my coworkers and my church family here in Wisconsin.

Stats from the year:

Words... Skimming through my journal (which has an entry for every day of the last year because I finally got more faithful with writing) I think that the most used words (not including names) are:
1. UNFI
2. Shelves (referring both to work and my own personal library)
3. Lunch/Supper
4. Cleaned
5. Home (this word was used to refer to the west in general, the state of Colorado, my parent's house, the state of Wisconsin, my apartment in Wisconsin and my apartment in Georgia.)
6. Watched ... movies, kids, whatever
7. Church
8. Walk/walked
9. Read
10. Work

Music... Based on my Pandora and the play counts on my phone:
1. The Piano Guys
2. Pettit team/Galkin team/Sovereign Grace
3. Mozart
4. Alan Menken
5. The Chords Pandora station

Books... Top three new reads:
1. Jennifer Worth (Call the Midwife etc)
2. Other assorted non-fiction 
3. Harry Potter series

The coming year looks a little scary from where I am right now. There are so many unknowns. But I'm not worried, I'm excited! The one thing that I know is that this chapter of my life will both open and close with a faithful God.