It’s Wild What Can Happen in One Year

 A lot can happen in a year.

Keep that in mind when you feel the singlest of all singles, are miserable in your job, have no money, don’t love the city in which you live, and lack a close circle of friends nearby. I’ll give you some insight into my 2015 as a pretty spot-on example of this truth.

Most of you know that in 2015, I met the love of my life, got engaged to him, and married him. But that was just the second half! (Wowza.)

During the first two months of the year, I reached a level of unhappiness that I could barely handle. I was struggling to get over an ex who broke my heart (shocker), pseudo-dating a new guy that was not at all ready for a relationship (neither was I), living in a house with people who had a different lifestyle than me (not bad, just different), lost in a town where I had no roots, and quickly approaching a breaking point with a job that was tedious (to me) and occasionally– due to one or two higher-ups– demeaning.

By mid-February, I [finally] started feeling the weight of hurt from my ex lift from my shoulders, had an awesome– albeit very single– Valentine’s Galentine’s Day with my roommate, and began delving back into my lifelong passion for horseback riding as a way to rejuvenate my love for life. With those little rays of light as fuel, I began actively choosing to be happier via deliberate change (my favorite mantra). From then on, things started falling into place.

I rededicated myself to church, prayer, and my relationship with God, all of which had fallen by the wayside due to my frustration with life and in turn, God. I took serious steps towards relocating, which led to an apartment and job opportunity in Virginia Beach. I said goodbye to an office full of [mostly] people I loved, friends that I valued very much (I had amazing friends, just not a unified circle), my favorite Starbucks barista (everyone has one…right?), and nearly two years worth of memories. A total life overhaul.

Most people don’t even realize that I lived in Arlington for two years. Everyone assumes I lived in New York City, then moved straight back to Virginia Beach. Sometimes my years in Arlington feel like a dream, when in reality, they were 22 of the most challenging and growth-filled months of my life. It was tough to uproot the little life I had created, but I was paving the way for so much more.

I met my future husband a few hours after I signed my new lease in Virginia Beach in April. The day after that, I landed a new job. A month later, I officially moved “home.” By July, I knew Aaron and was the man with whom I would spend my life. I was engaged by August, married by December. I’m still very close to some of my old coworkers/boss, live one block from the beach and five minutes from my loving family, am more financially secure than I’ve been in a long time, feel spiritually refreshed, and have an awesome circle of friends who all live on the same road as me. I still talk to all of my friends from NYC and Arlington (one of them for 3 hours last night), while also having more time to dedicate to this blog, singing, and other hobbies I love.

I started out 2015 in one of the biggest slumps I’ve ever experienced and ended 2015 happier than I knew was possible.

My life is proof that, yes, a lot can change in a year. But you know one thing that hasn’t? How much I absolutely cherish this blog and all of you who read it.

In the last 365 days, I was stopped at my college homecoming, bars, and random events by the most inspiring and uplifting Generation grannY readers who wanted to introduce themselves. I received encouraging and heartfelt messages from people I’ve never met all around the country. I was told about friends of friends of friends who have discussions that spur from topics on this blog. My heart was absolutely overwhelmed with love and motivation!

There is no feeling quite like connecting with the dynamic, kind, and thoughtful strangers and friends who support Generation grannY. It has become something of a community, and “thank you for reading” does not even begin to cover my gratitude. Writing here brings me joy, and every time you share one of my posts, comment, send me a message, or tell me that you appreciated something I wrote, that joy is amplified and multiplied tenfold.

I love you all! I can’t WAIT to share with you some BIG changes for Generation grannY coming in 2016, and to keep growing this incredible circle of followers (official and nonofficial!). Cheers to a new year! Remember– there’s always opportunity to make it even more wonderful than the last!