All I needed to know this year I learned in 2009

In the past few weeks my mailbox has been full of Christmas newsletters. My niece is having her first Christmas, my cousin shot three deer (mmm....venison) and another cousin is getting married (congrats Sarah and Dan!).


While some people find these a little self-important, (including myself when I let the cynic out of the basement), I think they serve a great purpose on keeping people up to date on life and also helping to reflect back on the year. It's with that in mind that I write my 2009 newsletter.


This year has been more about learning than any time I spent in college. I've stretched and grown in more ways than I thought were possible. Here are some highlights from what I've learned in 2009:

• You can wear the same pair of jeans to both coasts of the United States without washing them. A weekend roadtrip to Washington D.C. for no real reason and a plane ride to L.A. to visit an old friend a week later proved that.



• Be careful what you wish for. "I wish we could spend one more night in Dublin," I said to Jean sadly on our last night in Ireland. This led to the following lesson.



• Most planning is unnecessary, except when it comes to travel. Oops! Did we miss our trans-Atlantic flight home? That happens. Right?



• A lot of times, the right choice is the hardest choice. Saying goodbye to the comfort of my home, my city and my friends was one of the toughest things I've ever done. But I haven't regretted it for a second. Not even when I was really missing Wednesday girls night.



• Be confident. Don't question yourself. There were a few times when I worried I wouldn't find a job, wouldn't make friends or would end up in the street like a real crazy lady. But I kept my chin up and believed in myself. Job? Check! Friends? Yes! Crazy lady? Always have been, but I'm still sleeping in a bed!



• Make goals. Even if you don't accomplish them, you gain something in the process. My summer goal was to finagle a motorcycle ride. I didn't know anyone I wanted to sit behind on a bike, let alone trust with my life, but that was a minor detail. I ended up taking a great ride the weekend before Labor Day with a guy who would later end up being my unbelievably cool boyfriend. Bonus!



• Just Be. This isn't a new one, but it's one to remember every year. If it weren't for the time I spent Just Be-ing, I wouldn't have learned any of the other stuff.

I want to say thank you to those who have read, commented, and thought about commenting on my blog. I appreciate everyone who has invested their time into something I've created. It means a lot. Happy holidays!

Tomorrow is the Solstice! For a girl who grew up in the north country, this is something I looked forward to every year. And for an optimist, there are few better holidays.

Tomorrow marks the day with the least amount of light for the year. It's a tough time for many people. Going through day after day of waking up in darkness and leaving work in darkness is draining on even the toughest of psyches. I'm pretty sure that's why we have all of these holidays grouped around this time--to make it easier to handle. Whether that's the case is still up for debate.

While some might question the logic of celebrating the day with the shortest amount of light, it makes perfect sense to me. It can only get better. It can only be more light. Soon we'll rise with the sun again (a much more natural way to wake up) and play outside until we're thoroughly worn out.

It kind of reminds me of the ten of swords in the tarot. You can't get any more dead. The worst is over. You can't go anywhere but up. And while this may seem fatalistic to some, to me it's one of the best places to start. Because things just keep getting better.

A letter to my 18-year-old self

I was inspired by this blog post to write a letter to my younger self. Here's a picture of who I am writing to:

That's me on the right.

Dear Rebecca,

You don’t know me, but I am you. I am writing to you from about 12 years in the future. I know you have an active imagination, but you still may have trouble grasping that. Just know that rolling your jeans is coming back into style, the planet is still in one piece (barely), and thankfully people are still listening to The Cure.

I have thought about a lot of different things to say to you. I like to write, as you know, and this letter could be miles long. I wonder if you would devour it or toss it aside to read when you had “time.” I’d like to think your rabid curiosity could sustain your interest, but you’re in high school right now, so let’s be realistic. You have other things to do.

I thought about telling you to pick your writing teacher’s brain, to not start smoking, and to skip the math major bullshit, but I know you hate being told what to do, so I’ll skip that. I would like you to know that someday you’ll laugh about being called a slut when you were a virgin and pity those who teased you for god-knows-what, but I know all of that hurts now. And plus, it makes you a stronger woman. (Just keep your chin up, girl!)

This is all I have: Every decision you are about to make is the right one. Not necessarily at that moment. Or even for the moment after that. You will experience setbacks that you think you’ll never recover from. You will wonder why the hell you were put on this planet.

But know this: The life you have is amazing. And 12 years from where you are now, you are going to look back and not have a single regret. What you do now makes you what you are later. Be confident. You will get what you want, even if it takes a few tries.

I love you. I'm proud of you. Keep up the optimistic attitude. It suits you.

Your friend,

Rebecca