All Mixed Up

PROUD: I am so happy to see my friends succeeding. So many of them are getting their first teaching jobs or finishing up their first year of teaching. The open doors to their lives are endless at this point and I am truly proud to call them my friends. Lord knows they have worked harder than they expected and deserve all the good that comes their way.

BUMMED: Again, I have to say good-bye to one of my best friends. Halfway across the country seems likes a long way to me. It is hard growing up; it seems the older you get the more friends you lose to distance. I hope to remember this quote someone shared with me during times of loneliness: "Distance is not for the fearful, it's for the bold. It's for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It's for knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough." It just makes sense and defines so much of what I believe.

STOKED: For many reasons, I can barely contain my excitement. This sudden surge of dramatic happiness stems mostly from the success of my friends. But I know, this time next year I will hopefully be in the same place they are. It energizes me to know that new beginnings are right around the corner.

BLESSED BEYOND BELIEF: My friends, my family, my life. I really couldn't ask for more. Growing up can be tough, but it also seems to get so much better the further down the road I travel. When I think about the amazing opportunities I have been handed, it renders me speechless. For anyone who knows me... that's not always an easy thing to do. I wish there was a way to tell everyone who has touched my life THANK YOU ENDLESSLY without sounding like a complete sap. This I'll have to work on...

Ever tried to define moments of your life with a song? This one seems to fit in nicely: "Laughed Until We Cried" by Jason Aldean