One Month In

Well blog followers, I can officially say that I feel a bit relieved and blessed that I have made it through the first month of the New Year without too much unwanted excitement. It's so hard to believe that tomorrow will be the start of February. I continue to remain at home, doing a lot of resting, some doctor-approved exercising (shamefully more than I ever did when I was working and feeling well!), a lot of reading, catching up on some great movies, and enjoying some low-key activities with friends. I am trying, although not always very successfully, to take things one day at a time, something I always preached to others, but is much more difficult to live by! I have several important appointments this week that I am hopeful will bring guidance, answers, and possibly an indication of what the months to come will hold. I so appreciate everyone's continued prayers, support, and encouragement.


I've decided that one of the first things I want to do when I am feeling better is to take a trip somewhere. Typically, my vacations involve travelling home to SC, which truthfully is where I'd rather be when I had time off from work! However, I've decided that I'd like to go somewhere that I've never been before, maybe take along a friend or two. I keep seeing Groupon ads for these great bed-and-breakfast getaways in places like Maine or Vermont, which would be great for the Spring. I also have a cousin who lives in St. Louis which seems to be a pretty happening place. I've also never been to NYC, shocking, right? It's certainly a shame since it's pretty close to me, but I would definitely want someone who is an experienced traveller to tag along to show me the ropes. Any ideas for an inexpensive getaway, or a place you travelled to in the US that you fell in love with?


I remember that at this time last year, I had just entered the treacherous but oh so amusing world of online dating! I'm quite certain that for several months, my daily entertainment involved reading the messages I was sent to a group of co-workers. I had only very mild, short-lived success, and haven't yet ventured back. It's such an interesting process, and quite worthy of the analysis of a social experiment. I was quite shocked at the things that people wanted to be shown to the world, although being an avid Facebooker, I suppose not much will shock me now! I wish I could create an automatic decoder for when someone was being dishonest or fudging the truth about their beliefs, values, intentions, and generall overall personality! I feel like I am at an age that is caught in the middle of the dating world. I certainly do not have interest in pursuing a "college-esque" relationship in which suggested dates include a nightly bar crawl, and the relationship is typically short-lived. On the other hand, while I'm not ready to trade in my work clothes for a wedding dress tomorrow, I certainly am on the lookout for something that is a bit more stable and long-term. So, how many dates does it take to make that determination? What topics of conversations should be avoided, if any? And, is that really your most current picture, or a doctored version of you dressed up in a tuxedo from your senior prom? I may venture back into the online dating world once things settle down a bit, if nothing else, for surely interesting blogging material. Anyone have any website recommendations?


In other news, I continue to pray for and be encouraged by several friends who are facing struggles in their lives with more grace than I'm sure it would take me to muster in a week. It's such an inspiration, and a reminder to continue to support those you love in your life. For those of us living far away from our family, our friends truly do become our lifeline and even if we would never admit it to them, depend on them for encouragement and our reminders that we are not alone. So, blog followers, I wish for you this week, the peace of knowing that you are surrounded by those you love, and that your "family" can come in the most unexpected forms. I hope that even in times when the "right" thing to say seems to escape you, that you will take comfort in knowing that simply being there can be enough. I've also been on the lookout for ways to pay small acts of kindness forward, and am amazed at the stories people share about the simple and cost-free ways to pass along what has been given to you. Maybe I'll make that a February resolution. One month in to 2012, "blessings to all you love in this world."