wow...

So, I have been about as big a slacker as you can be with this blog, but in some ways, I give myself an excuse (or a couple of them). I moved 1,200 miles away, started graduate school, met a whole new wonderful circle of friends, and have been trying to celebrate and live consciously in all of these exciting and new moments.

It would be too hard to sum up all of the events that have taken place since June, but my life since then has been very wonderful and constantly changing. I am learning how to grow up and be even more of myself, and I have been learning how to take all of the changes in stride and how to love them and appreciate them for all of the beauty I witness in them. It has truly been a growing and blossoming experience.

John and I have just taken this huge leap of faith together, and I feel it has strengthened our bond even more. We are as in love as we have ever been, if not more, and every day to me feels like a new adventure together. He's my rock, and my best friend, and for that I am more thankful than I can put into words.

And school...graduate school is nothing like what I had expected. While it's still a ton of work and lots of reading and studying (and I've only had two weeks of classes thus far), it's so much more introspective than I had anticipated. We are doing a lot of soul-searching and meditative exercises, which I am very happy about. At our orientation, they told us as students we would not be the same people five years from now. I can't wait to meet that person down the road, that person who is better able to help herself and others, and can understand and problem-solve in a different way, all the while being more empathic and compassionate than she is now. It makes me very happy and hopeful for the journey, and excited about the outcome. But I will take all of it in for what it is worth, and remember that the road being traveled on is the outcome, in essence. After all, in life there are no practice runs -- this is the real thing, and that means I have to appreciate all that I am living to its fullest, because I won't get this time back.

So, that has been what's on my mind. I have been stressed, and sometimes I feel sleep-deprived and resentful for scheduling an 8:15am class, when I have to wake up at 6am to take the train to school. But I always remember -- I am in Chicago, I am living out my dream, and I am incredibly lucky to have this chance. Not only is school wonderful, but the neighborhood where John and I live is also amazing. I have found a yoga studio nearby that I try to go to as much as possible, because taking care of my own mind and body is very important at this stage in the game. We have shops and restaurants galore surrounding us when we walk outside the front door, and even though we certainly don't have the money to eat out or buy things, we can take full advantage of the free festivals, the window-shopping, and people-watching that this city has to offer. It is a wonderful experience, and I feel so happy for taking the leap and moving here to follow my dreams. It has been (and is) the most rewarding experience of my life.