it's 2012. can you believe it? i can. 2011 was a long year. it was good, it was rocky, it was refining... but it was long. as the year turned, i was lying in bed after spending the evening with my parents, reading a juvenile lit sensation: the hunger games. no pity necessary, however. i fully expected that this new year's would be quiet, lame and boring: i was just thankful that it was neither heart-breaking nor disappointing. it was safe and simple, themes which seem to be running stronger and stronger in my life. so much of 2011 was spent aching for the things which i couldn't have, mourning hopes which were dashed, and picking up the pieces of disappointed dreams. coming "of age" is a painful process, but a process which (i DO believe!) will reap fruit one day. some of this fruit has already been reaped, when i think about the past few months of simplicity and safety which i pursued in slovakia. deciding that happiness ought to be a choice, i learned how to take full pleasure in chocolate, a good conversation with a friend, and quiet, peaceful mornings. of course life still brought lemons, a particularly sour one just recently, but i feel like i'm learning how to deal with these lemons rather than succumbing to their sting. at least i hope that's the case...
on to the more concrete realities of life the past few weeks, in reverse chronology: last week, before taking katie to the airport, i was able to spend a short evening with my two friends jesse and nick! i was so excited to spend time with people besides my family (sorry, wilson clan) that i may have overwhelmed them with my enthusiasm. regardless, i appreciated the moments with them and the opportunity to hear about their lives over the past six months. after a day of chaotic and rushed shopping with my sister, i also was able to spend some time with my friend, luke. it was a rare opportunity to just hang out like old friends-- the kind of simple and sweet moments which feel increasingly sparse these days.
before heading up to minneapolis, my family and i spent a few days in alexandria. for months my parents had been teasing me with a "big" surprise. torturous is the only word i can think to describe the agonizing months spent trying to decode their communication for any hint of what the surprise could be. christmas morning, we were given small, house shaped boxes with a vial of sand and sea shells placed inside. my first thought was "we're going to mexico!", followed by sheer disappointment when i recognized the shells were from the lake beaches of alexandria, and not cancun. a few days spent in alexandria isn't such a big surprise; however, the surprise was that my parents BOUGHT a CABIN on lake darling! it's a dream our family has had for ages, and it was finally realized. and, i must say, it's a beautiful cabin and one which (i'm sure) will be enjoyed for years to come.
before christmas, i spent an evening with my dear friend, eva. it was so wonderful to see her, exchange gifts, laugh and talk about all things trivial and profound. the thing i love the most about eva is that we can talk about everything from nail color to aristotle's virtue ethics. i was also able to spend an afternoon watching hockey with my other dear friend, erica. everything about her makes me feel happy and inspired. there are few people on this earth with as good of a heart as erica, and i am so thankful that despite my transience and (at times) flightiness, she is stable and loyal enough to unquestionably remain my friend. needless to say, the afternoon i spent with her... and eventually with her husband as well... was treasured.
finally, before leaving slovakia for christmas, i spent an evening in budapest with my friend valerie and her boyfriend fabio (patrick). i love spending time with this couple because they are SO in love. i left early in the morning and had a seamless, easy flight back to the US, even though i lost a piece of luggage. after landing, i plopped a bow on my head and headed down the escalator to be greeted by my parents-- and to wish my dad a happy 54th birthday!
and now, three weeks after arriving back home, i am preparing to return back to slovakia for a short three weeks. i'm excited for what life will bring after slovakia, but i'm nervous to say the farewells which will be so difficult to say.
all for now. i hope that this blog entry finds you all enjoying the first hours of your new year.
love,
anna
