2012 is a Year of Change

After a bit of a journaling hiatus, I figured that I would jump back in and return to writing about my life.

2012 is already shaping up to be a memorable year, in ways that are both exciting and challenging. Though it is unclear where I will be by December, it'll be fairly different than where I was this January, which is not true of many, or most, years.

On the positive side of things, I've recently embarked on a new relationship! I have known Andy since June of last year. Over the ensuing months, we became good friends, going on hikes, working on craft projects, and just hanging out. In early February, after a camping trip, we decided to give things a shot, and have been having a great time so far. I anticipate many exciting adventures with him this year (including another camping trip this weekend).

I am also trying to clear out the accumulated clutter around the apartment so I will have more space to organize things in a more efficient way. It is all too easy to let things take up space in a closet or a drawer, where they are "out of sight, out of mind," even though they have outworn their welcome (or even their expiration dates) and the same space could be put to better use. It is sometimes challenging to take the initiative and actually clean house, but, over the past few weeks, I've taken it upon myself to tidy things up.

Last week, I cleaned and reorganized my kitchen cabinets, making necessary items easier to reach and getting rid of food that had been taking up prime kitchen space for far too long. Similarly, I reorganized the drawers in the entryway, making things much more accessible.

This afternoon, I was able to clear out several bulky and unused items from my closet, including the old TV I got at the beginning of law school in 2002, which has been stashed in my closet since late 2009. This morning, the empty areas in my closet (in the picture on the left) were filled with stuff, and it's lovely to have the extra space to use as I please. It is never fun to have things filled to capacity, with no place to store any new items that might come in.

Nonetheless, I admit to feeling slightly wistful when I dropped off the unwanted items at Goodwill. It is sometimes difficult to decisively remove stuff from your life, even if you know rationally that you are highly unlikely to use it, and it represents more of a burden than a benefit. But, those feelings are fleeting, while the well-being that comes from a more orderly apartment should be lasting.

Finally, after all the positive feedback I got from "Escape From Camp Artemis," I am thinking of putting together another, more ambitious, comics project. I am hoping it will turn out well. In any event, I think it will be nice to have a major creative project to work on over the course of 2012.

I think 2012 will demand a lot of hard work and determination from me, but it has the potential for many new and exciting developments. I look forward to seeing what lies ahead!