I've Only Just Begun

It seems strange to be staring at the end of a year with the new one less than eleven hours away. What does one say at a time like this? Sometimes I think that all of this hype about the "New Year" is a bunch of nonsense since, when we wake up tomorrow, not much will have changed. Nevertheless, at the same time, there is the feeling of being able to start again with a clean slate and become more of the person that one has always wanted to be. Then, once again, reality hits and the prospect of staying up late tonight so that I won't be able to function until at least noon tommorrow stares me in the face. The dream of change and newness is still there, however, and I will stay up late as I do every New Years Eve to welcome the change of the calendar.

A lot has happened in the past year. The nailbiting excitement of national elections, the horrorific destruction of tsunamis and hurricanes, the pain of family deaths, the hurt from the loss of friends, and much more have impacted me and changed the way in which I view the world around me. I myself have also changed and continue to grow in my faith in God, which, in turn, makes me grow as a person. I have discovered a love for Russian literature that, a year ago, I never dreamed that I would have and have also become part of the extremely wide and diverse world of the blogosphere. I have no idea what is in store for me throughout the coming twelve months, but I do know that there will be many surprises and changes in my life, and I look forward to finding out what they are and how I will face them. My life will never be the same again and I am on an exciting journey that I've only just begun.