Thursday, January 8, 2015

New Year, New You

Happy New Year guys!  I know I am a bit late to the game with this, but it has taken a while for me to get back into the swing of things in Atlanta.  I spent January 1-4 skiing in Vermont with some friends and got back late Sunday night, then have been having a busy week with lots to do and little time to sit and just chill. (Although Vermont was beautiful!)


Not much time to sit around makes it hard to have time to write a thoughtful, insightful blog entry.  And I wanted to start this year with a thoughtful, insightful blog entry rather than a "this is what I did today" blog entry -- because I have had a lot of thoughts on my mind!

To start, I have always hated New Year's Eve.  I dread the making of plans, figuring out outfits, coordinating of things, and making it this big huge event/night out with lots of pressure.  I don't like getting dressed up in tight sparkly outfits, paying a ton of money to get into a bar packed with people, and getting drunk.  I don't like paying for an overpriced five course meal at a restaurant I would otherwise never go to.  I don't like having to be concerned about people drinking and driving out on the roads and all that stuff.  Plans never live up to their expectations, they are never what you want them to be. And, I just don't like it.

That being said, I love the changing of the years.  I think that it is valuable to take time to reflect, think about what you want to do better, what you want to stop doing, and what you are thankful for and what you have accomplished, lost, gained, or experienced over a period of time.  I like to discuss resolutions and review the year with friends and loved ones and think the conversations are worthwhile.  And apparently I have a reputation for this with my friends as on the first day of our ski trip, at lunch on January 1st, when I asked everyone what their new years resolutions were, everyone groaned.  One of my friends and her husband started laughing, explaining, "I warned him on the flight that you were going to ask this!" and my other friend grimaced in agreement.

Okay, okay, so I am predictable.  And maybe they see it as annoying and silly, but in the busy world we have where everyone is going a mile a minute, glued to their cell phones, DVRs, and always going, going, going, I think it is great to have some sort of holiday or date that instigates us to think about our lives, reflect, and set goals.  Granted, it could be ANY DAY, and if you are doing this regularly in your life, then who cares about the new year.  But, I like to try to make my new years eve not about champagne and sparkles (although I will take the champagne, thank you very much) but about stopping for a minute and recognizing all that is going on in our lives.  And champagne.


I've already seen a number of posts on social media about people complaining about the parking at their gyms, hoping the "resolution-ers give up soon" and saw another post saying, "If your life sucked in 2014, it's going to suck in 2015."  And frankly, they make me sad.  It is hard to make change in your life, and everyone was a beginner once.  And if your life sucks today, it doesn't have to suck tomorrow!  If it takes a new calendar year to help motivate you to realize that, that's nothing to be ashamed of, you're there now though, go for it!

Now back to me, you might think I am a hypocrite after saying all that to say l don't have any official "resolutions."  But I am taking this new year as a catalyst to move on and move forward.   Even though it is hard.

A theme I continue to come back to over and over on this blog is "is this real life?" and how what I write here portrays what I feel in real life. Often time it is and I try hard to be honest with you. Other times it is more of a projection of who I would like to be ("Look at all this healthy food and exercise I am doing!")  Those facts go for all forms of social media for myself, and lately, what I have been been posting has shown a reflection of a fun, happy, positive, optimistic Katelyn who is loving life and on top of the world (I did even use those words in a caption.)

While I do believe deep down I still am and always will be that fun, happy, positive, optimistic Katelyn... the past few weeks have been pretty hard for me.   And yes, I just was fortunate enough to take a break from work and go  home to Rhode Island and Massachusetts and New York and New Hampshire and Vermont... just making rounds bopping around and seeing as many people as possible.  But, I wasn't always happy deep down and was felt sad and lonely even though I was surrounded by people.

My return to Atlanta on the 4th felt as if I was moving here for the first time all over again.  Many things felt different coming back here, and particularly, this was the first time I was arriving in Atlanta without knowledge of when I would be back up north.  I knew when I left Albany at the end of August I would be back for the Ragnar Relay.  And then when my niece and nephew were born.  And then Thanksgiving.  And then Christmas.  But now I don't know.

When the plane landed in Atlanta on Sunday night and I turned my phone on I just sort of stared at it for a little bit and thought to myself, "Well, I am here now Atlanta." and then put it back in my bag and headed back to my apartment.

So I am looking at 2015 as a catalyst of a new beginning of sorts.  And it is hard.  And I have been lonely a lot lately.  And I have cried here and there and doubted some things.  But, I am going to keep trying and working hard and putting new energy and enthusiasm into building my life up in Atlanta.

The new mentality I have been having here has inspired me to reach out to different people here this week, make some plans and start to get into routines.  I have been going to the gym.  I have been cooking dinners and lunches.  I have been researching and signing up for things online that I want to try out or become a part of.  I have been introducing myself to people in the hallways and cashiers where I go to get coffee.  I also finally, made the move at work that I had been anticipating for months and finally now have a desk at work and took the final boxes out of my car to be unpacked -- woohoo!


It's a new year, and a new me, and I'm in a new city.  And maybe I'm cliche but I am fully embracing the fact that I have a fresh new number to write as the year as inspiration to start anew.  I hope to blog more to share my journey and hope to have you all come along with me!

Happy 2015 everyone!

5 comments:

  1. I hope my comment went through because it was very long!

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  2. :( I think it deleted my very long comment. I think I might cry. I'm going to go to bed now. lol

    In summary... YAY to your NYE. lol

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    Replies
    1. I did not see your very long comment, I'm sorry!! Resend if you think of it, would love to read it! :)

      Delete