Hey.
So I tried blogging in college, and it turns out I'm kind of a jerk and it ended in a mess. Now that I know how to filter my thoughts, I thought I'd give this another try. Mainly this is for me, but I don't care who reads it. As long as I can get some of my thoughts down, then I'm happy.
The title to my blog is kind of cliche. Starting the next chapter. I just couldn't think of something more fitting. It's much more than just being done with school and working in the real world now. I am finally happy with the person I am, and can finally experience the things I never got to before. It should almost be called "Back to the Beginning," because it really feels like I'm starting my life NOW, and that everything in the past has been either wasted time or fond memories that could have been fonder. I wouldn't take it back, I learned invaluable lessons along the way, but I wish I had done a lot of things differently (i.e. maintaining a healthy weight, caring about myself, and being a happier person), because I feel like I missed out so far on the better part of my life. I'm only 23.99 years old, so I guess I should be thankful that it isn't REALLY the better part of my life, but it feels like it. And it really could have been had I never lit this new fire, or postponed it another 10 or 20 years.
I remember the picture of the future me one year ago, and he was single, lonely, fat, pathetic, and still in a self loathing slump. The future me today has a career, a family, and true happiness. It's amazing what a few shorts months can do to change my life completely. I always wondered why I could never come up with a good answer to questions like "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" I knew why of course, but still it plagued me. My answers were along the lines of "In the same job I am in today" or "Still in school doing what I do best" or "Still looking for my soulmate". On the surface they seem normal and healthy, but looking at them now, I see the flaws and it scares me. I'd answer that question today with something like "In 5 years, I will have gained a lot of great relationships, I will have invested my money wisely and progressed in my job to a higher level of responsibility or found a better, more fulfilling job, I will have achieved 90% of the goals I set for myself in that time, and I will have 5 more years of a happy life to look back on."
A lot of you from my past would look at me today and either be blown away by the person I'm becoming, or just pleased to see that the me they knew all along is finally coming out. Either way, I am pleased with myself and my progress, and can't wait to see where this is heading.
