Why optimism will be necessary this year

24 days ago, Grant moved to Savannah. It's been a rough few weeks and we're trying to cope with only seeing each other on Skype for a few minutes each night. Because of the 2-hour time difference, it's tough to find a convenient time for the both of us to talk. It's been really hard living without him and seeing him struggle with the transition, but I continue to be optimistic that him being there is going to pay off big time.

Luckily, my awesome cousin moved in with me last weekend, so we're preparing for a wild and crazy few months together. So far, we've been successful at drinking a lot of wine, eating a lot of ice cream, and playing dress up with her gigantic jewelry box full of goodies. I'm pretty sure I go back to being 11 years old when I'm with her--minus the wine-drinking.

Today, I'm trying to be optimistic about a staff meeting that I know is going to be depressing. It's hard to be optimistic when you're sure that more bad news is around the corner, but I try anyway. I still love my job and hope for the best, even if it means that I have to step up my game a bit. Bring it on.

So 2011 has been quite interesting so far. It seems like it's been a rough year for several of my friends and family. Maybe this will be a year that helps me realize everything I have to be thankful for...and forces me to stop and smell the roses.