2009 Year in Review

2009 was the year of making the best of the of where I was.

2009 started on an extremely low note for me. I had just finished school, couldn't find a job and was trying to recover from a broken heart. I was depressed, lonely and desperately wanted to move on with my life. I applied to almost everything job imaginable, from tutoring positions, to drug counselor, to waiter, to intelligence analyst. I looked for jobs on both sides of the country. Nothing. I even got turned down by a temporary employment agency because I didn't have any recent work experience (as I had been a full time student abroad).

I had a lot of free time alone that I tried to use in a productive way. I read to learn. I tried to write poetry, songs and more prose. I tried to learn how to draw. The best thing I did was volunteer at a thrift store. I found that when I put effort into helping other people and tried to alleviate their pain, I forgot about my pain. That was an important lesson learned.

I was also in a city I did not enjoy and the reason for me being there was no longer a reason. But I tried to make the most of it. I moved to the Tower District, a neighborhood that I saw had community and a slightly urban feel. I enjoyed making friends there and becoming a local.

Then, when the opportunity came, I moved out of Fresno. My sister and brother-in-law offered to let my stay at their's in the Bay Area while I looked for a job. So I lived with them for a few months. After finding a job and saving up, I was able to move into a room in San Francisco where I continue to explore and try to establish myself.

Does the end of 2009 find me in a place I want to be? No, it doesn't. My dreams, standards and ambitions require me to continue seeking the goals that have been set before me. Does the beginning of 2010 find me in a better place than the beginning of 2009? Absolutely. I see 2009 as a steady incline from a low point to an acceptable point.