Turning 26

It's almost my birthday, so I'm in the mood to reminisce about the past year and ponder what comes next. Beginning random thought process now...

The one thing that really stands out for me about the past year is that I actually feel like an adult now (for the most part). Crazy, I know! I always wondered if there would come a time when I would switch from feeling like a kid playing at being an adult to actually being an adult, and oddly enough, that seems to have happened. I wouldn't say I've grown up, just that I feel like I'm actually doing what I'm supposed to be doing and I'm on track- does that make sense? Probably not to anyone else, but it does to me. I still have my goofy, kid-like moments (and I hope I never lose those), but at the same time, I feel like I now have a legitimate career track, a solid relationship, some level of personal financial security, and other stuff like that.

Along those same lines, I'm proud as a peacock that I made my first real "big kid" purchase- a car. Last February, Mike and I went car shopping, picked out a vehicle, haggled (he did that part because I'm a huge pansy when it comes to that stuff), and payed for it, all by ourselves. That was a big deal for me and a great experience in year 25.

On a not so positive note, I feel like I'm slacking in the friendship department. I really feel like crap about it. I've let grad school become an easy excuse to put my friendships off "until later". Unfortunately, later often does not come. I did get a chance to see Elise a few months back and I was also able to go visit Amanda in D.C., but I hate myself for not keeping in better contact with both of them as well as other friends. Steph's in Iraq again and I haven't even sent her anything yet! Fail, Katie, fail. I can't even express how lucky I am to have friends who have stuck around when I've been so flighty and absent. This leads to my one and only official resolution for the coming year: I am going to be a better friend. I'm going to make time to visit people, send awesome care packages to Steph, and keep in touch with my high school, undergrad, and grad friends who now live away from me. They deserve it.

Back to positive: I feel like I should give myself a pat on the back for making the changes necessary to get myself back on track physically. I've got a long way to go until I'm back to a healthy, happy weight, but I've kicked my butt into gear and it feels good. I've lost about 15 pounds since my peak weight and I hope to lose another 15 or 20 before the wedding. I can do it!

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this past year turned out. The wedding's almost planned, I'm getting myself back into shape, my research stream is finally reaching a point of legitimacy, and I know where I need to make some improvements in my life. 26, here I come!