goodbye and good riddance, 2006

Wow. I had such high hopes when the year started. I thought 2006 was gonna be a good one. I figured it just had to be.

It didn't suck outright. I did some really cool things this year. I became friends with some great people. But I also shot myself in the foot in ways I don't even want to talk about. And I just had to leave behind all those new friends I made. I am really ending the year on a down note - it has just been sort of a steady slide since, like, October. I feel like I left Syracuse with my tail between my legs, slinking away in defeat. I feel like I crashed and burned academically (tho' I just checked my grades, and I am bewildered to find that's not reflected accurately on my report card - on the surface, it looks like I did okay this semester, but in my heart I know I didn't learn a damn thing). Then the whole process of moving was so bad... not only did it take way, way longer than it should have, but also we had to leave so much stuff behind, and we don't even have room in our new place for all the stuff we did manage to bring. I held up pretty well, considering - no tears or freaking out, really, until I was about 3 days late getting out of the apartment, and I couldn't see an end to the packing and cleaning, and I felt like there was no one I could turn to for help... I just bawled. I'm sure my hormones had something to do with it. I am so blubbery and emotional right now - I'll cry at just about anything at the moment. And I'm not even in Florida yet - I'm only halfway there, in Virginia... I'm not even "home" for New Year's... although I am with family, at least.

So the year wasn't all bad. But there were just so many things that didn't turn out like I'd hoped. I guess that'll teach me to get my hopes up.

I think I will declare 2007 the Year of Lowered Expectations. If I can just train myself to expect less, I'm sure to be disappointed less often. I certainly never expected, back in January, that I'd be in the process of relocating to Florida come December. I'd have been pretty disappointed if I had known (especially if I'd known how badly this move was going to go). But, y'know, I can sort of look at it as an adventure, too. I expect it's kind of going to suck and I'm going to hate it (especially during summer and hurricane season), but if I don't hate it, that'll be a pleasant surprise. And if I do hate it, well, that means my expectations were met. Either way, I win! Hooray for pessimism!

Anyway, here's where I'd usually post something about how I swear I will post more often, really, scout's honor, I promise, blah blah blah sincerity-cakes. But clearly, I'm always wrong when I say that. Not that I have nothing I want to blather about - I just don't have the time in which to do the blathering. I'm kind of thinking that, once I make it down to FL, I will have the time, for a change, since I won't have a job or school there for a while... nothing to do with myself but study street maps and unpack an endless amount of cardboard boxes... and, presumably, post blogs about all that. But I'm not going to promise anything. Remember: Year of Lowered Expectations. Don't get your hopes up about anything, where I'm concerned.

Well - I'm off to watch the ball drop. People in Syracuse, and people I love elsewhere around the globe: know that I miss you more than I can say. Happy 2007, everybody!!!