This year has been a roller coaster, to say the least.
New jobs, new friends, loved ones lost and gained. The list goes on and on and on and on.
Since this column represents my last piece in 2014, and given that Thanksgiving has just come and gone, what a better way to encompass this year and thank those who helped me get here.
How about we start out with the positives? By this time last year, I had all but given up hope in finding a new job. My former job, which was based in Rockford, was moving (initially by October 2013, but it was delayed twice ā first to January 2014 and then again to āmid-2014ā) to Austin, Texas. I was guaranteed a spot at the new center and was fully prepared to take it, but I just couldnāt continue lugging my car between Arlington Heights and Rockford. I knew he could survive the journey, but the damage was already done.
Enter my current job in Evanston, The ABIS Group, that came calling shortly after the new year. Though I didnāt start employment until late February, they provided that exit from the job in Rockford and opened further doors (to Sun City for one), as well as allowing me to be closer to family.
The second is the Sun Day. As many of you know, former Managing Editor Mason Souza exited this paper earlier in the year. Mason brought me on board about two years ago as a string reporter. We had worked together at our college newspaper and remain friends to this day. He does enjoy his new job, but he has mentioned he misses the people of Huntley.
When Mason left, Chris contacted me for the job. I was hesitant at first, since I had just started working in Evanston, but he was nice enough to work around that schedule. I thank him for that. I know there are portions of this job I still need to improve in and am trying to best boost those performances, but I thank Chris for giving me the opportunity to help provide a voice in Huntley and Sun City. I feel the work we have done over the past several months has been strong, and with whatever comes in the future, we will be able to navigate that as well.
This year has also seen reconnection with old friends and hobbies. Some have led into quite pleasurable friendships, and the hobbies have returned a portion of my life I realized I missed. I had just put them on the back burner; if I got to them in my limited downtime, it wasnāt often. I think picking up those hobbies has returned some sort of normalcy to my life. Working in Rockford, my schedule was essentially work, eat, and sleep. Work, eat, sleep. Having the 90-minute commute didnāt help with any sort of social life, and my wonky schedule impacted my friendships, as I could never guarantee my availability for particular events.
I would like to thank Derrick, Katie, Mike, A.J., Peter, Kevin, Shaina, Mason, and Brandon for sticking with me, even though my old schedule had me fall off the map quite often. Thank you for continuing to support me and for providing smiles whenever I needed it.
I would also like to thank my family. Iāve really come to respect them over the year ā seeing them grow, add loved ones, reconsider their careers, move, etc. I mean, I already respect them, but thereās a newfound strength that comes with it. My older brother, Eric, moved into town about a month ago to take a television job in Milwaukee, after having spent more than two years in Boston. Iām excited that heās closer now. I visited him twice in Boston but having him home now will allow us to spend more time togetherā¦at least, until his wife moves back in December (you know Iām excited for you to move back, too, Liz).
The losses were countable this year, and I look forward to whatever 2015 may be. Iāve already written about him twice, but I still take the death of my dog, Newman, really hard sometimes. Itās weird only having one dog around the house. I still love Kramer, but he just isnāt Newman. Iām not ashamed to say Newman was my favorite, and Iām pretty sure I was his. But he played a significant role in 14 years of my lifeā¦and Iām only 25. More than half of my life has been spent with this dog. Itās just weird to know he isnāt there to greet me when I come home.
Iām over the initial depression that came with it but thereās just that sense of longing. Wishing to return to the glory days where I could go home and automatically fall asleep, crediting the two of them to that nap.
I have lost friendships, as well. Not a āweāre no longer friendsā sort of situation but a āwe fell out of touch.ā Iāve realized we canāt continue to follow the same path, even how hard we try. Eventually, thereās a fork in the road and no amount of pull on Earth can make two people continue down that same path, especially when interests, jobs, relationships, and family are such powerful forces. They still hold a place in my heart and I in theirs, but weāve simply gone our separate ways. I hope to remedy this in the coming year, though.
I could continue writing. I could probably make a novel about this entire year, but I feel what has been mentioned above were the most notable things to happen to me this year. I am looking forward to what 2015 brings, and I know it will be here before I even think about it. (Heck, itās December already ā where has this year gone?!)
I hope all of you Sun Citians had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and I thank you for being patient with me as I attempt to move through two jobs, taking on whatever challenges have faced me along the way. I wish nothing but the best for you all in the coming year, as well, and I hope we are able to bolster our relationship once we start printing again next year.
Happy Holidays!
