New Year, New Blog!

For Aunt Noreen, who has always encouraged me to start a blog. I'm about 2 years late in my follow-up but later is better than never, right? Love you :)

With 2010 coming to a close, I really cannot believe the year I've had. My year has certainly been filled with blessings as well as curses and it is most accurate to say that I have had my share of life-changing experiences.

It's hard to believe that at this time last year I had just been in the worst trauma of my life and had only been out of the hospital for a few days. The trauma of the actual car accident itself as well as the permanent injuries I have sustained have really changed my life and it has not been easy to adjust to those changes. That said, I have tried to keep moving forward and pushing my limits with a positive attitude. No amount of negativity is going to change the past so there's no reason to dwell on it if I can help it. Sometimes it is a struggle to think or talk about the accident even now but I think I have come a long way in a year and I'm proud of my progress. I thank my friends and family endlessly who have stood by and supported me in moments of strength as well as weakness.

On a happier note, the grand finale tour of my MBA took me to Argentina in July and August to complete an intensive Spanish language program. I had such an amazing time studying, shopping and living in Buenos Aires and I would recommend it to anyone. I made some really amazing friends within the Thunderbird group that I took classes with and I am so thankful that I had that opportunity to meet and get to know them. I could go into the shenanigans that went down in Buenos Aires on "Friendship Day" but perhaps you had to be there to understand. After completing a very successful Spanish class, I traveled around the beautiful countryside of Argentina as well as Chile for another week before returning home to the United States.

Finally an MBA, I moved to New York City at the end of August. For the first 2 weeks I stayed with a very gracious friend and former roommate in Brooklyn while looking for a temporary job and apartment. I soon found an apartment sublet on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and began a contract job in program management in mid-September. Not long after, I was paired up with 2 fellow apartment seekers and after what seems like an ETERNITY (but was actually more like 3 weeks) we found and signed a lease for the apartment where we currently reside in East Midtown. Our apartment is PERFECT! Haha, well *almost* perfect. Our landlord is a little clueless but he means well. We're choosing our battles with him and I'm convinced we'll eventually get everything we're asking for in time.

Finding an apartment, although seemingly time-consuming and stressful, was incredibly easy in comparison to my post-MBA job search. Despite the economic situation we find ourselves in as well as the plight of several friends who graduated before me I think it didn't really become real to me until I had graduated and found myself in the job seeker position. I am very fortunate to have worked as a contractor on and off during this time although some of those contracts have proved to be just as frustrating and stressful as a permanent job. Despite the advanced degree, looking for a job in a down economy in 4th Quarter I probably should've expected to be in stalemate for awhile but hindsight is 20/20. Much to my surprise, several leads have come up even in the last few weeks so I am looking forward to exploring those and more in 2011. Stay tuned.

In summation, this year has been full of ups and downs. I consider myself lucky to have survived the accident and the aftermath of it and I am thankful for another year of life. That said, I am very much looking forward to the fresh, new start that a new year will bring. Happy New Year everyone!! :)