31: The Year of Emily

There's no denying it... I am most definitely into my early 30s now. Wow. 31 seems way older than 30, for some reason. But I'm good with it. I was just re-reading my birthday blog entry from last year, and it's actually mind-blowing to think about all the things that have happened in the past year. And, to be quite honest, it was rough. Really rough.

But, I'm here! I'm still going strong! And I have decided that 31 is going to be "The Year of Emily". In fact, a few key things have changed for the better, and I want to focus on those:

Just because this is funny ;)

1. I have finally fully committed to my dissertation. I am going to finish it in 2012, and I am doing a kickass job. 
2. I've got my first ever Course Director position for the Winter 2012 semester! Yes, I am teaching my own course, a fourth year seminar on Natural History. It's going to be a ton of extra work, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. I love teaching. :D
3. I'm still single and I'm happy. In fact, I've decided that unless a pretty amazing guy comes into my life, I want to stay that way. I'm still open to his arrival, whomever he may be, but I have not dated anyone in the past few years who was right for me, who gave me back as much care and energy as I gave them, and who actually made me happier instead of more stressed and anxious. I'm done with that.
4. My ACL has been reconstructed, and it's healing. It's taking waaaay longer than I hoped it would, partly because I've had only sporadic access to physio, but I start at a new clinic tomorrow, and I'm stoked to regain my strength (honestly, I have no words to describe how much I miss my leg muscles!), get back to dancing, and develop a new program that's going to keep my core and legs strong while helping me to lean out again.
5. I've now got a 2 year work visa for the UK!!! I picked it up this afternoon {does happy dance} and although I probably won't be able to use the first year of it (I want to finish my PhD first), I am really excited to have left that door open. I don't know what is going to happen in the next year, but I want to make sure I can go back to the UK if the opportunity arises. And now I can. :D
6. Over the summer I have been doing a lot of networking re: career options for when I do finish - mostly corporate ones {shock!} - and I'm actually doing quite a good job of it. I'm excited to see where it takes me, and looking forward to stresslessly (is that a word?) paying down my ginormous student debt. 
7. I have realised - and only in the past couple of days through an email conversation with a colleague! - that one of my biggest strengths in my professional work is that I enjoy being provocative and pushing boundaries. Basically, it means that I take risks with ideas that other people won't. And because I don't have my heart set on an academic career, I'm willing to take those risks. I'm also good at reading other people, so I am still sensitive to the boundaries of others and can hold back when need be. That's kinda cool. And I think it's going to be a huge asset when I start my career.
8. With the help of a good friend (thanks, Honey!), I finally figured out that I am me largely because I'm what's called a "Highly Sensitive Person" (see Dr. Elaine Aron's excellent website for an explanation). It explains SO much about why and how I am the way I am, and I'm incredibly thankful to be able to apply Aron's insights to making my life happier and less stressful, especially as I begin to look for work post-PhD. (Self-)Knowlege most certainly is power!
9. All the rough stuff I've gone through in the past year has made it abundantly clear that I have the most incredible, wonderful friends I could ask for. Of course, many of them are also PhD students and, as we finish our degrees, we're moving on to other places. That's hard... but then, I might not stay here either. Some of them are also in England, or in other parts of Canada. I guess the thing I've realised is that they're friends for life, and I am so blessed to have them around, and to know that we support each other so completely no matter where we might be. Thanks, ladies. xo

With Kate on Toronto Island & the Parks Canada beaver

I'm going into this year of my life with the utmost optimism and hope for the right opportunities to arise, and to make the most of myself. Putting all of my energy into writing and into healing are my priorities, and that feels really good. I've also been dedicating more time towards my spritiual development over the past year or so, and it's become clear that needs to remain a prominent part of my life as well. I'd like to start doing some community work - I'm especially interested in doing work with an interfaith group or a women's group - so I am going to look into that once I'm able to devote less time to healing, and have more energy to direct elsewhere.

All in all, it seems I have a lot to look forward to. Let "The Year of Emily" commence! :)