Where does time go?

I can't believe it's December 11, 2010, and I'm living in Prague! A year ago, I was living in Iowa with my parents trying to figure out what to do with my life. I was enjoying being back in Iowa and spending time with friends and family I didn't see as often living in Wyoming. I was also applying for teaching jobs and a neat opportunity came along (thanks to a good friend) in Berkeley, CA, so I applied. I ended up facing a decision: move to the Czech Republic or Berkeley. I chose Berkeley and was able to work it out so I could move to Prague in the fall. I didn't set out for this or even plan where I would end up overseas. I can't believe how well things have panned out!

Last night over dinner, I was talking with friends about the balance of planning things out and just going with the flow. While I'm all about planning, I strongly believe we have to be open to the plans changing at any time. If I hadn't been open to the plan changing, would I have applied to work at UC Berkeley? And if I hadn't done that, I would have never met the amazing people I had the privilege of working with there. Life is funny...

I'm not opposed to plans either, and I think its a good idea to have plans and goals and work towards them. However, I have learned a valuable lesson this past year - be open to the twists and turns this world throws at you. You never know where they will take you, who you will meet, or how your life will be changed because of them.

I think often of all the random events in my life that have brought amazing experiences and people into my life. One or two different decisions, and different people and experiences would be in my life instead of others. It's fascinating to think about. It also makes me incredibly grateful for those amazing people who are in my life.

Another major thing I have learned this year is this - make the most of every day and every experience. That also means finding balance and time to take care of yourself, but it means saying yes more than saying no, trying something even if it scares the crap out of you, and overall, just daring to do something new. It's been an amazing year...I'm so incredibly grateful to be here, living this life - especially enjoying those fun twists along the way!