bullet points

Because I haven't updated in what feels like years, I'm going to do a repeat of a blog that I posted years ago. So here are ten bullet points of my life as of 9:35 PM on Friday, June 6th, 2014.

1. I've been married for almost a year, and it has been the hardest and most rewarding experience of my life. The oddest things annoy me and the even-more-odd things make me sick with love.

2. I'm through with the first year (and first half) of my MA program, and I've just now realized that I should've gotten over myself and signed up for an MFA. I'm not cut out for academia. I want to write, and write, and write.

3. I've been working on a blog post for months now that I still haven't posted, and it's going to be a longer version of this point, but here goes: I'm at the point now where I can admit that I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and I have found that admitting it makes it easier to deal with, and that people are inexplicably kind.

4. I'm at an interesting place with religion, and for once, I don't feel guilty.

5. I miss having a dog around the house more than I can say. I never realized I was such an animal person before living in an apartment that doesn't allow pets.

6. Not many people read this, so I feel okay posting this bit of information: David and I have decided that we want to expand our family, and soon. End of this year soon. I'm already nesting and reading pregnancy book upon pregnancy book and panicking about morning sickness and taking prenatals. My biggest fear? My mom's reaction.

7. I hated going to church for the first 6 months of living here, because I felt alone and making new friends felt impossible and I was constantly ignored (no, really, I have a whole blog post typed up that I never posted all about how devastated and isolated I was). Then all of a sudden something happened and we're inviting people over for dinner and we're being invited to game nights and people motion me over to sit by them in church. I've cried in gratitude more than once.

8. David and I have started exercising regularly and I'm surprised at how well my body is responding. I don't give it enough credit.

9. I realized recently that I'm growing up. I do the dishes before they pile up. I consider vacuuming a "break." I make the bed out of habit. When my kitchen table is clean, I know things are going to be okay. I'm keeping a plant alive. I don't know when this happened, but I think I'm officially an adult.

10. Even though I'm not cut out for the world of academia, I know (let me emphasize: KNOW) that I am meant to teach. I haven't been in front of a classroom since mid-April and I am itching to get back. I love the adrenaline rush before class starts; I love getting to know each student personally and watching their progress; I love reading final drafts that are infinitely better than rough drafts; I love watching epiphanies happen; I even love crafting lessons. I have been getting struck with ideas nonstop this past week, which is good considering I meet my new class of students in THREE WEEKS.

And there you have it. My life, in a nutshell. I'm planning to dive back into blogging, but if any of you are still reading this thing, you'll know that I don't exactly have a pattern to my blogging. And I'm pretty sure blogger is ancient by now, so I may start a new blog on a new website. We shall see.