Happy

It feels weird to just say it like this, but right now I'm really happy. For months I've been trying to be upbeat, positive, and optimistic. I was really trying to live in a way that would bring positive results. Fall was kind of rough because of the whole no-real-job thing, but Argentina realigned my priorities. When I got back I really started to take my vow to pursue the life I really want to live and take opportunities as they become available more seriously. Now it feels like everything is coming together and my life is beginning to look the way I've wanted it to for a long time. Here are some reasons for my current good mood:

* Social Life - I'm reconnecting with old friends via the book club. I've repaired an old friendship recently. I'm going to my third Young Dems event this week and am starting to feel more comfortable doing this on my own. My credential friends (The Divas) and I have established a pattern and are actually seeing each other with relative frequency. I feel like I'm doing things.

* Work - I actually got two days of sub work last week. One more and I will have worked more in February than all of January already. I don't really like single-day substituting because of my theory that it's basically the same thing as waking up and realizing that the naked-at-school dream is your actual life, but at least it's work. Plus, every day I'm one day closer to my second long-term position and I'm really looking forward to that.

* Reading - All this time I spend not working means a lot of time to read. I've been reading a lot of political news and this week I actually read a book again (the first in a while - The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta). I always find that I'm calmer, happier, and generally more amiable when I have a book to read. Reading centers me. This book club is part of that, too. Plus it makes me feel smart.

* Music - I'm actually playing my instrument again. After years of talking about wanting to go back to it, I've actually started practicing and I already notice some of the ability coming back. Don't get me wrong, at this point I completely suck in comparison to what I used to be able to do, but I don't care because I really enjoy it. Seriously. I can play about an octave and a half and overall it sounds pretty bad but I'm just so freakin' happy the whole time that it doesn't even matter.

* Exercise - I'm really proud of myself for how much work I've been doing. I feel healthy and happy that I'm doing something for myself. I worked out 6 times this week. That's awesome!

Last year I told my students that if I didn't get a full time contract I would spend this year doing all the things I don't have the time or energy to do when I'm teaching. It now feels completely true. I'm just so HAPPY! Leave comments, that makes me happy, too. Oh! And listen to all the new songs on the playlist I added. :)