Because it's almost Christmas

I'm happy to report that I drove in the snow and everyone involved is alive and well. The huge icicles outside my window fell and scared me half to death but at least the thaw has begun. Tomorrow is Christmas and I am safely at home with my family, staying warm and wrapping the last of my presents, if I can find the bag they're in. This weather has definitely put a damper on my plans to see everyone over break, but it has also given me a chance to reflect back on some things that happened this past year.
It sucks that my college plans fell though, but I learned to adapt. And considering how, at times, I despised this weather SO MUCH, I don't know if I could have made it through a winter in Fort Collins. Maybe this was some kind of test, a way of helping me decide my ultimate collegiate plans.
Whatever the future, the present has me spending Christmas with my family and friends right here in the Pacific Northwest, and I think I'm OK with that.

A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and
we all go through it together.

~Garrison Keillor

Because I'm a joiner

Last night my family and I went to Christmas dinner over at a friend's house like we've done for the past three years or so. I've just finished my first term at college and I'm happy with my grades and looking forward to next term. The topic of my plans to to be a journalist came up in conversation, along with questions about whether I believe that newspapers are dying out and if so, how do I expect to make any money. I spent about 20 minutes defending my future career choice before I semi-caved and admitted that I'm not exactly sure what jobs I'll be able to get by the time I graduate college and possibly any other post-graduate education I choose to pursue. I've though about starting a blog for a while now but I never thought of it as another outlet for channeling my journalistic aspirations. But hey, as long as I'm sitting in my house waiting for my laundry to finish and the snow and ice outside to melt, I figure I might as well share my thoughts with the world.

So sit back and relax because starting right now, I'm Adding To The Noise.