A Tribute to 2014

Oh wow. Guess it's already time for one of these again.

How about a photo montage of some eventful happenings? That sounds good. I like photo montages.

I died in my brother's arms this year! :D

Jk. We did a concert version of Les Miserables at the Tearoom in February. It was glorious. Singing amazing music with my family is one of my absolute favorite things to do.

I also had a pretty rad wedding! Complete with bottle dancers :D

Being in Fiddler on the Roof was such a wonderful experience. The director wanted everything to be as authentic as possible, so we were always learning new things about Jewish tradition and history, down to the minutest details. Even if the audience didn't catch the way married women tied their headscarves differently, we knew. I think it was all those little things that made our show so spectacular. Fiddler already held a special place in my heart after playing flute for it in the pit two years earlier, but there really is nothing like stepping into the heads of the characters and making yourself feel what they were going through, and doing that along with the rest of your cast. One thing I really appreciated was that even the small parts got a name and a purpose within the village, again, even if the audience never knew. We really did feel like one big family, and I miss all of them so terribly, and I wouldn't trade my experience with that show for anything. It was the best show I could have possibly gone out on.

My Grandma celebrated her 90th birthday! And she's still lookin' fab ;)
Along with my Grandma turning 90, she started having major health and mobility issues, so my amazing mother moved in with her to be her caretaker. It was a big change for us, but we made it work, and still made plenty of family time.

 

My very first Ballroom Dance recital!

I graduated from college and this fine fellow graduated from high school. If you'd like to know my more in-depth thoughts on the subject, please refer to The One About Graduating.

After working at the St. James Tearoom for 4 years, I finally got certified as a Tea Master! For those who don't know, that entails brewing the manager-approved "perfect pot" of each of our 52 teas, manning the tea station for a slow seating and a busy seating, taking a tea knowledge test, and giving a 10-minute TEA-ching presentation. Get it? Ha! Ha! Ha...yeah, we love our tea puns...

I was in a band! Good Old Shoulder. Check it out! (it's a video)

My beautiful and incredible friend Hannah got married! She is one of the strongest, bravest, and most loving people I have ever known.

I have THE BEST friends...

and THE BEST family, who all gave me THE BEST sendoff I could have ever asked for.

The past four months of this year have consisted of me moving out to California and participating in the Disney College Program. You can read all about it on my other blog, disnerdadventure.blogspot.com

In short, the time I've spent here has been incredible, and I've grown in so many ways, and I'm so excited to continue my career and my life here at Disney.

My first day of orientation for the Disney College Program

My wonderful, beautiful roommates.

Singing in the mass choir on Main St. USA for the Candlelight ceremony. Incredible.

Our End-of-Program Celebration

I can't believe how quickly this year went by. There was just so much life packed into it that I guess I feel like I never really got a chance to take everything in. So many huge changes have happened, good and not-so-good. I've had a lot of goodbyes - some of them forever. There have been moments where I felt entirely powerless to help the people I love most, and the only thing I could do was trust that things would turn out okay, even when I couldn't see it. I'm entering an entirely new chapter of my life called adulthood, and it's  totally awesome and completely terrifying. It's been an overwhelming year, to say the least. But you know what? I've come out of all of it okay. More than okay. I've come out stronger.

I have no idea what this next year holds, but if I can get through this past year, I can get through anything. But, another thing this year has taught me is that my strength cannot come from me alone. I need people. And I have realized this year more than ever before what a truly amazing support system I have, both in New Mexico and out here. All the times I've tried to shoulder my burdens on my own, it's turned out disastrous. When I try to sort things out on my own, I internalize everything and only end up hurting myself. That's when my friends and family come alongside me and remind me that no one is alone, and that change, grief, anger, uncertainty, concern, and fear are easier to carry and overcome when someone is there to help you through it. I want to extend my sincerest thanks to each and every brilliant person who has shared this year with me, and I hope to share so many more memories with all of you. I want to laugh, cry, scream, and share those beautifully indescribable moments of silence. I want to have life, and have it abundantly.

So, thanks, 2014, for all you taught me, and here's to a fantastically terrifying and wonderful 2015. See you on the other side.