2014 was a year of many thing. So let’s start from the beginning…

2014 was a year of moving.

I moved three times within the first half of the year: from St. Louis to NYC, from midtown west to the financial district, and then from NYC to Chicago. Every time was stressful as moving is inevitably, and every time I learned a little more about myself, life, and those around me. Like every other tough situation in life, it can bring out the best and worst in us.

2014 was a year of new beginnings.

At the very beginning of the year I was admitted to the New York bar, and thus in at least one way, began my life officially as a lawyer. I soon learned the respect that being a lawyer garners, even if I am not practicing (yet). Having been surrounded by fellow law students for the previous 3.5 years, I had become so jaded that I had forgotten almost all the positives of this profession.

I started my first full time job and moved into my very first apartment in July. The first couple of months were filled with the excitement of decorating my very own place and learning everything about my new job. There were the expected challenges. I found decorating a home can be difficult given my specific tastes, limited budget, and the lack of car and help. On the other hand, staying awake for a full nine hours at work was also painful and sometimes impossible.

2014 was a year of friendship.

They say a place like New York City can feel incredibly lonely despite having millions of people. Yet I can’t help but feel I was incredibly lucky because that was seldom a feeling I had. For the brief six months (and it was all too brief) that I had in New York, I was surrounded by friends, both new and old. Because of them, I always had a reason to laugh, to smile, to get up and discover the amazing city that I lived in. With them, I shared countless memories of brunches, dinners, museums, ballet performance, coffee shops, roof tops, afternoon teas, soup dumplings, ramens, and endless conversations on everything and anything.

They say starting a life in a new city can be tough, but despite all the challenges of moving, my transition to life in Chicago has been rather smooth. My first couple of months were filled with visits from friends and family.

2014 was a year of many things; above all, it was a year of discovery.