the countdown.

I just thought I would inform you, loyal reader, that my birthday is exactly one month from this very day. I will be turning 24, finishing out the last year of my first quarter-century. I am quite on the fence about all of it. I am agog over the idea of embarking on a fresh, new year of life, but also a bit disappointed. I suppose I had always assumed I would have accomplished so much more by age 24 and feel I have let myself down. But that's what this site is all about, no? New beginnings, conquering the world... Alright, well, bring it on, 24!

Home, home again.

So, I have been home (the real home, my place of birth) for about a month now. It is a bit surreal, I must say. I haven't really been home for a significant period of time since I left for college 6 years ago. I don't really feel like I belong here, especially since my mum no longer is here to make this little green house a home. I know that I belong in New England, where my heart lies, but that gratification will be delayed for another year.
"Home," as I suppose it must be called, is a little village nestled in the Hudson Valley. It would really be a nice little place to live if it weren't for the ignorance, racism and alcoholism that run rampant in its streets. Greenery is abound and I have always been within walking distance to a state park - a nice escape from the concrete slabs of New Jersey that lie only a few miles south. The sweet perfume of honeysuckles and summer rain fills the air and I find myself peculiarly happy and hopeful, especially driving around with the windows down and radio on.
In a few short weeks I will be settled in my little apartment outside Philadelphia, preparing for the wisdom, experience and adventure that I am about to take on. For now, I am enjoying the company of my family, particularly my sisters, whose presence is comfort to my soul. I can't begin to express my excitement over the happenings to come or how everything seems to be falling into place right now. This ingénue is ready to take on the world!