Happy New Year!

Katie D.

January 1, 2011 - 9:34 PM

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that the new year will bring adventures and blessings to all of you, with new opportunities and joys. I also hope that you brought in the new year surrounded by people you love, whether friends or family, and that you'll continue that way for the rest of the year.

I had a fabulous New Year's Eve. It was the first time I've rung in the year outside of Colorado. I came back to Oregon early, and celebrated in Portland with my roommates, friends, boyfriend, and his friends. We went out to several downtown bars, with lots of dancing and champagne. It felt like the perfect New Years, actually, with the perfect balance of the comfort of friends and the glamor of being out on the town in a big city. Portland nightlife is pretty hopping on any Friday night, and New Years brought out the partiers in all their eclectic glory. We saw a live funk show and spent a little time in the Portland City Grill, on top of one of the tallest buildings in Portland. We dressed up, and mingled with folks in gowns and flannel, from hipsters to classy city folk. I love Portland for its mix of styles and cultures. I also loved taking the MAX lightrail around the city in the middle of the night, riding home with hundreds of my closest personal friends from all walks of life.

It was a perfect evening because of the people I was with. I have amazing friends here in Eugene, as well as meeting up with several friends who have graduated and moved up to the city. Since we start class again on Monday, it was a great final moment of break to celebrate and relax before the new term begins.

It was also wonderful to start off a new year with my boyfriend. I've been pretty shy about blogging about him, mostly because I've tried to focus on university-related stuff on this blog, and because I'm more of a private person about that kind of thing anyway. But it was awesome to be with him for New Years, and to have our friends all together like that. His name is Taylor, and he graduated from the UO in June, with a major in art. He's a fabulous artist, from drawing to painting and digital work. We have lots of friends in common, and we met in April and started dating soon after that. He lives in Portland now, working a day job as an administrative assistant at a small law firm and working on art projects in his extra time. He's got a cool new gig doing performance art with a funk show starting this Tuesday night--he'll do a digital painting that's projected on a screen to accompany the music. Anyway, he's a sweet guy and it's fabulous to be in a relationship like this. College dating can be hard to navigate between the myriad of niches and commitments. But being with Taylor was a great part of the last few months, and I imagine he'll continue to be a big part of this new year.

Enough of the sappy stuff. This year's going to be a big one. It might be my last that's 100% school focused. I'm hoping to travel during the summer, and will be working at my GTF and volunteering when I get the chance. I'm looking forward to my new classes and my plans with friends. Like everyone, I'm making some resolutions, from fitness to travel and hobbies. The big ones are self care and continued success with school and work. I'm filled with optimism for 2011.

So Happy New Year to everyone! All the best to you and yours, luck and love and prosperity. Thank you for reading in 2010, or welcome to my blog if you're new. Let's make this next 365 days an adventure, shall we? I'll be in touch.