great mirror show me the way through

lessons i learned this year:

• apparently only one space is sufficient after a sentence, not two. i thought i would never be able to break my muscle memory of this double-space learned at davis elementary school, but surprisingly my tired typing fingers agreed with one less hit on the space bar.
• if your place is comfortable and feels like home, don't stress about the rest. it took me almost four months to finish hanging pictures downstairs. i still haven't hung pictures upstairs. and i'm not stressing about it. we are happy, the couches and pillows and blankets make it comfortable, and i feel at home when i'm here. that's what actually matters. i didn't even ventured into the realm of holiday decorations. i put out ghirardelli chocolates in holiday flavors for christmas. you're welcome, husband.
• how to delete a virus off your computer. no explanation necessary. but it's probably important to not click through those agreements and acknowledge when you've been redirected to a different site. 
• how to make a thanksgiving turkey all by myself, with multiple phone calls to my parents. which leads me to the next lesson:
• i would be a wreck without my parents.
• this is a repeat lesson, but group projects are the worst. 
• i can do difficult things. 
• those difficult things do not include daily homemade dinners. i don't have to, so i won't.
• as i learned from gretchen rubin, staying busy in a state of growth is one of the great keys to happiness. i've had a lot of people express their genuine concern for me with matt starting medical school, which i have really appreciated. though it has been a change, and i miss matt randomly coming into my office to tell me something funny, do a few solo dance moves, and leave, it really hasn't been that bad. i appreciate our time together even more. we prioritize each other more. but i was lucky enough to come here with my eyes open and a long to-do list of my own. working towards my own educational and career goals have really helped me stay happy here in our new little washington home.

2014, you have been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding years of all time! we have seen our lives change forever as we've actively pursued our dreams. i'm so grateful to have this guy by my side.