The End of 2006 Approaches - Reflections On My First Full Year in Atlanta

Yes, another year is almost gone, my first full year in Atlanta, GA. I am sure that there are people out there that look back upon 2006 with warm feelings. I guess as the year draws to a close, there are many things that I can look back upon with fondness.

2006 brought me a great apartment in a great area of Atlanta. I live in Midtown, Atlanta. A very young, urban, exciting epicenter in the middle of Atlanta. Sometimes I think about my monthly rent and wonder why I pay to live at my current place. Then when I open up my balcony or walk to a side street cafe, or just take a walk through the streets and see everything around me, I realize that I am lucky to live where I do. 2006 was my first full year in Atlanta, GA, and I am absolutely in love with the city...its history and its culture and all that is has to offer. As with any city, there are ups and downs, but I am incredibly excited about the possibilities.

2006 brought me professional fulfillment beyond what I thought was possible. Something happened and changed at my job. Not only in my performance but in my relationships with my co-workers. Professionally, I improved beyond measure in my performance and won several distinctions. No matter what job you hold, workplace regognition always makes the daily toils less difficult to endure. I have worked harder this year than any in the past. Sometimes I felt like the Energizer Bunny. I just kept working and working and working and working. 2006 was quite possibly my best year professionally to date.

2006 brought me a great apartment in a great area of Atlanta. I live in Midtown, Atlanta. A very young, urban, exciting epicenter in the middle of Atlanta. Sometimes I think about my monthly rent and wonder why I pay to live at my current place. Then when I open up my balcony or walk to a side street cafe, or just take a walk through the streets and see everything around me, I realize that I am lucky to live where I do. 2006 was my first full year in Atlanta, GA, and I absolutely love this city.

2006 brought me to a more mature way of living...in terms of everything. Not only the place I live in, the car I drive, the way I organize my finances, the cleanlieness of my apartment, the workout regimen I set for myself, everything. For year after year, I kept wondering when will my life feel like the life of an adult instead of this hodge podge of things past. For the longest time, I felt as if I had just left college. Not anymore. I feel established, settled, and for the moment, slightly content with where I live, work, and play.

2006 brought a renewed interest in my spiritual walk. For those who do not know, my friend Sam and I met in college and were active beyond words in the church, the ministry, and the life of a christian college student. After graduation, I continued with my christian walk in Dallas, but as the years wore on, I slowly pulled back and eventually discontinued everything associated with the bible or church. My beliefs did not change, just the actions stopped. I was not a regular church goer in 2006 and that will not be a goal of mine in 2007, but the renewed interest that arose within me in 2006 is a refreshing call back to one of the most important times of my life.

In the next few days, I am sure I will post a list of things I would like to accomplish in 2007. I am not quite sure what I want the next year to look like, but I am sure it will hold good things. Each year holds good things...it is just up to us to look hard enough to find them amongst the struggles and hardships.