It's strange to think that this time last year I'd just graduated from LSU.
I had absolutely no idea what January would bring me, let alone where I'd be in an entire year's time.
The entire first half of the year, I spent stalling.
In January I had no idea what I'd be doing in February.
In February I had no idea what I'd be doing in March.
At one point in the year, I thought I might end up a librarian technician at a local university, which, if I enjoyed, I thought might lead to an M.S. in library sciences.
At another, I thought I might become a seamstress at a local costume shop.
At another, I thought, "well, I guess I'm going to be The Hermit of My Parents' Spare Bedroom for the rest of my life."
It wasn't until May that I finally made any decisions about my future.
MAY!
As I sit here now, I am in roughly the same place I was last year, doing roughly the same thing: sitting in my parents' house, drinking coffee, writing, and bothering my cat.
The circumstances, however, are wildly different.
This year, I know quite a bit about what my future will bring.
In a few weeks, I will return to England, where I will hand in the first 5,000 words of my manuscript project, which I'm calling "Emma Montgomery's Book of Mostly Useful Magic." I will work on it throughout the winter, the spring, and the summer, in workshops and coffee shops, and at home at my desk. In September, I will hand it in. I will pack my bags.
Hopefully, I will know exactly where to go next.
It's very possible I'll be sitting here again this time next year: in my parents' house, with my cat and my coffee.
Maybe it'll be where I want to be. Maybe it won't.
All I know is that this year I have made the right decisions, and I believe enough in myself to think that next year, I'll make the right decisions, too.
Before I leave you for the year: here are some of the highlights from my past two weeks in the U.S.
BOSTON:
NEW ORLEANS:
Best,
Julia