Oh look it’s another “new year, new me” blog article. I figured that since I haven’t actually updated this thing in aaages, I’d fill you all in on what happened this year, and where I hope the next one will take me. Indulge me.
A lot of awful things happened in 2018, I hardly need to tell you all that. But there was some good, a lot of personal growth happened. So I’m thankful for that.
I had to leave Korea because my grandmother was dying from multiple types of cancer and I had already missed the funerals of my aunt and great-aunt. I couldn’t miss another. I had been so removed from my family for years, living abroad. I had to go back. I had to set aside my own selfish desire to explore and stay out of country, because family was more important, and I needed to prioritize keeping in touch with the family I had left.
I’m still sort of bitter about it a bit, don’t get me wrong. I left a stable income, an amazing friend group, and things like health insurance behind. However, it was an inevitability. I was always going to leave at some point, because I wanted to get out of teaching. Unless I got myself wifed or magically became fluent– wasn’t gonna happen.
So I’m thankful for ultimately leaving because…
- It allowed me to say goodbye to my grandmother on her final day
- It pushed me to finally make writing and doing audio work for a living a reality
Since May I have been published on SYFY, FANDOM, Grok Nation, Polygon, VRV, Popula, INDY Week, GEEK, INTO, GO Magazine, and probably something I’m forgetting. All that in just over 6 months. I’m really friggin proud of myself.
I started to take myself seriously as a writer, was encouraged by amazing people in the Binders writing community, and worked for some killer editors who helped me along to find my voice & write some really fun pieces.
A major shout out to Allison Brandt, who posted the ad that the Calling Darkness Podcast was looking for an audio engineer. I took a chance and just by applying I not only landed the gig, but it’s lead to multiple other audio projects like Ghost Light Theater and the amazing crew there.
There’s a lot of things launching in 2019 that I am SO excited about, some of which I don’t think I can talk about, but it all stemmed from just taking a chance and believing in myself and hot diggity dog.
I lost 20lbs while in Korea and was so happy with it and felt pretty for the first time in a long time. But a lot of that weight loss was done because I was trying to impress someone else. It wasn’t a good life choice or life style. I’ve gained most of it back, but I’m now taking steps to lose again, but in a more healthy manner. I’ll be in a better head space hopefully; wanting to do this for ME, rather than for another person.
Other goals in 2019 are to pitch more, write more, and become full-time freelance by the springtime (or have a stable day job in my field). I also want to work on my own personal projects, the book series that swims in my head, the audio drama about two dumb time traveling ghost hunters that Sora and I have written about 500,000 words for, and more one-off pieces.
I have a bracelet on my wrist called a wishlet. You make a wish when putting it on, and when it breaks off, it’s supposed to come true.
I wished to be happy.
Here’s hoping 2019 grants that wish.
Very Nerdy Curly 