A Birthday Reflection
05 December 2022 As I prepare to turn 24 in a couple of days, I have once again found myself in a state of introspection as I reflect upon the past year and assess my hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the year ahead. This is the second birthday that I've spent abroad (the first was in 2019 while living in Poland). This may be a bit of a meandering post; I hope you'll bear with me as I piece together my stream of conscious thoughts. Winter Reflections This time of year can bring simultaneous joy and sadness for a myriad of reasons. Joy comes with the celebration of Christmas, Thanksgiving, and my birthday - all of which fall between these last two months of the year. Yet, at the same time, as I celebrate these occasions, I am confronted with the reality that those who I hold most dear are, once again, a few thousand miles away, separated by both an ocean and a 6-hour time difference. None of this is unexpected; when I accepted the Fulbright, I knew it would come with its share...