A year ago today...

I was on the University of Texas website, looking at the academic calendar.

You see, this day last year was the first day of classes. And I was wishing that I was in Austin, starting my fall semester. I wished that I had been able to tell the future, six months before a year ago today, to know just how much I would want to be out of Lubbock. I was wishing that I had foreseen the frustration and anger at my job and the universe in general.

Instead, I was sitting in my living room, looking at the UT website, and promising myself, "Next year, that will be me."

You see, I had my essays written. I had my personal data assembled. I was 100% ready to apply to UT for Summer 2010, and my only regret was that we were locked into a lease (and Chad had a school-year job) that would make a January admission impossible. All I needed was for September 1st to arrive, so I could fill in my application and send it.

One year later: I finished Summer 2010 with great joy and reasonable success. It's day 2 of Fall 2010. And my life is good... and seems much brighter than it did one year ago today.