Spicy Lampshades

Hey bloggers, hope life is well.

While it's been pretty lonely at the new job in an empty city, I did have a bit of a highlight this weekend. I got together with some friends who will also be doing research this summer, though not at the same place as I am, and had a wonderful time watching good TV shows and drinking good coffee and laughing a whole lot.

And in the midst of the stress of a new job and new coworkers and new responsibilities and new schedules, it was insanely, absolutely, wonderfully amazing to be able to hang out with familiar faces and good friends. While I was sitting on the couch laughing until I had tears in my eyes, all I could think about was how important that is...to surround yourself with people who truly make you happy.

I don't have to go to exciting places--although those make for fun adventures in and of themselves--or do spectacular things all the time to have fun. In fact, when I think about some of the most fun nights I've had, at school and at home, most of them involve watching dumb movies On Netflix or having dinner around a coffee table when there aren't enough chairs--and all of them involve people who make me smile. Or laugh until I have tears in my eyes (see above).

My advice for the day? When you find those people, hang on tight. When you find the people that take your eyes off the sad times and focus on the now, they are the ones that matter, no matter how much you romanticize the past or think about the what-if's. You only get one shot, so don't lose sight of everything by focusing on what's behind you.

Life is rough. But it's much more manageable when you aren't walking backwards, staring at the past. So that's my cheesy advice for the day: focus on the people who genuinely want to be there for you, and treat you well, not the ones that don't.

Have a great evening, you spicy lampshades, and I'll see you soon.