the definition of happy

OCTOBER 2012- CHICAGO, IL

This afternoon, my dear friend Nicole and I get to talking about life. We have come to realize that very little in this world is easy.

View from the top.

I am a dreamer. From the time I can remember, I have envisioned myself living in a big city with a lifestyle you could take straight from an episode of Sex and the City. Moving to Chicago this year made me feel like it’s all beginning to come to fruition. But it’s very different than I would have expected. I have learned that money does not grow on trees, and living in a city as great as mine is expensive. Work is often stressful, and at the end of most weekdays, I have little time to enjoy anything but sleep. Picking up and leaving my mom and closest friends has been more difficult than I would have expected. I miss them every single day.

But after 9 months spent building my new life, I love what I see. Each day I try to learn something new about my job, and what it means to be a strong employee. I strive to take the next step in my career. I am making new friends, and understanding how to be a better one myself. I am learning both who I am, and who I want to become.

I have come to believe that the key to happiness is to stop expecting it to look like you thought it would. Sure, life is not perfect. But I have a job that I love, a bright-eyed boxer, beautiful apartment, and a killer support system near and far. And at the end of the day, who could ask for anything more?