2010 ftw.

i'm happy. i'm COMPLETELY content with my life right now.

i've had my share ("share" might be an understatement) of struggles in 2009, but i can honestly say that it was a positive turning point for me. i may not have seen it while i was enduring the stress, heartbreak, anxiety, etc. but now, it's pretty clear to me - everything happened for a reason. life's tornadoes have taken me into their turbulent winds, shaken me up, turned me upside down and tossed me all over the place, but i've landed and now i'm standing firmly on my two feet. each of these rocky experiences provided meaningful lessons and only made me stronger.

the car and apartment issues (see "older entries" to catch up) showed me that no matter how hard we may try to keep it together, random catastrophes happen and the world won't stop spinning just so we can gather our bearings. bad things will NOT happen when it's convenient for you. things can't always go your way. stuff happens. life gets sour, but life must go on. sure, in dealing with these issues i was stressed beyond belief, but professors didn't care, i still had to meet deadlines, get to class and keep my grades up.

the relationship problems helped me to understand that i needed to fully focus on improving ME before giving my all to friends/boyfriends/etc. i also learned how to deal with people around me changing (as well as the changes happening within myself). some friends are there for life. but sometimes friends simply grow up and grow out of each other and it's okay. people change and that's apart of life. and in terms of my love life, let's just say i've matured, moved on and i'm surprisingly a lot happier without the hassle of relationship commitments. i'm 21. i'm young. so it's only right that i enjoy my freedom and refrain from tying myself down. husband? psshh... kids? psshh... i'll save that for my 30s. right now, it's all about having fun, being happy and working towards achieving my life's goals.

and for the record, all of 2009 wasn't necessarily crappy . i actually experienced a few of my greatest accomplishments in the same year:
i made my debut as a production assistant and intern at Ruckus film.
i challenged myself by enrolling in my first set of hands-on film classes. at first, i was a little intimidated because the other students had experience and i didn't, but i learned quickly and did pretty well.
i got my first photo published in L. Anne Belcher's book, Fly Girl! A Journey from Darkness to Daybreak.
urban outfitters published one of my photos on their website in the employee holiday wishlists spread.
and lastly, but CERTAINLY not least, two of my photos were published in EBONY magazine! a NATIONALLY read magazine. that's pretty huge, right? wait. but that's not all. it was ALSO published in the Michael Jackson collectible issue (August 2009). YEAH, i'm pretty much a big deal. lol... jk. i'm JUST getting started. you haven't seen ANYTHING yet!
...and hey! i even danced on stage and mingled backstage with N.E.R.D.

2009 was certainly a GREAT year.
despite the minor setbacks, things are going quite smoothly.

in a few hours, i'll be departing from LA to finish my last semester of undergrad at both FISK University AND Watkins College of Art, Design and Film in Nashville.
in less than four months, i'll be a proud carrier of a BS degree in Business Administration with a minor certificate in Film Production.
after that, i have plans to gain experience in the film industry by working and/or completing internships.
after that, traveling around the world & building my film and photography portfolios.
after that, grad school. NYU. 2 degrees: MFA and MBA (pow! pow!)
and after that, i'll be so close to completing my life's goal of developing and owning a successful production company... ANOMALOUS SIGHTINGS. (by 2020, i'm trying to be on Disney's level. lol... but SERIOUSLY!)
all of this in five years or less.

in 2009, i found myself. through the aforementioned obstacles and triumps, i've discovered what exactly i want out of life, how to focus on becoming the best erin i can be, how to live life to the fullest - with no regrets, how to live freely, love unconditionally, forgive but never forget, learn from my mistakes so i will not repeat them, and achieve greatness...

i'm taking what i've learned over into the new year.
i'm welcoming 2010 with open arms.

excited about my future. =)