A Thanksgiving Update

I suppose I'm overdue for an update (maybe, possibly!). Thanksgiving seemed like a good time to turn some of the thoughts in my head into words as I summarize the past year in my usual list sorta way. The year's not over with, of course, but despite a bit of a slow start and some frustrations in the earlier half, the second half of 2015 has been, well... pretty damn good. Thanks to everyone who's close to me that's made this possible. Most of you know who you are already, but here's a rundown of who and what I'm thankful for this year:

I'm thankful for Debbie and Nana who support me in my writerly endeavors and always have my back even when my freelance jobs don't pay the best or turn out as expected. We ran into a few rough months this year money-wise, but we made it through just like we always do. I'm thankful for the patience you have with me, the strength you both show, and the support you offer in regards to me finding my happiness in all aspects of life. I know I'm not always easy to live with, haha.

I'm thankful for Amber, who's shown me sides of myself I hadn't even realized existed. You've given me the extra boost I've needed, babe, to keep moving forward at times and keep my fiction goals centered in front of my vision. You help ground me. You help remind me that I'm worth fighting for, that my future's worth fighting for, and that my voice deserves to be heard. You give me hope-- in us, and in myself. Thank you so much for making your way into my life.

I'm thankful for all my close friends and family members who continue to be supportive of me and my endeavors. Those who read my short stories and offer feedback, those who are just there to lend an ear when I get kinda mopey at 1 a.m. for no particular good reason (hey, tanking annoyances are srs business at 1 a.m... lol). Special shoutouts to Micah and Cav.

I'm also thankful to my more distant friends and family members who I may not speak to that often, but who I know are still there, always supportive, always keeping an eye on me. Yes, Angel, you'll always be protective of me and love me even with our distance. That fact's a comfort to me. 

I'm grateful to Ryan, Keith, and the rest of the guys at LogicForce Consulting who've given me a pretty great opportunity this year to become the company's person-who-writes-all-the-things even though I don't have a legal degree or tech degree. I'm also thankful for John, my Den of Geek editor, who gives me the opportunity to write about gaming stuff on the weekends and dive into MMOs that I still love even though I don't quite have the time for them I used to.

I'm grateful for my past which has fueled me into the person I am today as well as my future which I hope holds bright things. I'm grateful for hope. I'm grateful for having loved ones to depend on in times of need. I'm grateful for my memories, my health, and for having the opportunity to make each day as meaningful as I can. I'm grateful for continued brave moments and for watching others around me succeed in their dreams.

In short, if you're reading this, there's probably a good chance I'm grateful for you. Thank you. <3 

Oh, and yes, some of you might recognize the header image. That's indeed Ely lake. ;) I stole the pic from Aunt Sandy on Facebook one day.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and may the rest of 2015 and 2016 dawn bright for us all. 

Giving Thanks... and an Update!

Turns out I'm still pretty awful about this whole "update the blog" thing. Whoops. In hindsight, I also realize that I mentioned writing goals back in January and never actually returned to those goals. Whoops again. 2013 isn't over yet, however, so I'm not going to make this a goal update just yet. You never know what awesome things December will bring! At least, that's my hope.

Instead, I will take a moment to offer out some thanks, because, well, Thanksgiving and all.

First and foremost, I'm thankful for my friends and family members who encourage me, put up with me, and put up with my "3 AM = writing time" oddities. I know I don't quite make it easy. Ever.

I'm thankful to the two dudes behind Junkies Nation/Rift Junkies who gave me a chance what, 3 years ago, now? Time passes so quickly. I was promoted to Senior Editor this year, and we also launched a main portal site that encompasses MMORPGs, console games, and all things lovingly geeky. I get to write lots of editorials and opinion-related columns that dig a little deeper now, and I love it so.

Speaking of which, I'm ever-so-thankful to my friends and family members who have shared and read my articles and short stories. I've had a few brave moments this past year and am discovering that I do have courage in me, after all. I did my first in-person developer interview earlier in the year. It was pretty awesome to come home and have a handful of groupies eagerly awaiting my article. I also got to help an indie game developer create a crafting system for a new browser game we'll be able to play one day.

This year's been pretty monumental in the fact that I've earned roughly three-quarters of my yearly income from writing alone. No, it hasn't always been easy. There were months where I had to write about silly things like rice cookers and party tableware and other odd marketing content to pay the bills, but for the most part I can say I wrote about things I loved and was passionate about (yay for video games!). I haven't wrote nearly as much fiction as I would have liked to this past year, but at the end of the day I can say I earn most of my living doing something I love, and that's something I'm immensely proud of. And no, I have not abandoned my latest fantasy novel project. I will make time for fiction.

I'm also thankful for quite a few poetical-sounding things like the sky above, the ground below, a beautiful dusk, and the chance to begin each day anew. I'm thankful to my parents who raised me to be me, even if that me is sometimes timid and not-too-graceful. My mom and dad live on in me and I'm grateful for that.

I'm thankful for brave moments. I've finally been brave enough this past year to begin making progress toward ending this period of eternally-single-for-seven-plus-years that's a part of me I don't like to admit often. I guess I felt I needed to stabilize my own footwork before getting someone else intertwined and causing the two of us to go toppling over. That's not to say I've made a ton of progress-- yep, I'm still single-- but I'm enjoying getting to know new women, having a few brave moments, and learning more about myself in return.

And last but not least, I'm thankful for hope. Life wouldn't be possible without it.

Happy holidays, everyone! May your days and nights be filled with joy, hope, and a few brave moments.