Sorry. I should’ve posted this March 22!
Today marked the 4th anniversary since of my open-heart surgery. I don’t think about it all that much any more, or have it marked on my calendar. I don’t think it’s necessarily something important to revisit.
Nonetheless, every March 22, I can’t help but remember this was the day.
One year out, I was still pretty much a complete mess.
Two years out, I was in the midst of the half marathons project.
Three years out, I’d just won the car on Price is Right! 🙂
So, how are things going four years out?
Well, I feel like that year in/out of the hospital affected me in a lot of ways – financially, physically, even just life-trajectory-wise. So, just a general life check in of basically all areas:
Physical: I’m in the best shape of my life. I ran my fastest marathon to date this month, and I recently started T25 (’cause it’s time to get my core as strong as my legs). I still have plenty of weight to lose and fitness goals to hit, but the progress here is definitely happening.
Philanthropy: I’m 11 activities into my project of my 52 volunteer activities in 52 weeks. I volunteered with an awesome organization today, and had the very best time! So, while I’m not committed to long-term to any one (or two) organization(s) anymore, I’d say this is going pretty well overall… (Although I have yet to be approved as a living kidney donor. Eesh.)
Career: I recently started a job as a post-production coordinator. My boss describes it as being “the glue.” I communicate between editors, producers, the field, the network – all that jazz. So, I made another step up on the ladder this year, and so far it’s going well (as far as I can tell :-P).
Creative: I’m just about finished writing a new musical. Don’t know if anything will come of it, but I’m happy to be actively writing. And I’m determined to at least do a small workshop of it somewhere before the end of 2015. I also keep the blog (which is a bit of a mess right now). So, I’d say this area is still only so-so with a *definite* need for growth.
In the next year, I’d love to take another improv and/or sketch class, and also another writing class at UCLA extension. I want to better organize the blog and make it more easily readable. I also need to make bigger goals as far as number of scripts I want to complete and number of writing programs I want to apply to. If I was getting a B or C in the other two categories, I’m probably about a D here. So, improvement absolutely needed.
Financial: Things are pretty good here. I sold that car and basically got out of debt, so that was great. Once out of debt, I stupidly wasted money on a few things I wish I wouldn’t have (two college classes I ended up not having the time to finish, a website design deposit that I never got back – and also never got the new website (guh) – stuff like that.) But even though I can point out my missteps, I’m definitely making an effort to be generally smarter with money (And at least I feel I’m learning from the missteps).
I can’t declare myself debt-free in large part due to putting an expensive iPhone on a credit card that I’m paying off (so worth it, though). Plus I actually have to pay taxes this year due to Price is Right. And, we’ll see how work shakes out for the rest of the year since my current job only goes ’til July. But I have a goal to be debt-free with maybe even a small cushion, if we re-visit this at 5 years out from surgery. But the good news is, I’m in a *much* better spot than I’ve been in at points in the past (and certainly immediately following open-heart surgery). So, there’s that.
Education: Ah, saving the most objectively disappointing for last. Basically nothing has happened here. I quit college after open-heart surgery. I’ve thought about going back. I signed up for two classes in the fall and withdrew from both when I got busy with work and felt I didn’t have the time. So, this one is the one that has been completely unchanged… This is also probably the least important. I mean, I do believe in being well-read and interested in the world around me. But as far as structured education, I go back and forth all the time as to whether I need it. So far, I haven’t needed it. So, this just is what it is.
So, as far as my life report card, I guess overall I’m hovering around a C. (This seemed better when I started writing it lol) But I think with some good work over the next year, I can try to bring it up to a B- by this time next year.
I guess time will tell, and we shall see!