Season’s greetings all!
Wow, what a year this has been! As I don’t have physical addresses for the majority of you, but would love to stay in touch, I decided to do an electronic Christmas letter this year! Trying to keep up with the times and all. ;-) We just got another four inches of snow tonight. Combine that with me getting motivated to put up Christmas lights & my tree today and it seemed the perfect night to get to writing!
Last year I made the big decision to go back to school. My sister flew out to New York City last Christmas; we packed up the U-Haul & three days later I welcomed myself back to Wyoming. Starting over for school was the biggest and toughest decision I have made thus far. While I loved living in NYC and worked for a great company with an amazing group of people, it came to a point where I had to evaluate where I wanted to be eventually. This time of year is especially hard as the holiday season is magical in the Big Apple, but I can say that I am glad I made the decision to move.
My family has expanded since moving back to Wyoming. While in New York last year I had adopted an orange cat whom after much debate is now called Oliver. He probably was a big reason I decided it was time to go back and get my degree in order. Once I moved back to Wyoming, my sister decided that it was only right that I also take back my old cat, Zeus, who has been in the family since I was in high school. Now I can’t say that he & Zeus are friends by any means, but they tolerate each other 85% of the time!
The majority of you know how crazy I am about animals, and how I have wanted another dog pretty much since we had to put my old girl down years ago. Well, much to my mother’s chagrin, I adopted a puppy in July! Annie turned one year old in October and is my constant companion. She is my hiking buddy, protector, and constant source of amusement. While I had a friend offer to give me a foal from their newest horse babies, I had to kindly decline! Working, school, and my three “children” keep me occupied enough!
Jobs were a little scarce when I moved to a college town mid school-year. I was offered a position as a PSO – Parking Service Officer, where I had the joy of being the “meter maid”, and general source of many a student’s disdain. All in all, the position had its ups and downs, but I continued looking for something a little more in the line of work that I am going into. In May I finally got a call – a researcher at the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory was looking for a new undergraduate assistant. The lab does research for Huntington’s Disease, which is a genetic neurological disease. The job is anything but glamorous – the majority of the time my duties include cleaning dirty mouse cages and general lab work, but I love the opportunity! The researcher that runs the lab is very supportive of my career, and we share a love of the outdoors so we always have something to talk about!
This semester has probably been the toughest semester I have EVER had, including my five years spend on my first undergraduate degree! Organic chemistry, while I find it very interesting and enjoy the class, the exams are the single hardest thing I have ever done. And the joy of it is I get to take it for two semesters! But all in all, I can’t complain. Life is treating me pretty well!
It has been amazing coming back to school, a little older, hopefully a little wiser, and a lot more focused. Being back in Wyoming has been incredible – I never realized how much I valued life out here. Getting outside as much as I can, I find that I must have missed the mountains and open range more than I pretended not to! Wyoming is a touch place to come to after New York. I find that my menu selections are much more limited, but with the Rockies just out the backdoor it is hard to complain! And the joy of being closer to my family is nice (just don’t tell them I said that!).
It is hard to believe all the changes that this past year has brought! I feel extremely blessed knowing that the past year brought so many positive changes to my life. My family has been blessed to have disease and cancers lessen their hold, giving precious time back to people dear to my heart. A friend challenged me to say something I was thankful for everyday from the beginning of November through Thanksgiving, but I find that I still have much more that I want to share of being thankful for!
My hopes are that this Christmas season finds you blessed! Wherever life has taken us, and wherever it leads, you all have made a distinct impression on my heart that I carry with me.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Warmest Holiday Wishes to you all!
Jenna Moline
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