After an often frustrating day and first week of the new year, tonight I reached for the good stuff... no, not hard liquor... the crack-for-women of all chick flicks, Pride & Prejudice. It doesn't matter that I know the fictional story and idealistic romance is unrealistic and even unhealthy... sometimes it is just what you need.

I usually consider that I'm a fairly patient person. I will stand in the line at the store for ages behind a difficult person with their price check or returns and never get snappy with the cashier... I was a math & science phone tutor for 4 years for heaven's sake ... I don't know if anything else has tested my patience in quite that way. Yet when it comes to the condition that is being young and single it is a constant struggle for me to be patient. No matter how much I can direct myself with my logical side to not worry or care, that 'obsessing' or worrying is detrimental, it still hurts my heart sometimes and I guess I've just been acutely aware of it in the past week or so.

Do you know, it's an interesting thing that moving to an area with many educated young people, as this Triangle is, should open the doors to more opportunities, and certainly I think that's true. It's also true, though, that the 'competition,' if you will, is tougher. A nice guy can actually meet a girl at a bar who's a gorgeous, outgoing, med student, or PhD candidate from some Ivy League school. We can't just assume that things will go well by virtue only of our not being bimbos, here.

On a better note, I'm really lucky and fortunate to have wonderful friends here and also in places far away. I got to talk to Krystal last night (yay, Krystal) which was great. I got to catch up with a ton of Indiana friends, and family, over my wonderfully long Christmas break, and that was wonderful! Ultimately, these things are lasting and are the most important things, and I am deeply grateful for all of these friends and for my family. January, I suppose, is always just hard.. cold, the holiday lights come down, it's always dark... :) But that's why they make chick flicks and warm blankets.