another year bites the dust

I don’t really want to go to bed, because when I wake up, I’ll be another year older. That always weirds me out.
I like birthdays but find them bittersweet. They force one to consider mortality and reflect on growth over the past year.
Did I grow? Yes. I’m a few short weeks away from finishing my first full year of teaching, and I have learned so, so much in this experience. Is my marriage stronger than it was this time last year? Yes, and we’re also in the Escrow process for an awesome condo–I think the space (and a home that is not in my in-law’s backyard) will help us maintain a healthier relationship.
But did I reach my writing goals?
No.
I let teaching win, and I’m not proud. That’s a big reason I’ve been avoiding my blog; if I’m not actually, actively writing fantasy, then writing here feels fraudulent. BUT… teaching is important and I feel more confident that the practice from this year will assist me in better time management in the future.
Soon, summer shall arrive, and hopefully we’ll be moving. I plan to use the quiet and new scenic space (our patio will overlook a beautiful stream!) to jumpstart my writing again. One of the problems has also been not knowing which WIP to focus on: do I try to salvage Copper, which has so many issues, or try to update a more-ignored story (like Dust Bowl), or write something completely new??
I suspect I will give Copper another start in early summer, and then try to revise something else when I need a break… but we’ll see.

Come 1:14 in the morning, I’ll be older — and maybe wiser — and perhaps will have a better idea of my future. ;)