last day of summer, or the return of may 2005

as far as the calendar is concerned, today is the last day of summer--the autumnal equinox lurking just beyond sunset. but come september we are generally ready for a new era, for new beginnings. even if it is still 80 degrees and sunny.

even on the best days in september/it's hard to find my peace of mind

on the last day of august, it hit me that many of my aspects of my current life in philly eerily mirror my reality in madison over 6 years ago. i wrote down a list of things that are identical to my final month in the midwest, in the spring of 2005:

-fucking broke/in debt/un(der)-employed
-registered with a temp agency with unfortunate, demoralizing results
-heartache across distance/attempting to salvage a seemingly impossible long-distance relationship
-making plans to move to western massachusetts to live with a close, platonic female friend
-drinking heavily after a long period of sobriety
-involvement in local bookstore collective my primary commitment

crazy, huh? it's so interesting to discover the weird ways our histories repeat themselves. hopefully by reflecting on where i was at back then and the subsequent years that followed i can move in new directions. i want to go beyond the familiar and start a new. unlike 2005, i am committed to returning to school and am currently applying to goddard college's master in individualized studies program. trying to focus on that now, despite the weight of these other challenges. i am ready for the fall.