02 january 2000
12:37pm
happy new everything

well well, happy new year. it's really going to take some getting used to when it comes to writing "2000" on everything. but i think i'll manage. i had quite an adventurous new years. corey, meredith, and i decided to usher in the new millenium by being far removed from san francisco, and people in general. so we found ourselves venturing through the stanislaus national forest, somewhat near yosemite. it took us a bit to find the place that we were supposed to be going (basically, it's just this big plot of land with a tiny shed on it). after traversing through two creeks in the car, then loading everything on ourselves and hiking a mile in, we found our new years party spot. it was really quite beautiful, with white pine trees all around, a creek running right through the middle of things, a small shed with a porch around it, and a fire pit. and completely remote. unfortunately, it was also incredibly cold. it was fine in the beginning- we got in around 4pm, spent time firewood hunting and building our fire, cooking dinner, etc. but as night fell it just got colder and colder. we huddled around our fire from 5pm until midnight. don't get me wrong though, it was still a lot of fun. we talked, played dead bed or wed, found ourselves in an amazingly altered state (thanks to corey's brother), laughed a ton, made hot chocolate, took pictures, etc. but at some point it just got to unbearable to move away from the fire, and things started freezing (like our water... and our sleeping bags). when midnight came around we had a small celebration but it was way too cold to actually open our champagne (plus the fact that the champagne would probably have been rather icy by that point). we went to bed shortly after, and spent the night in a half-sleeping coldness. we were up by 7am, threw everything together, hiked out, and enjoyed the warmth of the car heater for the drive home.

so, i like my new years story, because it's different, and it was spent with 2 wonderful friends, and i was out in the forest, where i think i should always be.

i also had a great thursday before new years eve. meredith, nate, and i went to the point reyes seashore, which is just beautiful. and i loved the fact that i could be at the beach, with my shoes off, toes in the water, at the end of december. this has just been a wonderfully warm winter (though rain is very necessary, very soon). we brought a picnic lunch to the beach, and left around 5:30pm. we then went and saw "cider house rules" at the larkspur theatre. it was a great movie, made us all happy. we dropped nate off in richmond and meredith and i returned to lafayette. it was a terrific 12 hours (11am to 11pm), and i feel like i know nate much better now, which is nice.

i feel like with the beginning of the new millenium comes a time of change for me. my life is going to change drastically this year (graduation and the beginning of life in the real world). but things are already changing for me in smaller ways which are still as important. i'm learning more about my independence and strength as an individual. i'm standing up to and breaking away from those people whom i love but can hurt me so much. i'm taking more control of my life and where i think it should be going. with much trepidation but much excitement i look forward to seeing where i'll be at the end of 2000. even my location at that point is a mystery- california, alaska, bc, montana? who knows? i guess we'll just wait and see.

12:57pm

29 december 1999 29 january 2000
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