julie and julia

just watched "julie and julia" with my friend missy. with about 4 minutes left in the movie, we both voiced the thought we had probably kept in for the entire movie - this just makes us feel like we've done just about nothing with the past year of our lives. where julie began and finished an intense, life-changing project, i quit my job - only to start back again two months later for the same organization. missy manages a bookstore with her husband, where in the past year, she has gone through many forced wage and hour changes.

maybe, in this upcoming year, i'll keep my job. maybe missy won't move twice. maybe we'll actually get around to watching "v for vendetta" together. maybe her voice will stop squeaking, similarly to meryl streep's portrayal of julia child. but hopefully, a year from now, missy will still laugh whenever she thinks of her favorite scene (where she claims meryl sounded like a turkey) from the movie.

home

i've been realizing more and more lately that i've been attempting to surround myself with things that remind me of places or times in my life where things felt... for lack of a better word... good. so far, the best, warmest feelings come from watching the movie "away we go." when i first saw it, i didn't know yet that i hated my job. i wasn't very happy where i was living. but something about that movie pushed through all that shit, and it hit me hard.

another round comes with the movie "rent." first saw it in seattle with my uncles, after having heard from friends in college that i must see it. had an amazing night with my best friend that we will remember forever when we tried to see it again. for a person who has usually admitted to hating musicals, this one hit home, and it hit hard. i'm watching it as i type this, and each and every time collins and angel sing together, run down the street, embrace, kiss, smile at or because of each other... well, i realize what i want out of life.

another thing that brings on these feelings is burning my vanilla cupcake candle every day, from the time i get home from work to the time i go to bed. i don't know why it works, but i'm just glad that it does. lastly, that first sip of coffee each morning... well, it always does the trick.