Aaaanyway, I have been doing some reflection over the last year. Since that's usually what you do on New Year's.
Some things that happened in 2010:
- I had moved to Portland at the end of 2009. But in 2010 I finally started feeling comfortable there and knowing my way around and meeting fun people and having a social life :) Bascially, I fell in love with Portland in 2010.
- well, I took a little trip. To Spain. I'm not sure if most of you were aware of that. It was pretty cool.
- my niece turned 1. She is amazing.
- my momma got diagnosed with breast cancer and went through 4 surgeries in 5 months. She is an amazing woman. One of the strongest women I have ever known and one of my greatest heros. She is doing fantastic now, by the way.
- my best friend got married. To a great guy and they are super cute together. Although I do miss getting to hang out with her whenever we want, we still get to hang out quite a lot. And they are a great couple and I'm so happy for them!
- I got a B in Spanish. Boo.
- I went to some really fun concerts (Jamie Cullum and Michael Buble. Don't laugh.) and saw Cirque du Soleil! So incredible!
- my uncle passed away after a long fight with cancer. He had a rough life but was a sweet, loving guy and he is missed.
- I learned a lot of Spanish. Thanks in part to the aforementioned trip to Spain. And even to the class in which I received a B.
-I met some fantastic people. In Portland, in Spain, at church, at work, in class, through other random ways and in other random places...they are all great and I'm glad to have met them all.
-I spent a lot of the money I had saved from working at the bank. On the semester in Spain. Worth it. I think...
- I cut my hair short. Short-ish. Nothing too exciting, nor important. But it happened. And I'm letting it grow out again.
Some things I started doing in 2010:
- working at the gym. Such a fun little job! Definitely kept me entertained and busy (and at times a little stressed), and I had some fun, met some awesome people and made some money.
- going to Solid Rock church and a house church that meets on Mondays. Here I met some more amazing people, learned some more about God, worshipped, grew and just had fun.
- volunteering with AKA Science, the after-school science program put on by the OHCC. So much fun and a great learning experience.
- working out. I learned that I can actually enjoy it! Thanks to the best personal trainer ever, Jeremy.
Some things I learned in 2010:
- a little bit of Spanish :)
- that I'm stronger than I previously realized. And I'm not just talking about my giant muscles. baaaahahahaha
- that you can make all the plans you want and have all the dreams you can dream, but God is ultimately in control. A lesson I for some reason have to keep on learning over and over again.
- that I am a lot braver than I realized. Mostly in relation to food. hahaha I ate a lot of weird stuff in Spain. And never even threw up! And actually liked it all! (minus blood sausage and pig foot...)
- that I can take on a lot of things at once. For instance: 16 credits, 2 volunteer positions, 20 hours of work per week AND a social life. Granted, the next term I cut back a little. But I didn't die. Not quite anyway.
All in all, 2010 was a fantastic year. There were some downs. Some really down-y downs. But there were also a million ups. I had so much fun. After working for four years at a job I really didn't like, that drained every ounce of being that was in me, this was a pleasant change. I'm not just talking about my trip to Spain either. I had so much fun just living in Portland that I was actually sad to leave. I was questioning my decision to study abroad. There were other reasons I was questioning this too, but I had decided that I had had so much fun this last year in Portland that I wouldn't have minded it if I didn't go to Spain. So glad I did though!
Besides my amazing time in Sevilla and the fun I had in Portland, I realized that what it's really all about are the people. Spain wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without the amazing people I met. Sevilla wasn't the greatest city I've been to. But it was so hard to leave because of the relationships I built there. And Portland is the same way. I had so much fun there because of the people I met that I did fun things with. Obviously I have amazing relationships in my hometown too. I wouldn't want to be without them. But that's exactly the point. As long as there are great people around you, it doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing. Because they will make it worth it. Not to say that you should stay somewhere you aren't happy just because of the people. I never would have left the bank if that was the case. But here's a thank you to all those fantastic people in my life. Those that have come and gone, those that are new, those that are old, those that I only see occasionally, those I see all the time. You are all amazing and I wouldn't want to be without any of you!
Now, here are some goals I have for 2011:
- keep practicing and improving my Spanish.
- get more involved in my church.
- read more. In Spanish.
- start working out again. Whoooops. Spain was terrible for that.
- cook more.
- meet more cool people. and hang out more with the cool people I already know.
- be better at keeping in touch with people, especially the people I met in Spain. And re-connect with people I haven't been so good at keeping in touch with.
- don't spend too much money on unnecessary things (ie, clothes...). Notice I said "too much money." Not "don't spend any money." I'm trying to be realistic here...
- watch less TV...fortunately my new apartment won't have TV. But I didn't have that last year either and still wound up watching way too much on hulu.com. Kind of silly.
- sew something. I haven't sewn anything in a long time. I should probably make something.
- frame the artwork I bought in Spain. And the thing I bought in Mexico last year....
Okay, that's enough. I probably won't even be able to do all those. But here's to a year full of change (good change), FUN, goal-making and goal-achieving, personal and spiritual growth, travel, people, good health for everyone, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, contentment and more FUN.
Happy New Year to You! May all your wishes come true and welcome back. Mat 6:33
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