Year In Review (2011)

A little late getting around to posting this, but here it is. Thinking I may need to get back into blogging. It's been awhile!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

Travel alone to the Island.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

No. I vowed to go to the gym at least twice a week and that only lasted until Reading Break. This year my resolutions are to go to Yoga and to keep up with my flashcards!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes! I had two different friends each give birth to a beautiful boy

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thank goodness.

5. What places did you visit?

Edmonton, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Kamloops

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

I would like to feel comfortable in my own apartment. So far so good!

7. What day from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

The days my friends had their babies, the day I found out one of my besties is pregnant and was getting married, and also the day two of my highschool friends got married.

8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?

Passing practicum and moving on to my final year in school

9. What was your biggest failure?

Failing to hold on to certain friendships. It’s always sad to lose certain people in your life even if it is probably for the best.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing major

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Some used furniture for my new place. Couches, coffee tables, etc.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

My good friends. They’re always there when I need them.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

My old room mate. I also lost a good friend this year due to “time constraints”. Note the quotes.

14. Where did most of your money go?

School, living expenses, and my trip to the Island

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Moving to my new place in December, my friends having babies, finding out one of my best friends is pregnant and finally got married

16. What songs will always remind you of 2011?

Adele – Rolling in the Deep

Lady Gaga – Born This Way

Katy Perry – Last Friday Night

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? About the same. Trying not to get fatter haha
c) richer or poorer? Still broke.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Camping, catching up with people I’ve sort of lost touch with

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2011?

My family (minus Adam again) went down to Vancouver to spend it with my cousins. We put the fireplace channel on the 70” TV (on loan) in the living room and spent the morning exchanging gifts and eating a big breakfast. After Christmas dinner we had our traditional Walnut Boat Race while we ate Christmas pudding and I won.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

Once again I was single the whole year, but two wonderful little boys stole pieces of my heart

22. What are your three favourite photos of 2011?


Melanie and Steve
(November 12, 2011)

Gabriel & Amanda
(September 2011)

William & Sarah
(October 2011)

23. What was your favourite TV program?

This year I was back into reality TV big time! I watched Survivor, Big Brother, Jersey Shore, and Teen Mom.

24. What did you do for your birthday in 2011?

I went out with a couple friends to the bar on the Saturday before. On my actual birthday I drove back to Kamloops with my friend so I could get my eyes checked and then we had dinner with my family at the Mongolian Grill.

25. What was the best book you read?

Once again I was slacking in the book department this year. I re-read the Harry Potter series which I always enjoy.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Adele was a favourite of mine this year, as well as Lady Antebellum. Neither of them are new artists but I didn’t listen to them before this year.

27. What did you want and get?

I wanted to do both of my practicum placements in Kamloops, and I did.

28. What did you want and not get?

A free trip to some beach destination!

29. What were your favourite three films this year?

Crazy Stupid Love, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Help

30. Did you make some new friends this year?

Yes, through school and also through some people I met last fall.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Better living situation. I moved so hopefully that will make this year more enjoyable!

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Mostly jeans and sweaters. Comfy and warm.

33. What kept you sane?

Caffeine. My friends in the program who understand my stress levels.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

The occupy movement was a big thing this year. I can’t say that I paid much attention, but it was definitely a topic of conversation everywhere.

35. Who did you miss?

I miss my friends who live in different cities then I do. I don’t get to see them enough!

36. Who was the best new person you met?

I met a boy in December who is both ridiculously good looking and incredibly nice.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Happiness isn’t something to search for or strive towards. It’s all around us if we choose to accept it. Stop looking for it and realize that the things and people we take for granted are usually the things and people that make us happy. We just need to stop being miserable long enough to recognize it.

T-minus 4 days

I've been horribly neglectful of this blog. I promise to try and do better when I'm back in school.

Speaking of which, I am moving on Monday. 4 more sleeps. That's insane to me! When did it suddenly become September and time for me to move/start school?! I've been trying to get most of my packing done before the weekend because I'm planning to barely be at home over the next 3 days (as well as tonight). Things to do, people to see! Tonight I have dinner plans, and then I'm off to poker night with some of my old coworkers. I've never been very good at poker but none of these people really play either so we'll be evenly matched! Should be fun.

I'm starting to get really nervous about leaving. I know I'll be fine once I get there and get settled but the in between part kind of scares me. What are my room mates gonna be like? What are my classes going to be like? Am I going to like Kelowna? And of course the big one, how am I going to afford this? I know it'll all work out and things will fall into place. But until then I'll continue to have freak out moments about how I'm going to do this!

Stressball

I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights. I toss and turn, lie awake for hours, and wake up way too early. This tends to happen when I'm stressed out. This morning after a strange dream involving vampires and wizards who could transform into werewolves (yes I'm reading H.P. and yes T.lite is still at the theater), I decided to give up on trying to sleep and laid in my bed thinking/stressing. Today's topic: moving. I have never lived on my own. I haven't lived in a different house since I was 10. I only know one person in Kelowna. Everybody says you adjust really fast and because I'm at school making friends will be easy. And I know they're all right. But it doesn't stop me from freaking out.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited. I'm glad I'm doing it. I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around actually doing it. I'm not really the type to venture out on my own and explore new worlds (yes I just recently watch S.trek). It amazes me that I planned this at all. In some ways I'm very independent, but in others I'm very much a follower. I like having someone else make the plans and to be there with me to carry them out.

This makes me think of something my mom has always said. Be happy with yourself first because you're the one you're stuck with for the rest of your life. She means this in terms of relationships but it works for this too. Nobody else can do this for me. I'm stuck doing it myself. With myself. By myself. For myself.

Time to throw on my big girl panties.

No rest for the wicked

I am exhausted. It's not that I'm working an insane amount of hours (together my jobs equal about 45 hrs/week) but learning a new job, and stressing about my schedules leaves me feeling pretty tired at the end of the day. It also doesn't help that I'm sick. Again. In May, boss#2 is going to have us on a set schedule but until then I've have to continue to try and balance them both, swapping and getting rid of shifts because neither schedule comes out until it's too late to get time off the other one. Stressful!! Hopefully this is the last week of the unknown and my life can return to a state of normalcy. Or at least have the craziness on a schedule.

4 months until I move. Just throwing that out there. I've been picking some things up here and there that I'll need when I'm out on my own, like you know, a can opener. I figure if I start now I won't have a mad dash in August, nor will I have an enormous bill I can't afford to pay once I quit my jobs!