Never Again like 2010...

I remember talking to a friend of mine years ago about the fact that two of our friends were getting married. He said, "I think it's perfect, that just means one less Christmas card that I'll have to write." I immediately adopted that attitude however over time it has evolved into "it's just one less Christmas card that I have to feel guilty about not writing". This year I've decided to change that. The only problem in that is the fact that I don't have any addresses. Result? E-Card posted on the blog.
2010 has been a fantastic year. I'm pretty sure that I won't have a year like this for a really long time. I may go so far as to say, the best year yet. I've done so many things and I'm not sure I can break it down to just the highlights so we'll go for a top 10 kind of list. Here goes nothing...
10. 10 year reunion
Yes. I am that old. I had my 10 year high school reunion. It was fun to see people that I hadn't seen in 10 years. Some had changed a lot. Some were exactly the same. Almost more fun that that was going back to Vernal. It has changed so much and I don't get to go there anymore. It has a Farr's fresh now. That makes me supremely happy.
9. 2 Shakespearean Festivals
I learned something about myself this year. Actually, I learned a lot of things, but this is one of my favorites. Shakespearean Festivals are like my comiconI feel like I can geek out and pull out all of my Shakespeare trivia/quotes ("my fingers itch!" and Exeunt: pursued by a bear. and just enjoy myself. There's something about enjoying fine art and literature while surrounded like other geeks too. I the midst of the mega-massive road trip with the parents, we stopped in Stratford, Ontario Canada for their Festival. It was pretty amazing. We actually saw KISS ME KATE which made me laugh really hard. A few weeks after I got back to Utah, I hit the festival in Cedar City. Once again, I had every opportunity to geek out. And I loved it.
8. The GRE
I did it. It scared the tar out of me. I think it was one of the those "character building" experiences. I'll probably have to do it again before I go to grad school, but I think I had myself so psyched out over the ordeal that the night before I was virtually in tears and my stomach was in knots. Ultimately, it was a test. I've taken them before and I'm pretty sure that I'll have to take another, but for now, I don't have to worry about it.
7. Good Food
I love food. I love good food. I love to travel to find good food. This year's passions included cheese, fresh fruit, tomatoes, peas, breads, strawberry bisque...the list goes on. I also decided that I don't want to go to Africa for the simple reason that their food freaks me out.
6. 5Ks
Somewhere in February, I took up running. It was kind of ridiculous. I ran at 6 in the morning, OUTSIDE. I know it as crazy, but for some reason the cold didn't bother me. My father and brother caught wind of it all and in true fatherly/brotherly fashion, tricked me into registering for a 5k. Brother ran it with me which was kind of nice. We showed up the morning of and my nephew was ready to come with us too. They had arranged for me to have my own personal cheerleader. At the last minute they decided that the weather looked a little to sketch for wiggles to come with us. It was a good thing. We ran/walked through rain, snow, sleet, hail...we had it all. It was pretty fantastic. No, I didn't run it all, but I will someday.
5. Caribbean Cruise in January
One of the smartest things I've done in my whole life. Running away from Utah winter to the peace of the Caribbean...ruins in Cozumel, cave tubing in Belize, exploring in Honduras, snorkeling in Cayman. It was comforting to watch it snow 4 inches in an hour and then catch a plane to Miami the next morning. I'm thinking about a yearly trip in January to somewhere warm.
4. Snow Shoeing
For my birthday last year, my parents gave me snow shoes. Best. Gift. Ever. It allows me to hike in the winter. I have a few friends that I went with last winter. My favorite quote was, "let's go get lost on purpose". I've been waiting patiently for the snow this year and I'm pretty sure that it's not going to happen until I go home for Christmas. That would be my luck. We'll see how long Mother Nature holds out on me.
3. 26 states
California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Michigan, Texas, Florida
2. New Job
I quit my job in July. I couldn't study for the GRE and work at the same time. I tried for a good year and got absolutely no success. I quit and studied. I went on the trip with my parents. It was a hiatus from reality. I'm going to start classes in January and I've found a new job. I'm doing the same that I was doing before, but I feel like this job is going to give me opportunities to progress in other ways. I may be opening a new office and it is hard work, but I still have energy to live at the end of the day.
1. Wiggles and Nabber
I have 2 nephews. We call them Wiggles and Nabber. They make me supremely happy. Nabber arrived on my half birthday, perfect gift, yeah? That's what I thought. I'm currently trying to make the most of them before their dad gets the genius idea to move them across the country for PhD school.