Looking Back: Yearly Re-Cap 2010

Here we are on the last day of 2010, and I'm feeling a little down. Not sure why ... it probably has more to do with being tired than anything to do with it being the end of the year. At any rate, I found this list if questions from a friend's blog, and she found it from another blog, so I can't take any credit for the list. But answering the questions made me feel better! So here we go ...

1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?

I lived in Maine! And I worked in retail. I graduated from college with my BA in Psychology. 

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't think I made any near year's resolutions, so I'm not sure if I kept them or not ... I'll have to work on that for 2011. And I think I might make some resolutions for next year. (Maybe the next post.) 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes! One of my co-workers while living/working in Maine had her first baby girl! It was really exciting!!!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, but someone close to me had someone close to him die. And we all thought my grandfather was going to die. Several times. 

5. What countries did you visit?

None. That's pretty depressing to me, actually. I'm pretty sure that's going to have to be one of my New Year's resolutions for 2011 ... leave the country!!! 

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

More patience with my life. More openness to possibilities and opportunities. More flexibility (in my body and in my lifestyle).

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

May 15 - because I graduated from Warren Wilson College!

December 24 - because I moved to Massachusetts!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I'm bad at having one answer for these questions. So I won't. Graduating from college was a big achievement. Moving by myself to Maine to work on a schooner, realizing that wasn't going to work, and taking a huge leap of faith to find another place to work/live was a huge achievement. 

9. What was your biggest failure?

I don't like the idea of failure. I know it happens, but that's not something I keep on record. I prefer to learn from mistakes (that can also, sometimes, be considered as failures) and move on with my life with more wisdom. 

10. Did you suffer from illness or injury?

I got a cold this fall. And I got bug bites this summer. But that happens every year. So ... no. No illness or injury. Phew!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My car! I suppose I didn't really buy that. But it was bought for me! Best thing I bought was my LLBean boots and I haven't even gotten them yet, but they're going to be great once I have them!

12. Where did most of your money go?

Effing rent. For a very cold room in a very cold house. And the rest went to gas and groceries. Ew. 

13. What did you get really excited about?

Living with the Scott after a year of long-distance!!!

14. What song will always remind you of 2010?

Whip My Hair by Willow Smith

15. Compared with this time last year, are you:

      Happier/sadder: happier, though I'm pretty happy all the time. 

      Thinner/fatter: the same as last year ... maybe slightly thinner. That's perfect.

      Richer/poorer: Poorer in money, richer in experience. 

16. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Hiking, camping, adventuring with Scott. Traveling, though I did a fair bit of that ... there's always room for more. 

17. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Complaining and dwelling on things that don't matter that much. Feeling lonely when I needed to be okay with being alone. Alone is okay. 

18. How did you spend Christmas?

Best of both worlds: woke up with Scott and spent the day with his family AND got to fly home to see my family AND made it there despite the threats of storms canceling flights!!! AND it was my first White Christmas in MA and NC!!!

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Modern Family. 

20. What were your favorite books of this year?

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan and The Hunger Games by Sharon Collins. 

21. What was your favorite music of this year?

I listened to a lot of music, but I'm really really really getting tired of the music I have. My favorite was New Orleans jazz on Pandora. I danced a lot. 

22. What were your favorite films of this year?

Shutter Island, Harry Potter 7 Part 1, and other than that I watched a lot of old favorites. 

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 22, and I went out with some friends. Nothing particularly exciting. Oh! I did take myself on a date to the Biltmore!!! It was a beautiful day and I saw baby geese!!! That was cool. 

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

More travel and adventures with Scott. 

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2010?

Comfortable. I learned some new things while working in retail ... some I have adopted, some I thought were heinous. It all comes back to comfort ... every time. 

26. What kept you sane?

Scott and my mom.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

That things happen for a reason, even if that reason is not immediately apparent. So get up, brush yourself off, and keep going. Also, alone is okay. 

***

Perhaps tomorrow I will make my New Year's Resolutions post. We'll see. It all really depends on whether I choose to come up with any. 

In the mean time I'm going to go take a nap so that I can stay up until midnight tonight! Here's to bringing in the new year!