Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 ... a year in review...

It is the very last day of 2009. So color my world with the chaos of trouble cause tonight is going to be a good good night! I'm back in Salt Lake City and can't wait to see my awesome friends for a fun night out on the town. (Currently trying to strategically plan the warmest way to wear a fun new year's dress...)

2009 has been moderately good to me. Not the greatest year ever, but some pretty awesome stuff went down. Major events of 2009...

1. My mother dear has slowly been recovering from brain surgery. 2009 has been good, but 2008 was plain terrible. Very fittingly, the very end of 2008 was spent in hospital with mother dearest. It has been a very slow recovery- brain surgery is kind of a big deal- but I feel like we are headed in the right direction... hopefully 2010 will show even more progress - perhaps even a return to normal? (That would be AWESOME!) Overall though, the whole ordeal has really helped me realize how much I adore my family. I am remarkably lucky to have such amazing and supportive people in my life like my parents and my sister. They are just downright fantastic.

2. Finished college. Well sort of. Finished "college" and am now playing catch up for all that I couldn't do while dancing a zillion hours a day. The last semester- I realized what awesome people I have spent my life with for the last 4 years. When my family went into crisis mode, I also realized how absolutely awesome my friends are (Colorado and Utah). Friends sent my family care packages, offered to fly in to help me out, sit with me in the hospital, and gave me record hugs that brightened the darkest of days. I am such a lucky lucky girl.

3. Senior Concert. It was awesome. The faculty was impressed and proclaimed it one of the best senior concerts they have seen. I would expect nothing less from my amazing classmates.

4. Graduation. How lucky was I to be able to walk across that stage in my bare feet while being surrounded by all of my best friends?

5. Greece. Oh Greece! The trip of a lifetime with 2 of my favorite people. The pictures are still my computer's screen savor 7 months later. It was that much fun.

6. California. So my immediate family is pretty awesome. My extended family is too. Each time I see them I am reminded of how lucky I am. And Chicago. It was only one weekend, but me and Emma had a positively fantastic time.

7. Sans Limites Crochet went online!!! This is a very recent development, but I have already made 4 online sales! WOO HOO! Thank you, Sans Limites supporters!

8. Aunt Ellen and Cousin Jimmy moved to Colorado - I don't live in Colorado any more, but it is awesome to go home and have some extra family there. Jimmy is probably the most awesome high school kid that ever existed and Ellen has the most contagious giggle. And their presence there means so much to my mom and has improved her life so much. They make more of a difference than they know.

9. I started life in the "real world" ... still in school. Ok, so it's not the REAL real world, I'm still a student. But I'm no longer in the dance department. The harsh reality of spending my days alone, sitting, studying hit me hard (as opposed to seeing my friends all day everyday while being up, active, interactive, and creative...). The first half was rough... really rough. But I had an "Awww HA!" moment while studying for finals. Yes, these classes are really hard for me, but I'm learning some darn cool stuff. I need to remind myself of that more, and all will be ok. I love to learn, I love to learn, I love to learn... my mantra as I face anatomy and o chem next semester... wish me luck, cause I'm gonna need it!

10. I have read 29 books... and am half way finished with 4 others (art, Africa, Iraq, and science related). As I finished up my bachelor of FINE ARTS degree, I realized I wasn't a very good artist. I'm a pretty good dancer, and I can make a dance that looks pretty, but I have trouble making a dance that speaks about the world... why? Because I don't know that much about the world. I've spent the last 8 years in the dance studio, and am now trying to navigate what life is like outside of it. The books I have read have helped me learn more about the world, the economy, the environment ... and even the art world. I spent 4 years in a very intense program, and right now I'm letting all I learned there sink in. It's a stewing period, and it is awesome. Ok, so my goal after graduation was to read a book a week... at 29, I'm 23 short... but still pretty proud of myself.

My other new year's resolution was to run 20 minutes a day which I have completely failed at, but I have improved my yoga skills, so there's that...

My goal for 2010 is quite cliche. I want to be healthier. (Please realize this is very different from losing weight- I'm quite happy with my weight- honest!) As a dancer I have a great respect for my body- it is my instrument, my way of speaking to the world (senior quote from high school - "Dance can give the inarticulate a voice") And now as a pre-nursing student I'm learning just how vital it is to eat right and exercise. It is so crucial for your body's functioning and will serve a major role in disease prevention later. And honestly- with the poor health that appears in the US that is mostly preventable- we should all shift our focus to prevention and start taking better care of ourselves. So there, I'm gonna do my part. Christmas is over- no more living on sweets! (I have an entire tower of treats from Harry and David in my apartment... this is a great goal I'm undertaking!)

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