2010.

Its New Years Eve. (Well, it was when I WROTE this, but there's a lot of pictures, and I didn't get to adding them all until today, okay? Don't judge!) I think rather than a whole bunch of resolutions for next year, I'd rather just look back at this one. Some highlights:

Spending a month with the cutest third-graders ever

-Figuring out how to finish off my schooling. (TESOL minor, internship.)

-Living in Europe for the summer! (Which deserves a more than a few bullet points.)

Dietershiem

My Munich

Vienna on my birthday!

PRAGUE!

Totally adorable children!

The glories of Ancient Rome!!!

The beauty of Tuscany

The churches of Florence

Walking the bridges of Venice

Berlin with the Fawson's

Okay, okay. I'm done with Europe now. Sorry, but it was amazing! Anyway, the past few months have been pretty great too. Really the only "Earth shattering" things:

-Meeting this girl:

(Halloween. So Fun.)

-The Sara Barellies Concert. So amazing.

Um, yeah. I'm such a lucky girl! I've been extremely blessed this year. I can't believe the year I've had. 2010 will always be the year of my summer in Munich, but it was also the year of figuring out my life and what is important to me. Maybe it was the 2 1/2 months away from home, but I realized that more important than DOING cool/exciting/adventurous things with my life is WHO I have in my life. People are so much more important than anything else. That's why I think maybe the best thing about this year is the last two weeks with these people:

Here's to 2011! I don't know how its going to trump 2010....

Blame the Hormones

For not helping my mom, when she really could have used it. (You know, like right now.)
For almost crying during Tangled.
For obsessing over things I can't control.
For losing patience with my brothers.
For making me grumpy.
For writing and then not posting a whole bunch of moody blog posts.
For actually posting this really lame one.

A Few Things (Varying Degrees of Importance)

Numero Uno: Went to the MOTAB/Archie Christmas concert tonight!!!! WOOOT! It was great. I've been wanting to go forever, and then I couldn't get tickets, and then I was sad. THEN I posted my wish to go as my facebook status, and BAM. Awesome person gave me some (thanks Susan!)!! I think my next facebook status wish will be for a million bucks. Who's gonna fill that one? Hmm? Hmm? Anyway, Archie was great. Love him to pieces. Good little voice in that adorable body. I kind of wanted to pinch his cheeks. Except during Silent Night, when I misted up a bit. Love that song. Don't love complete sentences. Moving on.

Nummer zwei: Work tonight was sad. Dawn's last night. My last night with everybody there. Even "mean old John" (aka the best boss ever who is actually a big 'ol softie) misted up a bit. This job has been a HUGE blessing for me for the past two years. I work with aforementioned amazing boss, really cool co-workers, doing easy stuff while I listen to music or books... Pretty much the best job ever. Well, not forever, but for a college student. Unfortunately, I have 8am classes next semester, and working until 1:30am doesn't really work with that. Hence the sad day. I might still work for John on the weekends, but it definitely won't be the same.

Okay I don't know any more languages (pathetic? yes.) ... Number Three. Dawn: Smart. Funny. Silly. Hard working. History nerd. Teacher friend. Best listener EVER. Amazing friend. I'm gonna miss her the "next few months or maybe longer". She is pretty much my favorite. Uuuuugg why are you leaving me?!?!?! Dummie Texas.

4. WHY do I do this to myself? WHY WHY WHY would anyone who had the choice leave TWO finals for the last day? Boooo. I just want to give up and go home. Grumble grumble grumble.

5. ...I have a new guilty pleasure. Its the History Channel. What?!?! Don't judge! I just can't get enough of those WWII docs!!! (Especially the Berlin/Munich parts where I get to go "I've been there! I've been there!" My roommates hate me. Mwahahaha!)

I think five still counts as "a few" right? Right. Well then, Guten Nacht!

I Found My New Calling.

And I don't mean church calling. (I like mine right now. FHE mom is the bomb.)

Nope. I decided that it is THE BEST EVER to give people good news! I think I'll send my resume to Publisher's Clearing House, because seriously, it rocks.

You know what rocks even harder?!?! (I know, I have the vocabulary of like, a 16 year old girl right now. Whatever. ) The fact that I'm gonna be seeing a lot more of these guys:

Old Friends

Today I went to the homecoming of one one of my favorite people in the whole world. Jake is the friend that makes it all feel like everything is back to normal again. How it used to be. Like in high-school, but way better.

All of them. So many of my favorite people.

Smiles.

Withering stares.

Eyebrow movements.

Whistles.

Honesty.

Hugs.

Lots and lots of laughs.

Its so great/interesting/weird to be back with people who knew me back in the days when everything was "drama", choir was life, and my biggest goal was winning the affections of (fill in the blank)... But it was actually really nice. It was nice to be with people who know me, who I know, who know my weirdness, who I can tease. And it was especially nice to feel good about who I am now in front of those people. Hallelujah. I feel so much better about myself now than I did then. How did that happen? When did that happen? Was it in Europe? College? Working?

I don't know, but I'm starting to feel old.

CREATE

I wish I was a talented musician who could write songs that express how I'm feeling, share an insight about the world, or even just be a little silly. But I'm not, and I can't.

I wish I could draw the world from my perspective, capturing the detail and the simple beauty of all I'm surrounded with. I get the itch to draw, but it never comes out looking like what I meant it to be.

Sometimes I want to wear funky clothes and do my hair in interesting ways, just to be creative, but that requires courage and cash. Neither of which I have enough of.

Sometimes I feel like writing the world away. Sometimes it works. Mostly though, I just run my fingers through my hair,press backspace a thousand times, and then delete it all the way so no one can see that its not quite right.

I guess that this blog will just be what's left after all that. :)