10 Big Things That Happened in 2010

I was just looking at the list of things that happened in 2009 (you can see it here).  This past year hasn't been nearly as eventful as last year, but it has certainly had its ups and downs.  Let's take a look, shall we?

1. Second year of college- I made it through an entire year!  They say that one in four freshmen drop out of college.  I've beaten the statistic.
2. I continued working at Dairy Queen- It's a great place to work.  I almost wish we were open all-year round so I could work there over Christmas break.
3. I've met more awesome people while at college- Who knew?
4. I met my awesome boyfriend- They say it sneaks up when you're least expecting it.  I most certainly not looking when we met.
5. I took on some really challenging classes and came out on top- There were some times I didn't think I would make it, but I pulled off a B average and a B+ in my first 400-level class.
6. I started the process of getting an apartment for next fall- Me and a couple of friends.  We're going to have an awesome place next year!
7. I got my ears pierced again- I've been thinking about it for a while, and I finally got a second set of ear piercings with my roommate (she got her cartilage pierced at the same time).
8. I cleared two bags-worth of stuff out of my room at home- and gave away more stuff.  I'm such a pack rat.  I'm still trying to let things go that I don't really need.
9. I discovered my love for tea- And I have taken steps to provide myself with tasty options to drink.  I do have to credit my mom and the person mention in #4 for giving me a lot of it for Christmas.
10. I started running over the summer- By August, I could run a mile nonstop.  I've lost it after sitting on my butt for the last couple of months, but I've learned that I can do it.

I've learned a lot over the course of the last year.  But, this is all behind me with another promising year ahead.  I'm not really one to make New Years' Resolutions, but here are some goals that I would like to set for 2011:

1. Go to the gym three days a week
2. Read more
3. Work on accessory and jewelry designs
4. Edit and submit a short story to be published
5. Write and draw more in general
6. Write at least one blog post per week

Usually, my resolutions go out the window in a matter of days, but these are things that mean a lot to me.  Hopefully, I can make them last longer . . . I hope everyone had an awesome New Years!

Fiber for the Soul

I've heard it said that there are two types of knitters--the ones who knit for the act of knitting and the ones who knit for the end result.  Now, when I think about myself in this light, I think I tend to be a little bit of both.  To be honest, the majority of the things I knit are for myself, and they're (obviously) things that I would like to have.  I knit them for the final product.  But, I truly enjoy the proces if I like what it is that I'm knitting and the material itself that I'm knitting.  Even when I have to tear out rows upon rows of knitting--hours of my life being undone, hours that I can never get back.  I think I've found this ability to, when I'm on the verge of a very immature temper tantrum, I just put it down and walk away or I turn the video game off (I very rarely play video games, and when I do, I don't last very long.  As soon as I reach a level that is hard, I get annoyed and turn it off).  It's how I've maintained my relative outer equilibrium.

Another thing is my knitting.  You can tell that I'm stressed in some way because I've spent large amounts of time knitting, and it's usually something relatively simplistic, that I can knit fast and I have room to think.  And, to be honest, it's something that I won't mind tearing out later.  I knit the things that I don't necessarily want or need, but the simplest thing that I could possibly have any sort of interest in knitting.  Something that's enough to keep me interested, but something that I don't need to pay complete attention to.

Earlier today, I frogged a scarf I starte in the beginning of December.  I started it with the intention of making it a Christmas present.  It became my stress-reliever.  The thing I picked up when I needed a break from studying.  It was the thing I picked up when the drama of dorm life got to me.  It was the thing I picked up in the week before Christmas as I still struggled to handle the stress left over from my first semester of college.  It was the thing I picked up when my new pendant (a pretty Miraculous Medal) fell off its chain and got lost Christmas afternoon.  It kept me going for most of December as I tried to work out issues that I'd been dealing with.  And then today, I tore it all out.  I let it all go.  I got through exams; I made it through the drama of a first semester in a freshman dorm.  I made it through Christmas, and I found my Miraculous medal.  I think the knitting and the frogging of that scarf represented a psychological therapy of letting it build up and then letting it all go that's hard to replace.  Now, I'm not saying that these issues are resolved, because most if them are still very real, but I have the peace of mind that, great or small, they're just part of the fabric of life.  A perfect life is no life at all, is it?  How can you say that you've truly lived until you experience the stresses of everyday life?

Another Year Come and Gone

Wow, so it's 2010 already.  I can't believe it.  Another year of my life come and gone.  I must say, though, it was good while it lasted.  There were a lot of big changes in my life, but it was all for the better, I think.  Here are just some major things that happened during 2009 . . .

1. AP Comparative Government came to an end, which can be considered a good and a bad thing.  Good for our relative sanity (wait . . . were we ever sane to begin with . . .?) Unfortunately, this also brought about the end of the amazing Russia group.  We had so many inside jokes from the back of that classroom . . .
2. AP English Class--the best class ever. Period.  We had some crazy fun times in that class . . .
3. I got my first job- Dairy Queen for the win! Yep, that's right people, be jealous.
4. Prom- yeah, yeah, you can say that prom is overrated, but it was really fun.
5. Graduation- it rained the whole week before, but it was sunny and perfect graduation day.  Of course, I missed the cap-throwing because I couldn't get the thing off my head (darn bobby pins) and the tassel off fast enough, but whatever.  I made it through high school with honors and a green cord that I got to wear with my cap and gown.
6. The constant stream of grad parties- yep, I saw everyone at least once every weekend for the next couple of weeks.  Good times, good times . . .
7. Senior Week- since my friends and I were way too disorganized too cool to go to the beach or something of that nature for our senior week, we had a "staycation" of sorts where we camped out at a different person's house every night and did awesome things like a murder mystery party, mall scavenger hunt, and bowling.  Best senior week ever, I must say.
8. College!- it's been good and bad; there's been drama, tears, way too much stress to even think about . . . but it was good.  This fall, I learned that I can make it on my own.  It's such a different eperience compared to high school.  I've met a lot of awesome people, and . . . a few really weird ones.

So, those were the highlights of my 2009.  And, yes, I'm aware that I'm posting this way after new year's day, but I had to think about the things I should put in the list.  Moving on, just a few new year's resolutions that I want to push myself with this year.

1. I want to be healthier-as in eating right, exercising, etc.
2. I want to focus on my art and writing more.  I feel like the only art that I've done recently has been for a class assignment in one form or another.  I want to do it for me this year.

I don't think they're huge in the whole realm of things, but they're things that I need to work on.  I let myself waste a lot of time (mostly on facebook, unfortunately) and hopefully working on those two resolutions will cut down on that. 

I wish everyone a belated happy new year's!