A year in review. Took me about a year to write too..

2010 has nearly come to a close..and I googled around to try to find one of those 'year in review' notes but they were all lame and made by 14 year olds "How many boys have YOU kissed this year?!" So, I created my own! If you don't give two figs about my year then move along...

1. The biggest challenge I have had this year...was deciding whether or not to accept my job in Webequie. I am SO glad I did, but it was a scary decision to make, moving so far from home, all alone, having little idea of what I was getting into and teaching for the first time.

2. The scariest moment I have had this year...was walking into my new home in Webequie. Completely alone with no luggage (no sheets, no clothing, no shampoo!), no food except a granola bar and packets of sugar (and no way to get food for two days), barely any money and NO freaking idea of what I was going to face at work Monday morning.

3. The thing I am most grateful for this year...is my family as a whole, but in particular my Mom. It is rare to find a person who you can literally tell anything to, will never judge you, will always support you whether it's to listen to your stories about money troubles, annoying customers at Sears, a broken heart, fears, changes and joy. Thank you. I only hope I can be as good of a Mom to my kids some day, as you have been to me.

4. The most welcome change to my life this year...has been actually making a real pay cheque for once in my life. It's funny when I think of the position I was in at this time last year. A student living in an apartment I couldn't afford, struggling to find money to even buy a train ticket home for Christmas. While I'm not a millionaire right now, it's a HELL of a lot better. Money does not buy happiness, it's true, but it alleviates stress pretty nicely!

5. The best simple joys from this year...sleeping in, my bunny and my puppy

6. The things I've missed the most are: family, friends and Chester, stores/shopping malls, affordable groceries, the pool and hot tub from my old apartment, movie theatres, the ability to have a strong drink should I so choose, babybell cheese, living with others.

7. The things I have NOT missed at all are: commuting to work/school on public transportation, annoying crowds of people, dealing with rush hour traffic (here, rush hour is when people walk a LITTLE faster to get to the one store before it closes..), working for Pizza Pizza, being a student (assigning the homework instead of doing it is WAY better), having to do dishes before hooking up the washing machine every time, waiting for buses, being dirt poor, having a cell phone (oddly, it's freeing to not be attached to it up here), stupid men that make my life difficult (we're talking specific people here, I'm not hating on men in general)

8. The most important things I've learned this year are...that things can change VERY quickly, so don't dwell because you never know where you will be in a day, a week, a month or a year. Also, if all else fails, laugh it off and it will work out somehow. Don't stress.

9. The best memories from this year...are too many to list them all, but I have a few specific ones with certain people:

Andrew- completely sober 2 hour dance party in your apartment topped off with a disco ball light, moose tracks ice cream, keeping me up till 3am 'serious talking' because you were bored and drunk, the time your pants ripped at the museum.

Brendan- Two words: Hooker runs. Can't wait till next summer! Pitas at midnight. Show tunes in the car. Swimming!

Michelle M- Swiss Chalet lunches, calling you from Ottawa to hear the latest gossip, that time we found the karaoke channel at your house and sang songs without a microphone for like an hour, summer BBQs, ROCK BAND, that night at Slaintes you probably don't remember but I do, and when I came to your house so you could nap...:P

Devra- The cottage where I overcame my dark water swimming fear, singing Disney songs in the car, our 2 hour phone dates, Kindergarten cop and garlic dipping sauce

Amy Epstien- PB ice cream, take it to the grave..., EPIPEN!

Jen- The night we went to the EMPTY bar, sang Aladdin in Pizza Pizza and got followed across toronto by an Egyptian boy in a fedora hat, our boy talks in the pool, Pride!

Jess-when you worked your MAGIC and got us into that bar on St. Patty's day! Our drive to Hamilton/Boy chat

Jacq- keeping me sane with our complain-fests after class and parties in your sweet Ottawa apartment!

Kara- Our Lady Peace!

Sasha- Black. Dog. Relationship counselling chats. I still don't understand how it worked out that way, either.

Jane- My KILLER bunny, the time I found out you lived in my building after we had both lived there at the same time for two months.

Nikki-Your war museum tour guiding when those dudes were on strike, phone dates,your mad photoshopping skillz!

Kathryn-White water rafting weekend, that night we closed out Rok Bar- being 2 of a group of 4 dancing all night

April-parties at your house, boy talks in your room, watching you trying to find your tights that you'd lose pretty much every time we were going out

Christine- Your wedding! Dancing to Right Said Fred with you, msn chats

Michelle L- Gchatting while watching live award shows, seeing the penguins in Montreal, crying phone calls, your ever-reliable sister anger at men who wronged me, walking to that second cup on your birthday night and eating sugar cookies while watching the crazy montrealers on the street (was that this year? I feel like it was..), your hillarious stories about the ridiculousness that is Montreal, Hot tub!

Mom- Late night balcony talks in the summer, phone calls of me bitching about various things with your support, your general outrage at all wrongdoings inflicted upon me, watching you have a little too much wine at Grandma and Grandpas, your trip to visit me in Ottawa, you fitting my snuggie into my suitcase and insisting on the candles, our super lame new years eve toast while I worked till 3am for pizza pizza last year.

Dad- Big Dad hugs when other men in my life let me down, letting me 'talk' to Chester on the phone while I'm away, watching you crawl under the pick up truck like 15 times on my moving trip coming home from Ottawa to save my stuff, hearing from Mom about your awesome leprechaun Halloween costume

Uncle Wayne- watching you and my Dad drink beers and dance to 90's music at my apartment in Ottawa, saving the toilet paper on the highway, our on-going scrabble tournament

Auntie Kimmy- Wine!, life chats around the kitchen table

Pam- Margaritas in the basement, talking BTTF tattoos (someday...)

Paula- Puke bag on the plane, our bitchfests on facebook chat, talking boys, the christmas countdown

Trish-"It's the climbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb!" waiting for Radio Bingo at your house, watching you and Paula beg for quarters at the airport

Ryan- My time in your classroom RYAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!, bitchfests on msn, LEX!!, your "warnings" about certain things up here..

Shannon- Grey's dates!, doggie play dates, random visits

Eric- The canoe trip, your wealth of knowledge and honesty about teaching up here, "It's my day...It's Tuesday!"

Jennifer- Disney weekends!, the ridiculousness of trying to plan our trip, Cool Runnings, TRYING to play Ninja turtles, one last Mcdonald's in thunder bay.

Romeo- Your insight, your jokes, keeping me from going insane, letting me bitch about certain things and people..

***

Phew. That was a lot of memories! I should end here, if I haven't already lost you yet.

I'll leave you with...8 MORE SLEEPS!