Welcome 2012.

Goodbye 2011. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of family and friends and airports and shopping. At the end of it all, I managed to get moderately sick and I've been fighting it off for a week now. I thought I'd do one of those online surveys that were so popular when I was in high school. If nothing else, it'll be something fun to read at the end of the year.

What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Told people I am engaged, went to court, moved all my belongings in a shipping cube, spent 15 hours in the car with Jordan and three cats, worked in a dental office, planned a wedding, applied for a marriage license, worked out with a personal trainer

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I normally don't make yearly resolutions. This year I've decided to try making monthly resolutions.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Chris and Elizabeth had a baby girl, Annie. And I know a few people that are pregnant.

Did anyone close to you die?
Not anyone close to me, thankfully.

What countries did you visit?
The United States. Hopefully I'll get out of the country this year.

What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A wedding! And some more self-control when it comes to eating. I really like pizza and chocolate too much. 

What date(s) from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 10th- the day I bought my wedding dress
December 29th- our engagement anniversary

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving the great move to Ohio

What was your biggest failure?
I wish I had been more motivated to get my teaching license in Ohio and look for a job in the schools

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing life-threatening

What was the best thing you bought?
A queen-size bed

Whose behavior merited celebration?
My amazing friends in Redwood, for making me feel so loved when I moved away. My parents and Jordan's parents, for supporting and loving us so much. And Jordan, for putting up with me.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Michelle Bachmann

Where did most of your money go?
Rent, gas, groceries, moving, student loans

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Discovering that I live three blocks away from an awesome pizza place

What song will always remind you of 2004?
Rolling in the Deep by Adele

Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Happier with my personal life, sadder with my professional life.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Slightly fatter, I think
iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer, probably. But I have more in savings.


What do you wish you'd done more of?
Dancing naked in the shower. You can never do enough of that.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about always trying to make everyone happy

Did you fall in love in 2011?
I stayed in love. Gross.

What was your favorite TV program?
The Walking Dead.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, I don't think I really hate anyone.

What was the best book you read?
The Hunger Games trilogy by Susan Collins. I read a few Chuck Palahniuk books I hadn't read before that were okay, re-read the Great Gatsby, and I'm reading the Help right now.

What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?
Adele, Mumford and Sons, the Black Keys

What did you want and get?
A happy home with Jordan.

What did you want and not get?
A happy home with three cats. Still working on that.

What was your favorite film of this year?
I actually can't think of any movies that I saw that I really liked. I rarely go to movies in the theatre anymore because they never seem worth the price. But I'm definitely going to see the Hunger Games when it comes out in March.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 29 and I made a blog post about it.


What one thing would have made the year immeasurably more satisfying?
Unlimited financial resources.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
About that same as it was in 2009, 2010, and so on. Jeans and t-shirts. Now I wear scrubs too. 

What political issue stirred you the most?
The Occupy Wall Street movement was interesting to watch in the media, and the string of Republican candidates has been...pretty sad. And hilarious.

Who did you miss?
At the beginning of the year- Jordan.
At the end of the year- my friends and former students in Redwood and my family in St. Cloud.

Who was the best new person you met?
Jordan's friends from OSU

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
Moving is terrible. Being sick isn't so bad when you live with someone you love because they'll take care of you. And some cats will just never get along.