2010 Recap and Looking Forward to 2011

How is it already 2011?! It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone.

2010 was, overall, a great year for me.

Granted, I was unemployed for almost 9 months of the year.  And that sort of sucked.  But in a way, it was really nice.  It gave me almost 9 months to relax (relatively speaking...when, you know, I wasn't stressing over finding a job) and focus on finding a new job that I would actually like.  Since graduating from college I have held a series of "grownup" jobs, ranging from being a date coordinator, to sales, to counseling, to recruiting.  Obviously there is no rhyme or reason to these jobs- I flittered from one position to the next, always hoping that the newest job would "click" with me and I would fall in love with my current chosen profession.  Though I was pretty successful at a few of them, they remained jobs to me, not careers.  I wasn't excited by any of them; in fact, some days I dreaded going into the office.   I had grown so accustomed to just accepting that I didn't like my job, but that it was a way to pay the bills, etc... that I forgot what it felt like to actually be excited and happy to go to work every day.   My goal when searching for a new job in 2010 was to find a place where I can see myself working 5, 10, 15, even 20 years down the road.  And I wasn't willing to settle for a position where I knew I would get antsy, bored, de-motivated, etc...

Having said that, I really feel like I hit the jackpot when it comes to employment.  For the first time, well... ever, really,  I can actually imagine myself still working here 10+ years down the road.  I find fundraising to be challenging work, but highly rewarding at the same time.  I really enjoy my co-workers- both my immediate team that I collaborate with day in and day out, as well as the colleagues that I don't necessarily see on a daily basis.  I love that I'm given freedom and not micromanaged.   I know what is expected of me, and my boss trusts that I'll get the job done, with minimal supervision, but as much advice as I would like to have offered from him.  I am appreciative of the fact that I'm appreciated.  My superiors recognize that my position (trying to secure visits with potential donors for our development officers) can be extremely challenging, and oftentimes thankless.  When I'm having a rough day on the phones, my boss encourages me to leave my desk, take a walk around campus, and come back with a clear head.  What  a novel concept.  I've also been encouraged to take a walk through the hospitals that we're trying to raise money for, and see, first hand, what a difference our job makes- not only to the doctors who research and develop cutting edge medical technology, but also to the patients who benefit from their medical breakthroughs.  It's really rewarding to hear that a visit I secured can lead to a substantial donation to the medical center.  I love that I have a mentor in the office who helps encourage professional growth.  Overall, I am extremely happy with my job.  Dare I say, my career.  It was worth the (sometimes stressful and scary) 9 month long wait to be matched with a position that I would do well in, within a company that I can be proud to call my place of employment.

(After reading that paragraph, I realize it's a very "glass half full" point of view.  My job isn't all sunshine and roses everyday.  There are parts that are boring and monotonous.  And some days, I wish I were somewhere else instead of sitting in an office. Overall, though, I am really happy where I am!)

One major perk of being unemployed is that you have ample free time.  And for me,
ample free time = travel.  I travelled a fair bit in 2010, both near and far.  Last year I was fortunate to spend some time in the following places:

• Midland, Michigan (twice) to say our goodbyes to Will's grandma, and again to celebrate her life
• Washington, DC to enjoy the sights of our nation's capital
• Houston, TX to celebrate my Great Grandma's 90th birthday
• Knoxville, TN to watch Gracie, Luke, and Drew while Leslie settled them into their new home
• Memphis, TN to be a hair model for my friend Erica
• Fort Walton Beach, FL to spend a couple days relaxing on the beach with Will
• Orlando, FL to accompany Will at the McDonald's Worldwide Convention
• St. Augustine, FL to drink from the Fountain of Youth and search for ghosts in the famously haunted lighthouse as well as the Castillos
• Savannah, GA to look for more ghosts at Moon River Brewery and partake in our own personal pub crawl
• Hilton Head, SC to enjoy some fun at the beach with Will's family 
• Savannah, GA, again, because we just love it there that much!
• Gulf Shores, AL to enjoy a little beach vacation with my parents and Ella, the Hedenbergs, the Clarks, the Kennedys, and the Koskis.
• Bowling Green, KY to puppy sit for Will's sister
• Decatur, IL to help my parents sell their baked goods at the Farmer's Market
• Norway (all over)- the most beautiful country I've yet to see
• Moline, IL to be a bridesmaid and see my cousin Katie dress up as a beautiful bride
• Denver, CO to see a couple pals tie the knot
• Decatur, IL again to help my parents get their bakery ready for its big opening
• Chicago, IL to visit with old friends and enjoy my favorite city

Whew! That's quite a bit of traveling!  Here's hoping I get to travel as much in 2011!  Somehow I doubt I will be that lucky, though.  While having a job is a great thing, having only 2 weeks vacation is not.  We already have a weekend in Vegas booked in March, and a trip to Germany and Switzerland is on tap for our next out-of-the-country excursion in September.  Oktoberfest, here we come!!  

I'm not huge on New Year's resolutions, but I have resolved to spend 2011 focusing on me.  I am going to take strides to become healthier in all areas of my life.  

Health-wise, I've signed up to run the half marathon here in Nashville in April.  This is a rather big deal for me, namely because I hate to run.  Loathe it.  The most I've ever run is an 8K.  But I need to do something to shock my system, and I like having a goal to achieve.  I am officially entered, so now I have no choice but to train so I don't die. Literally.  I have 17 weeks to get into shape.  Here's hoping that's enough time.

Money-wise, I've resolved to get better about my finances in general.  (Paying off my credit cards, making an extra student loan and car payment this year to put toward interest, etc...) I've actually enlisted Will's help for this.  Will is FAR better at managing money than I am.  I have a tendency to "need" lots of little things that seem trivial at the time, but really add up.  (A coffee here, a new album there, a hop downstairs to Walgreens or Dollar General to pick up a few "necessities", a concert ticket or two, a quick trip through Target resulting in a fast $50+ out of my bank account)  Before I know it, I am broke and counting the days until my next pay check.  As an experiment, I have handed my credit cards over to Will, and I am leaving my finances in his more-than-capable hands for the next 2 months. We had the conversation awhile ago that discussed who would be in charge of what once we marry.  Fortunately for us, we mesh well when it comes to household responsibilities.  I am happy to hand over my checkbook and have him be responsible for bills.  In turn, Will is just fine leaving the grocery shopping, cleaning, and cooking to me.  We sound very old fashioned in that way, don't we? :)  If it seems to work out well, I think I'll just hand over my personal bills to him for good.  Good riddance, as far as I'm concerned. :)

Relationship-wise, I'm striving to become a better friend, daughter, girlfriend, sister, aunt, cousin, etc...  That is a bit of a blanket statement  and is meant to cover all aspects of my relationships with others.  I sometimes take advantage of the fact that I am lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life who genuinely care about me.  I am striving to make more of an effort to connect with those in my life that I care about.  I am sometimes lazy about staying in contact with others.  I rely too much on facebook status updates instead of picking up the phone for a phone date or arranging for a weekend visit.  I wish everyone I know kept a blog- it really is a great way to stay in touch with others and it helps me feel connected to my friends and family that I don't necessarily speak to often.  Some things have happened lately that remind me that life is too short to hold grudges or harp on things that happened in the past.  Many of my friends are getting married and having children.   A close friend recently lost her father to cancer.  All these things are life changing experiences and have forced me to realize that as much as I sometimes think it, time doesn't stand still.  People grow older, and life can hand you some curve balls.  This year I'm resolving to take time to smell the proverbial roses.  I am going to personally try to reconnect with friends I used to be close to, but for one reason or another, am no longer.  In some cases, distance is the culprit.  It's just easier to stay in touch when you live near to your friends.  Other times we just emotionally grew apart.  Regardless of the reason, I want to take time this year to reacquaint myself with old friends as well as make strides to meet new people here in Nashville.  

Personally, I am going to try to be happier, just in general.  I want to smile more and worry less.  I want the people I care about to know how I feel.  I want to find the joy in the simpler things in life.  I want to write more hand-written notes instead of clicking a "post" button on facebook.  I want to recall funny stories with old friends and laugh until we cry.  I want to see everything in my life in a "glass half full" kind of way, not just my job.  Will has always told me that one of the main reasons he started dating me way back when was because I was always happy.  Always smiling and optimistic.  Always laughing and seeing the good in every situation.  I feel like I've lost a lot of that in the past couple years.  But I'm going to make every effort to become that smily, happy-go-lucky person again.  I dwell on the negative too much.  I worry and mope about the things that aren't perfect in my life instead of focusing on all the great things I've got going for me.   At the end of the day, I'm extremely lucky to have a fantastic boyfriend who works hard to provide us the kind of life we dream about one day having, a gorgeous home to rest my head every night, a great job, and 2 families that love me for me.  Life is actually pretty darn good. 

OK...moving on.

This post wasn't meant to be the long, rambling one that it has become.  I have some pretty lofty goals that I'm looking to accomplish in the next year.  Here's hoping I'm up to the challenge.  Wishing all of you a wonderful and happy 2011!