2011 in review

Blogdom, I hope you had a really wonderful Christmas, if Christmas is your thing. We’ve been hunkering down at home, getting over colds and contracting new ones, and preparing for the World’s Busiest Next Two Months. I go back to work tomorrow, and I’m sad to bid farewell to this vacation.

I was going to wait to do my 2011 wrap-up until the 31st, but looking at my recent track record, I think I’d better just do it while I’m thinking of it. Obviously, it’s been a pretty unbelievable year. I accomplished most of my 2011 goals, though a few are “in process,” and a few remain undone. That’s OK. Just to check in with them:

1. Get married. - CHECK. If you’d like to read about our wedding, click here.
2. Rock the socks off my gala on March 3. - CHECK. Our goal was to net $150,000, and we net $400,000. It was awesome. Aaaaand I have another one on February 16. Dot. Dot. Dot.
3. Buy a bike, and use it to commute to work. – I didn’t do this. I still want a bike, but I haven’t pulled the trigger. One day…
4. Solve my skin issues. - This has had its ups and downs. My skin is finally almost back to normal after a TERRIBLE three-month breakout. I think this is going back on my list for 2012.
5. Find a new dentist, and make an appointment. And then! Go to the appointment! - CHECK!
6. Get a killer post-wedding hair cut. - CHECK!
7. Plant an herb garden on our fire escape. – Nope. Sigh.
8. Pay off my car. - CHECK!
9. Achieve ZERO DOLLARS OWED TO CREDIT CARDS. – CHECK!
10-a. Make my bedroom a more peaceful and pleasant place to be. – In process, but so much better than it was a year ago!
10-b. Organize my jewelry and clothing, so that I can find things. - Jewelry – CHECK! Clothes, not so much.
11. Assemble a local group of friends. – This will be an ongoing thing for me, but I am starting to realize that a “group” of friends might not actually be what I want. I have amazing friends, many of whom don’t know one another, and that’s OK.

So. Let’s talk about the other things that happened.

1. I got a promotion.
2. The Horse Whisperer also got a promotion. I haven’t talked about that here yet, and it’s coming. His promotion has been a pretty big deal for us in a lot of ways, and I’m not quite sure how to discuss it yet.
3. I reached a place where I’m professionally comfortable in my own skin. Part of it is probably the title change, which reflects much more clearly how I see myself. But I think it’s also a shift inside myself. Suddenly, I am comfortable telling people, “no, I don’t play that much anymore.” I’m OK with that. That’s been huge for me.
4.  We went on some fantastic trips.
5. I dealt with some personal drama that’s been lingering for a looong time.
6. I fell short at something, and I didn’t let it wreck my psyche.

2011 has been really kind to us, and I hope 2012 keeps the party going. There’s been a lot to be grateful for this year! This year, more than any other, I feel like I hit my stride. It’s been a year of being more who I want to be, a year of feeling hopeful, a year of hard work paying off. So, adios 2011. Thanks for all the good memories!