2009 has been one for the books

As this year comes to a close I look back and....wait a second, it's been a whole year already? I swear this must have been the fastest whirlwind of my life. My last semester of undergrad, Spring Break in the Keys, graduation, moving to a new city for a while, and then my endless consultant journeys of the past five months. Some people who left my life, many more who I have been lucky to add, a plethora of family medical problems, the discovery of Blackberry, countless amounts of retail therapy, fourteen states and a new found sense of independence later and here I am, December 2009.

Sitting at the edge of a new decade I can't help but feel odd that I can remember the entire last ten years. For a while I sat in the "2000" mindset, thinking that if someone said '95, no matter what the year was I thought "Oh that's only five years ago." But now, ten years later from the eve of the Y2K scare I realize that I am indeed getting old. I celebrated my first birthday that I wasn't particularly excited about. I didn't count down the days, I didn't get anxious, instead I was able to spend my favorite day of the year watching the first of my friends be married and begin their life together among the other people I hold close to my heart.

You know you are really leaving childhood when... This is a list I have started building this year and for me it includes paying your own health insurance, your friends are getting married, you send donations to your alma mater and most sickening, you start to pay back your student loans. Despite this list though I still found myself standing in a Walgreens in Defiance, OH on a chapter visit calling my mommy to ask her what medicine was best for congested sinuses, sore throats and a stuffy nose.

So now I start to think of what I want out of 2010. The past year took me surprise and every time I turned around something came out of the blue and startled me. Many things I thought were never possible happened. It's been ironic, parts were wonderful, other parts were extremely difficult, and I would go back and do it all over in a heart beat...but maybe slightly different!

Looking into 2010, I want to take my new found feeling of being a "grown up," and actually be a grown up. As much as it pains me to say it, I'd like to start paying for more things by myself and become as financially independent as possible. Hopefully this will be possible, I may have to learn some self-restraint when it comes to shopping as I single-handedly attempted to stimulate the economy during 2009. But at least I have an amazing wardrobe...not a total waste!

It's always hard to come with a list of resolutions and even harder to keep them. I think the only New Years resolution I ever kept was flossing, and it only lasted a few months. Going to the dentist this December (with no insurance mind you) and being alerted of two more cavities, along with being scolded again for eating insane amounts of hard candy that are ripping through my tooth enamel, I feel like that would be good to add back onto my list.

So what's in store for Anna in 2010...

1. Floss at least once a day (as promised to Dr. Fraser)

2. Take more pictures during my chapter visits, and make a scrapbook of my year on the road

3. Fit into my favorite high school jeans by this time next year (for real this time)

4. Get into a graduate program for Higher Education (*crosses fingers*)

5. Build my savings account to a personal goal amount

6. Eat less hard candy, lollipops, mints, etc.

7. Blog more to keep track of the next year

8. Think of some long term career goals

9. Run a 5K

I have great faith in myself for these goals and I'll start working on them...Friday! Looks like I'll spend this next week doing as much shopping, candy eating, and forgetting to floss as possible.

I will be spending New Years Eve in Baltimore going out to my new favorite establishments in Federal Hill. Luckily I'll be spending the evening with my three favorite people in the world and I'm sure the adventures will be nothing less than epic! Have a safe and wonderful NYE wherever you may be, peace out 2009!

Until next time,

xoxo Anna