C'est Moi Trois

I had a few "bests" this year: a) Getting my Masters; b) Getting a job in "my field;" c) Being reunited with my stuff. It's not that I'm the most materialist person in the world (nor am I the least), but there's something to be said about sleeping in your own bed (or lying on your own couch). There's comfort level there that you can't get elsewhere, no matter how nice the surroundings are.

Moving away from West Texas without any reasonable expectation of return. I realize that no one can tell what the future will bring. If someone would have told me this time last year that I'd be living in Idaho, I would have told them that they were crazy. It's just that I think it was the first time that I wasn't more  than ready to leave one place for the next. The only possible exception to that was when we moved from Germany. I really loved it there too. And it's not that I don't love Idaho and love where I'm working. I do love it, but still miss West Texas.

Arab Spring. It's self-determination. It's the French Revolution of the Muslim world. Hopefully, it won't turn as radical as the French Revolution. But the fact that it is organic and not impossed is a wonderful thing.

The stupid political games in Washington. (And the 24 hour news cycle.) Do they have to make everything a crisis every time? They're idiots. At the moment, I'm not sure of whom I have a lower opinion, Republicans or Democrats. Last year, the lame-duck Democrats where winning in spades (in the low opinion poll), but this year it's pretty much neck and neck.

The gift of peace and tranquility on Christmas Day. I had, what I consider, the best of both worlds. I had many invitations to Christmas festivities, so I felt wanted and appreciated. However, after all of the craziness of the last couple of weeks, I just wanted to go home and put my feet up. I did, and it was wonderful.

I'm an introverted person. That doesn't mean that I don't like people or that I'm shy. What it means is that being with a lot of people for long periods of time drains my energy, and I need recovery time, alone. I think that it was one of my happiest Christmases in recent memory. (Though the one the year before last at my mother's was pretty darn good.)

My step-father, Butch, is the winner in this category for the second year in a row. He's a retired mechanic (auto and aviation), and he loves NASCAR. There are some gloves that the pit-crews always wear, and he loves them. He also uses them all the time, so he always needs new ones. Well, I think that because I'm in Idaho, I was able to get some heavier weight ones that 1) will be more durable and 2) will be warmer during the winter. Even though it might not get as cold in Tennessee as it does in Idaho, it gets cold enough. They were a real surprise, and he was very pleased.

Not really. As always, not everything went exactly "as planned," but I can't think of a thing that I would have done differently under the same circumstances.

I wish that I could have seen more of the surrounding area around Washington D.C. before I had to leave. I wish that I could have made it up to NJ & NYC, but it really was a question of the limitations of time and space. I did come to be rather fond of Bethesda.

1. Definitely need to be bold and proactive about pursing employment, both while in school and after. 
I really tried to do this. Perhaps, I could have started looking a littler earlier, but I had to finish my thesis. I certainly didn't put it off until the last minute. Even though I was on the cusp of giving the job hunting a rest for a while, it was the last resume that I submitted that turned out to be the one.

2. Developing the closer relationship with God.
This is always a work in progress. As strange as it sounds, I both feel closer to God, and yet it seems like the same distance. What it doesn't feel is intimately close, like a best friend. I've been there before, and I want to get there again.

 3. Don’t procrastinate.  Figure out the difference between being efficient with my work and procrastinating. I learned with some pretty intense assignments that I can do good work when I give myself adequate time.  It doesn’t look like I’m going to be overloaded with work (except possibly towards the end of the semester).  If I’m smart about it, I should be able to do good work and avoid crisis.

It worked out pretty well, as far as the school load is concerned. That was until I realized that I had to turn in all my papers and take all my finals a week early. (And professors were adjusting the schedules.) However, having that final week to relax and my mom and step-dad to some special places around D.C. before graduation was nice.
 
I, also, think that I've improved with this over-all, but I admit that I'm still a down to the wire type girl. There's that fine line between pacing oneself and poor time management. I'm still working that out. ;)

1. See a medical health professional some time this year. Let's just say that I haven't been to see anyone, besides the pharmacy dept at Wallgreens to have a flu shot, in some years. Maybe it's time.
   
2. Spend less time on the computer. oooOOOooo ... this might be a tough one. But I've already stopped doing some online stuff, and that's helped. It'll give me more time to do things in the real world (and get to bed a little earlier). The problem is that it's part of my routine (and my desk chair is very comfortable). What I don't mean is that I'll stop blogging. This is an important creative and social outlet for me.
    
3. Speaking of blogging. I'd like to average about 3 posts per week. There's still no "obligation." (See the badge in my sidebar.) However, I like there to be something regular. I don't feel the need to do it daily, but one thing that the NaBloPoMo taught me was that it doesn't have to be that hard.
   
4. To get involved in some activity that's not church related. I have loved being immersed in everything at the church. I love the people. I love the things that we do, but I can't make "real" friendships there. I can't talk to them about my worries and concerns. I certainly can't talk about anyone who might be annoying me. I'm supposed to be there for them, but the way things stand now, I really don't have any friends. I need to expand my horizons.
   
5. I still want to get closer in my relationship with God. Yes, this one's still on the vague side. It's also impossible to perfect, but it's a part of life's journey. I have a plan that's more specific, but that's gonna be my little secret. ;)