The Year in Review
In January, at my first InnerPartySystem concert
For me, 2009 was a transitional year. In 2008, I was treading water, working nearly the entire year at a job I grew to hate and searching for the motivation to aspire to something greater. In 2009, I worked through numerous obstacles to find a foundation for successful living. Part of my ability to have a good year was courtesy of resolutions I made last year. Honestly, I don’t remember them exactly because I recorded them in my now defunct BlackBerry, but they improved my diet until about mid-summer, when I gave up and started eating poorly again. Another key factor in how I lived in 2009 was the spontaneous departure from my job. If I hadn’t done that, there’s a slight chance I would still be living miserably, making barely enough to get by.
In December, at my sixth InnerPartySystem concert (with Patrick!)
It’s funny how things work. In January, I quit my job without any sort of back up plan. It was necessary, but scary at the same time. About a week later, I met Dan for the first time. The end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 were fueled mainly by Patrón, but by March and my “official” start of a relationship with Dan. I spent the beginning of the year unemployed and going insane, but able to work on myself through Wii Fit and hiking, so it wasn’t a total loss (but it was some weight loss!). I finally found myself working at a convenience store for some funds, which provided a crash course in how I do not want to spend the rest of my life. By June, I knew that I needed to take steps to get away from a survival job, so I took guest teacher training to obtain emergency substitute teaching certification for fall. My luck improved even more when I randomly saw a position in Hershey’s Central Reservations posted online in June and I switched to a cushier, more fulfilling “summer” job with higher pay and more hours.
Basically, as soon as that job ended, I was subbing. And that brings me to where I am now, staring at a calendar wondering how 2009 flew by and pondering possible resolutions.
At the beach in May, before our "fancy" date.
To be fair, there was a lot of fun moments and filled weekends with my year. I was always on the go, every weekend since February with the exception of perhaps four have involved something exciting with Dan and our friends; weekends before that were full too. I took my LSATs in February (157), went to Shamrock Fest in March, Alkaline Trio and 3OH!3 in one weekend in April, the beach in May, etc. I’ve had some of the most amazing vacations and concert experiences this year that it is almost impossible to name a favorite. I went to my first Warped Tour in July. We did several weekends at Longwood Gardens with different groups of friends. We had a beach vacation by ourselves for Dan’s birthday. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Rock Hall for my birthday. I went to Celtic Fling and the Renaissance Faire (Pyrate Invasion weekend). So it’s easy to see why it seems like time flew by; I wasn’t bored with life like I was in 2008. My friends, family and Dan kept me busy! The end of the year was filled too. Graduate school applications and pro/con lists led to my enrollment at Saint Joseph’s University with their online accelerated teaching certification program. This decision, of course, came from my earlier decision to pursue subbing and avoid spending my life working at a convenience store.
Resolutions
Having a fantastic 2009 doesn’t mean I don’t want to make some changes for 2010. I know that there are a few changes I will have to make for this coming year to rival 2009 in successfulness, especially as I take on more responsibilities, and–dare I say–grow up a little more. The fad this year seems to be to shy away from making “resolutions” because studies show that a high percentage of people tend to break their resolutions, which sets self-esteem back extra steps. Whatever. I’m resolving to do these things in the New Year, and I will accomplish them in baby steps, to the best of my ability. I know that it’s impossible to quit fast food cold turkey (because sometimes you want a hot burger?), and that is how I was successful last year–I eased into each resolution gradually.
1. Read Harry Potter
Previously, I was completely opposed to reading or watching anything regarding Harry Potter. I swore it off because it was popular, and that is apparently a level of stubbornness that outlasted my teenage years. Then, I witnessed Twilight become popular, and realized maybe Harry wasn’t such a bad guy. The main reason, however, is that I’m going back to school for secondary education. I will need to have a more complete background in books teenagers will have read or have had read to them so that they can compare and contrast classics with them. I will need to be prepared.
2. Eat Healthier; Exercise More
This resolution has multiple steps to it. Last year, my biggest problem was fast food. This year, it’s dining out in general. Because Dan and I both live at home, it’s sometimes difficult to spontaneously cook our own meal. If we continue to use dining out as an opportunity to get out of the house, we will need to start making healthier decisions such as no appetizers, choosing a healthier meal option or having half the meal boxed for carry out immediately, no desserts, etc. Cutting out french fries, while difficult, is something I will have to work toward. Really, though, a big part of our problem is portion control; ignoring the ingrained lesson to “clean your plate” is a huge challenge, and something I will strive to overcome this year.
As for exercise, I will need to break out the Wii Fit again. I think that keeping track of my weight and enjoying the activities provided me with motivation to keep at it, especially while I was unemployed. I also used unemployment to go hiking and get outside more often. As spring approaches, I will try to use afternoons to get outside and be active (since teaching days end at 3:30 and substitutes don’t have to take the job home with them). The next resolution will be something that helps me in achieving this goal.
3. Establish a Schedule; Stick to It
With online courses, time management will be a huge issue for me. I am firmly deciding that I will make schedules and stick to them. There will be a schedule for on-call days when I get a job subbing, and schedules for days off. They will have periods of time where I can supplement activities unique to the time period (a Girl Scout project, freelance work), but for the most part, they will follow the same pattern. Monotonous sounds boring, but it will be a blessing to wake up and know what I am going to do. Exercise will be scheduled into my life, while sitting in front of the television watching Wife Swap will not. I will make time for schoolwork, because my education is incredibly important to me and my future. Moreover, I will make time to do the mundane tasks of running a house so that my Mom can accomplish some of her own HGTV-esque projects, and because someday these mundane tasks will be mine all the time.
4. Cut Out Ridiculous Television
As I write this, Maury Povich is on in the background. Resolutions 2 and 3 will help eliminate this crap from my life, but it’s worth noting it here so I can hold myself to it. Dan bought me some great headphones for Christmas, so if I truly need “background noise” (my excuse for television since college started—Law & Order or Gilmore Girls especially), I will use my iPod and the insane amounts of music I have. Television needs to be something enjoyable, and it needs to be limited to the shows that have actual entertainment value. I need to stop watching trash.
5. Posi Posi Posi
And 5a. eliminate “posi” and start saying “positive.”
This is the same resolution I made last year, and little did I know how important it would prove to be. I’ve had my slip ups and my down days—who doesn’t? But this is an important resolution to have every year, because there is always more room to improve attitudes. I will try my hardest to focus on how lucky I am, on all the good things and good people in my life, and be grateful for everything every day. I know that I’m truly blessed, and I need to remember it.
I think stopping at five resolutions is probably a good idea, because it’s manageable. These things I’m resolving to do are important to how I live my daily life (well, not so much the first one), and by holding myself to these standards that I am setting forth in this entry, I can only improve my quality of being. Even if I “break” some of these resolutions, the very fact that I’m going to try to do all these things, and that I will continue to try them even after slip ups, is what will make me grow as a person in 2010. I know that the upcoming year holds great adventures, and I hope that I will continue my transformation into a self-sufficient, well-adjusted adult as the new decade begins. I am grateful for 2009, and I will always remember it—maybe even miss it—because it’s a year that has changed my life for the better. I rose up from the ashes this year, and I never imagined that I could accomplish so much. Hopefully in 2010, I will continue to exceed my own expectations. Whatever happens, I know I will try my best.