End of the Year Review

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before? Completed a Master’s degree, finished a (real) research project

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I’m not sure I made any strict resolutions other than just ideas in my head that I tried to keep in mind throughout the year, though I keep saying I’m going to make real ones each year…

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes! Holly, Abbie, Beth and several cousins…I’m sure I’m missing people…Also, Eric’s cousin and her husband are adopting a 7-year old little boy. I have several friends who are pregnant and will be giving birth next year as well.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes

5. What countries did you visit? Jamaica...We are hoping to increase this number in 2012

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? More free time, enough contracts to leave Cross Pointe, to not have to work weekends or holidays, to do another European trip

7. What date(s) from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 1-3 – Weekend in St. Louis
May 7 – SMWC Graduation
May 14 – Memorial for Brandon at UE
May 25 – Anya’s surgery (ear tubes)
June 4 – Anya’s 1st birthday party
July 10-16 – Vacation in Chicago
July 30 – First night away from Ani; weekend in New Harmony
August 31 – the day my MA was added to my transcript
August 31 – September 1
September 17-18 – Weekend in Louisville
October 1 – Graduation party at Turoni’s, then a night out!
October 16-22 – 5th anniversary trip to Jamaica!
October 28 – Eric’s 30th birthday
October 29 – Eric’s 30th birthday party
November 17-20 – AMTA conference in Atlanta
November 26-27 – Weekend in Cincinnati
December 10 – My 30th birthday party
December 12 – My 30th birthday

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finishing my thesis/research study, completing my Masters

9. What was your biggest failure? Not doing enough to educate people about music therapy

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not any more than normal

11. What was the best thing you bought? My used Seagull guitarJ, paying someone to clean my house a couple times a month

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? All the people who have made it a priority to spend time with me and make things special on days like my birthday, graduation, etc.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? People who didn’t find me important enough to spend time with me and/or just completely dismissed important days, like my birthday, graduation, etc.

14. Where did most of your money go? Vacations, (Jamaica and Chicago), new carpet

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Finishing my Master’s, Jamaica

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2011? “Grace” by Kate Havnick

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? Happier…the postpartum pregnancy hormones finally calmed down and I’m learning more and more about myself each day

ii. thinner or fatter? A lot thinner…thanks to Weight Watchers!

iii. richer or poorer? Maybe a little richer…I am working a lot more than before!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? relaxing and just enjoying life (same as every year)

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Worrying (same as every year)

20. How did you spend Christmas? We are planning to spend Christmas Eve morning with my family, Christmas Eve evening with my mom’s family, Christmas morning doing our family Christmas, lunch on Christmas with my dad’s family, dinner on Christmas with Eric’s family, dinner on the 26th with Eric’s mom’s family, out to dinner on the 27th with another aunt on Eric’s dad’s side, probably out to dinner with an out-of-town friend on the 28th…it’s really true when we sing about “The 12 Days of Christmas!”

21. Did you fall in love in 2011? Fall in love? No, but still in love with my husband and my baby girl!

22. How many one-night stands? One year I’m just going to delete this question…

23. What was your favorite TV program? American Horror Story (love this show!), New Girl, Whitney, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, So You Think You Can Dance,

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, just irritated with a few

25. What was the best book you read? Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult – it was cool to read about a music therapist; Travels by Michael Crichton – I never realized he’d had so many experiences abroad

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Using my guitar more, finally started using Pandora

27. What did you want and get? To go to Jamaica, to finish my Master of Arts

28. What did you want and not get? more time to relax, to leave Cross Pointe

29. What was your favorite film of this year? Crazy Stupid Love, and I’m planning to watch The Music Never Stopped before the end of the year…I’ve heard it’s good!

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 30 this year, so we had a big party a couple days before my actual birthday. It was travel-themed and included foods from all the countries we have been to. My cake was a suitcase. Afterwards, we had an adults-only game night at our house.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? more relaxation, less worrying, a different job

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? This isn’t really a “fashion concept” but this year, I got to wear clothes I never thought I’d wear – “skinny” clothes! I’m smaller than I’ve ever been (at least since I can remember) so it is nice to feel good in my clothes…

33. What kept you sane? Not really sure…

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? No clue…

35. What political issue stirred you the most? Healthcare…again.

36. Who did you miss? Friends that I don’t get to see often

37. Who was the best new person you met? Courtney

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. I have three:

i. It seems that most people in “higher-up” positions in the workplace don’t go out of their way to recognize others who are doing a good job or ask them their opinions, so if you have accomplished something you’ll just have to “toot your own horn” and if you have an idea, you should just share it even if you aren’t askedJ

ii. You can’t control how other people act, and you can’t always control how you feel about how people act (I tell the kids I work with this all the time!), but what you can do is accept that you have no control over this. In other words, I am done inconveniencing myself for other people who don’t find it worthwhile to return the favor and go out of their way for things that are important to/for me. I’m slowly working through my frustration about this, but I’ve decided that from here on out, it’s not worth it to me if I’m not worth it to you.

iii. I’m starting to think it’s not a bad thing to be just a little “selfish.” Typically, people don’t have your interest in mind and they are too busy/not motivated enough to worry about your needs or desires, even the people you would most expect to do that for you. In other words, it’s important that you take care of you (physically, emotionally, and mentally) because, let’s be honest, no one else is going to do that for you. In the end, the only person you can truly count on is yourself.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "Nothing comes easily, fill this empty space. Nothing is like it was. Turn my grief to grace.”