So I hope your resolutions are going well and that 2010 is treating you swell so far. We're only 5 days in but 2010 has been eventful what with my first class of the winter term, starbucks gingerbread lattes, spicy chili, a flu-like illness causing lethargy and dizzy spells, scrabble, shovelling the inside of my apartment (thanks door for not closing properly!), big love marathons and much more.
Let us now reminisce on 2009. The motto for 2009 in my family was "everything's fine in 2009". If you know me you'll be sure to understand that this is a false statement. Floods, illness, dramz, it didn't end. But, 2009 had its highlights...dudes, I went to CHINA. C'mon, that's pretty awesome right? I also ate rat in Cambodia, killed a cockroach in Thailand (take that, phobia!), and got drunk on rice wine with Vietnam vets on a 14 hr train ride to Hanoi. Cool shit.
2000-2009 recap:
At the dawn of the new millenium I was still in Uni in my hometown, with my high school bf, living at home and dreaming of how I would one day leave everything behind and travel to exotic locales. I was performing at the Townehouse once a month with Julie and rocking out. La troupe did Paroles de Paiement and I performed with them. I worked at the health food store and became a vegetarian.
2001: graduated, broke up with high school bf, moved to Dublin with Alexie and lived it up. Met some great friends who formed the United Nations drinking crew. Learned to love Guinness. Travelled around Ireland.
2002: Re-read The Sun Also Rises for the 4th time and visited Hemingway's Spain. Went to Paris and Bruges with my mom. Kissed a lot of boys. Kissed a German boy and fell in love. Moved back to Canada. Worked at the health food store. Vowed I would make it back to Spain.
2003: Moved to Germany to be with my lover. Studied in Valencia, Spain and ended up living there. Taught English, learned what fresh food tastes like. Learned to speak Spanish. Swam topless in a deserted sea in October. Became afraid of cockroaches...they lived in my flat with me. Worked 17 hrs a week and still had enough for food, shopping and wine. Life was hard and easy at the same time.
2004: Still in Spain. Every day was sunny except for a week in April. Had an impromptu 9 hour-straight jam at a bar with a funny Glaswegian and some South Americans. Ate a lot of shellfish, tapas. Was awake during the night more than the day. Danced the salsa in tiny bars. Listened to flamenco. Tanned on my balcony. Learned to stretch out tasks, do cryptic crosswords, gut squid, tell someone off in Spanish.
2005: Came home to Canada for a bit. Moved to Glasgow to study teaching. Still in love. Drank lots more Guinness. Jammed for free beers in bars. Made magical curries. Met awesome friends. Lived in a dorm for the first time. Banged on about how great Spain was. Went back to Spain with O for an amazing holiday: Madrid, Salamanca, Toro, Valladolid. Learned about Scottish education. Worked in 3 different schools. Graduated. Moved to London and learned about living with a man for the first time. Looked for work. Taught music and drama in many many schools. Joined a gym. Hated the big city.
2006: Got used to the big city. Got a permanent teaching job. Spent less and less time with man I co-habitated with. Lots of trips all over Europe. Moved flats, had a balcony and a small garden. Watched my flowers grow. Spent too much time alone.
2007: Jen moved to London and was my flatmate for 3 weeks. Me and O drifted apart...some unhappiness. Lots of trips: Amsterdam, Belgium, France, Germany. Worked hard, fell in love with children.
2008: Changed grades and classroom. Taught children to sing and play the recorder. My good friend and I worked in adjacent classrooms. Lots of fun. Got better at my job, got worse at my relationship. Went to Spain, Turkey, Northern Canada. Ended my relationship. Lived with good friend from school. Exercised a lot. Moved back to Canada.
2009: Worked with all my friends for a TV show. Lived in a building with a turret. Learned how to let go the hard way. Traveled in SE Asia. Moved to Montreal and started grad school. Got a flatmate who is not a man for the second time in my life. Learned about the strength gained from women around me. Started this blog.
Feels great to be in a new decade! If I can top the last one I will be one happy camper.
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