Year in review: 2011

Hello, friends. Happy New Year!

I can't believe its 2012. Where did the year go?

2010 was a difficult one, and 2011 was much kinder to me.

All-in-all, 2011 was a good year, and I'm kind of sad to see it go.

I have high hopes for 2012, though!

Let's take a minute to reminisce over the past year...

January

Last January it snowed a whole lot, the blog got a major makeover, and I started using Instagram!

February

I turned 26...and not too much else happened in February.

It was snowy, and I was mostly just a hermit. ;)

March

I started data collection for my thesis in March.... it was cold!

April

I spent a lot of time with old and new friends in April.... I reconnected with my long-lost bff Lani in April, and made new friends at school. I went to several concerts in April.... Joan as Police Woman in Philadelphia, The Kills in D.C., and Brand New in Baltimore.

May

The semester ended in May.... I continued my monthly trips to Wallops for data collection (above), went to see Alexander & Family with Lani in D.C., and got ready to enjoy the summer.

June

I spent most of June house- and dog-sitting for my advisor.... very relaxing!

July

July was entirely spent traveling - first to Florida for a couple of weeks, then to Wallops for a class and to continue my field work...

August

August was crazy-busy. I had just returned home after 6 weeks of travel... and jumped straight into my assistantship at school, getting everything organized and ready for 2,100 incoming students at the university. I found a little bit of time to visit some friends (and a brewery!) in Kutztown, go camping in a cabin with some friends, and paint a giant banner for the university.

September

September was pretty hectic, but in a good way - I spent a lot of time at Wallops, went to the VirginFest, got a new tattoo, went to the Rennaissance Faire, and hung out with my bff a whole lot.

October

October was a really fun month! I got started on trying to figure out what I wanted to be for Halloween....decided on TWO different costumes (a pirate and a circus ringmaster), celebrated with good friends, had a freak snowstorm, and enjoyed a visit with family that I don't get to see as often as I'd like to.

November

November was spent almost exclusively hanging out with these 2 hooligans... we had a massive final project to work on for our class, so 5 days a week were spent working.... and rewarding ourselves for our hard work ;)

December

December was a whirlwind... a last hurrah of decent weather in the field (but I was still bundled up like an Eskimo), two new tattoos (bringing the grand total to 7) - an ocean wave armband and a BFF banana tattoo.

  

Christmastime crept up out of nowhere!

Time was spent with family and friends.

Before I knew it, it was December 31st, and a dress for the occasion had to be bought...

...and the New Year was rung in with the best of company :)

 Looking back, 2011 was largely uneventful.... and I'm glad. It was a good year to just slow down, and let life happen at its own pace. I hope that 2012 will continue in the same manner.... I haven't made any resolutions, or even goals, yet. I want to take some time this week to think about that.... because I have a feeling that this year is going to be significant somehow. I don't know exactly what that means yet, but I hope that it means good things are coming.

All the best to all of you in the New Year, too! :)

Goodbye, and good riddance, to 2010!

January

In January, my then-boyfriend and I packed up all of our belongings and moved them to Texas, where he was starting grad school. I was to graduate stay in PA to finish my semester, graduate, and then follow him down there. I spent a few weeks in Texas, visiting my grandparents, and I got to play with my adorable little cousin Colin. Then I flew back to PA and moved back into a teeny-tiny shoebox-sized room at my parents' house....fun!

February

I turned 25 and celebrated by....just eating cupcakes at home haha.

Then it snowed a whole bunch, and we had Snowpocalypse 2010. This is the 4 ft. above ground swimming pool in my yard.... 

And this was my front porch. Danger danger! 

March

In March, all the Snowpocalypse snow melted and caused crazy flash floods! I live on top of a mountain, and the creeks still looked like this:

Then my cat Tootsie had kittens! 

And then it was Spring. :) 

I went to Texas over spring break, and held a baby for the first time in about 15 years...baby cousin Rylee 

And hung out with little Colin some... 

The day after I got home from Texas, I presented my research at the Northeast/Southeast joint chapter meeting of the GSA in Baltimore and won an undergraduate student paper award from the SEPM. Cool!

April

April was pretty much the worst month of my life. A few weeks after my visit in Texas, Teddy suddenly decided he "didn't have time for a relationship".... and just like that, it was over. I was in a fog for the next 6-8 months, and the only thing I remember about April is presenting at my school's student research symposium.

May

In May, I found a mini-doughnut pan at the thrift store and made vegan doughnuts for the first time.

and took time to appreciate the little things.

Like growing kittens....

and going for walks at the park.....

I even made the best of a plane ticket to Texas that I had already bought.

I went to the zoo with my aunts and their combined 5 children, and it was an absolutely marvelous time. ♥

June

Things really started to get better in June. A new guy entered my life....

(Look how gross he was! Haha)

My summer Field Techniques course started.... being busy with school, and being outdoors, helped me focus and feel more...normal.

All of the berries in my yard came ripe at the same time! I ate raspberries and mulberries for DAYS.

I got a new tattoo...

and discovered that Chase likes car rides. :) 



July

I celebrated the 4th of the July with some old friends and good food...

This picture always cracks me up. ;) 

I came to terms with the fact that I'd be living in my teeny-tiny shoebox room for a longer time than originally intended, and started the process of making it feel liveable... 

There were more kittens....born in June, I think, but this is the first time pictures of them surface ;)

Baby Bagheera (who is sleeping beside me as I type this today) 

And Chase got the ol' snip-snip...poor little Conehead. 

Oh! And I got all my hair chopped off!



August

Sabrina and I went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore...one of my very most favorite places!

I got a bicycle

♥

And, I started my laaaast semester as an undergrad...woo!

September

My baby sister turned 18

We went to the Renaissance Faire...twice.

My uncle and his family came from Georgia to visit.... and little Nicki loved me!!

October

Sabrina and I traveled to Gulfport, Mississippi for a service-learning trip over Fall Break

(here and here)

When we got back, it was Autumn! 

I went to a Halloween party with my advisor and his family....as Hello Kitty! :) 

Had a Bigfoot sighting at the Hershey Zoo.... 

And picked some of the very best pumpkins EVER. 

November

November was a fun month...

I took my friend Sarah for her first visit to Baltimore Aquarium

(I can't get enough of that place!)

and started getting into the Holiday spirit! 

School kept me really busy, with the semester juuuust about to end, and graduation looming on the horizon!

I also started my art journal, which has quickly turned into one of my very most favorite things. I needed a creative outlet, and I found art journaling at just the right time in my life. :)

December

We had the best Christmas tree EVER!

(The animals thought so too)

And I got the best Christmas/graduation gift EVER! 

Notice, I haven't announced the I have, in fact, graduated yet.... its under "final review", and won't be on my official transcript until about January 11, so I'm just not thinking about it yet. Everything should be fine, but until I see the letters "B.S." beside my name, I'm pretending like I havn't graduated yet!! So..its something to look forward to in the New Year!

This post is plenty long, so I'll be back later with a New Year's post!

Happy New Year!!