a 2010 recap and a forecast for 2011
Oh crap I better make this shit short because no one reads the long entries. Dicks. :P
2010 was one of the best years of my life. Probably that had a lot to do with not being in school. Despite being broke ass for most of the year, I really enjoyed the freedom of being an adult. You know, being able to do what I wanted to when I wasn't at work, see whomever I wanted to, and get back into exercising.
I trained for my first Sun Run (a 10K run) shortly after finishing my first 5K run at the end of December '09, and I also did my first duathlon (5K run - 20K bike - 5K run) which was a whole new kind of intense.
I had a chance to DJ a lot more last year, which was nothing short of amazing. Aside from Organix (which is always stupid awesome), I also got to DJ at Recompression (Vancouver Burning Man regional event), Critical Massive (Seattle Burning Man regional event), Otherworld (Victoria Burning Man regional event), Trancemission 13 (my favourite Soundproof party!), and don't forget Bucheon (Seoul, South Korea muthafuckaaaaasssszzz!!), and not to mention a bunch of times in Melbourne, Australia!! I'm sure I'm forgetting some other parties and places...
Work has been nothing short of amazing. My co-op job from January to August taught me a lot about the minimum necessary requirements to run a fitness centre, which was great. It felt nice to be appreciated. It was a welcome ego boost after failing all my classes at the end of 2009 (which I eventually got the withdrawal under extenuating circumstances from!). The work that I have been doing in Melbourne has been so amazing too; finally getting more experience as a personal trainer and being involved in programming at the YMCA has been really invaluable experience that will propel me far. This work has been so gratifying and helping me to sharpen my focus for my post-university life.
The summer was ridiculously awesome. I'm sure that had a lot to do with the fact that I was leaving for Melbourne. Each situation, each visit, each conversation had this sense of urgency because my friends knew they weren't going to be seeing me for the next 8 months. Which I liked. Not that I was leaving them but that I felt like people were finally putting more effort into being with me. Some more than others but several people made it known to me that I was going to be missed, which gathered more attention than I thought. I guess I am still surprised that I impact people's lives...I'm not really sure why. Even though I go out of my way to tell people how much they impact my life, I seem to feel insignificant to everyone else most of the time. And as I learned from therapy earlier in the year (a necessary part of the healing process after Nate died) that feeling is sadly something I learned as a child that I have been desperately trying to let go of as an adult. Slowly but surely, I am starting to believe in what people tell me more and am trying to remember that it is reciprocated even if it's not being said (and that I should not fault those of my friends less adept at expressing it as we are all doing our best).
Melbourne has been nothing short of amazing. I feel like I have finally found "my people". There have certainly been hiccups along the way in many different regards, and it is bizarre to now feel like I have another home. Though I still feel like a weird external transient observer, for the first time since I've been here, I feel a part of *something*. I don't even know quite what that is, but the warm reception from the friends group here that has adopted me not only makes me feel special like a shiny sparkly new Impreza WRX (haha yeah dude I'm a fucking sports car, vroom vroooom!) but also that people recognize me when I rock up somewhere, which is awesome! I can still meet new people and still be the strange foreign girl that everyone thinks is American...(derp) but the familiars are here too, which remind me that I do exist and even if it's only for the night, I am taking part in their subjective reality space too, and they seem to be as giddy as I am. :D
So what are my resolutions for 2011?
I will be back to Melbourne some day. I just have no idea how or when or in what capacity. This place fucking rules. I have to come back!!
(and yes that was the shortest I could make it!) :P
2010 was one of the best years of my life. Probably that had a lot to do with not being in school. Despite being broke ass for most of the year, I really enjoyed the freedom of being an adult. You know, being able to do what I wanted to when I wasn't at work, see whomever I wanted to, and get back into exercising.
I trained for my first Sun Run (a 10K run) shortly after finishing my first 5K run at the end of December '09, and I also did my first duathlon (5K run - 20K bike - 5K run) which was a whole new kind of intense.
I had a chance to DJ a lot more last year, which was nothing short of amazing. Aside from Organix (which is always stupid awesome), I also got to DJ at Recompression (Vancouver Burning Man regional event), Critical Massive (Seattle Burning Man regional event), Otherworld (Victoria Burning Man regional event), Trancemission 13 (my favourite Soundproof party!), and don't forget Bucheon (Seoul, South Korea muthafuckaaaaasssszzz!!), and not to mention a bunch of times in Melbourne, Australia!! I'm sure I'm forgetting some other parties and places...
Work has been nothing short of amazing. My co-op job from January to August taught me a lot about the minimum necessary requirements to run a fitness centre, which was great. It felt nice to be appreciated. It was a welcome ego boost after failing all my classes at the end of 2009 (which I eventually got the withdrawal under extenuating circumstances from!). The work that I have been doing in Melbourne has been so amazing too; finally getting more experience as a personal trainer and being involved in programming at the YMCA has been really invaluable experience that will propel me far. This work has been so gratifying and helping me to sharpen my focus for my post-university life.
The summer was ridiculously awesome. I'm sure that had a lot to do with the fact that I was leaving for Melbourne. Each situation, each visit, each conversation had this sense of urgency because my friends knew they weren't going to be seeing me for the next 8 months. Which I liked. Not that I was leaving them but that I felt like people were finally putting more effort into being with me. Some more than others but several people made it known to me that I was going to be missed, which gathered more attention than I thought. I guess I am still surprised that I impact people's lives...I'm not really sure why. Even though I go out of my way to tell people how much they impact my life, I seem to feel insignificant to everyone else most of the time. And as I learned from therapy earlier in the year (a necessary part of the healing process after Nate died) that feeling is sadly something I learned as a child that I have been desperately trying to let go of as an adult. Slowly but surely, I am starting to believe in what people tell me more and am trying to remember that it is reciprocated even if it's not being said (and that I should not fault those of my friends less adept at expressing it as we are all doing our best).
Melbourne has been nothing short of amazing. I feel like I have finally found "my people". There have certainly been hiccups along the way in many different regards, and it is bizarre to now feel like I have another home. Though I still feel like a weird external transient observer, for the first time since I've been here, I feel a part of *something*. I don't even know quite what that is, but the warm reception from the friends group here that has adopted me not only makes me feel special like a shiny sparkly new Impreza WRX (haha yeah dude I'm a fucking sports car, vroom vroooom!) but also that people recognize me when I rock up somewhere, which is awesome! I can still meet new people and still be the strange foreign girl that everyone thinks is American...(derp) but the familiars are here too, which remind me that I do exist and even if it's only for the night, I am taking part in their subjective reality space too, and they seem to be as giddy as I am. :D
So what are my resolutions for 2011?
- I want to complete my first triathlon. I plan to shave my head sometime when I get back to Canada (to do a fundraiser for Nate and pay respect to my alive friends that are also currently batting cancer) so that will make me more fluid dynamic and can start training swimming. The only possible hiccup I may encounter is the timing, as I'll be getting back to Canada just as race season is beginning so I won't have much time to train. I'll have to try and find one in September or something.
- I want to compete in my first powerlifting competition. I wanted to do this in 2010 but I didn't resume my training until the end of the year because of lack of free time. Also, I had been doing squats improperly, so I had to re-train how to do them without any weights before I could start back with the barbell again. These happen a few times a year, and the by the time the Fall Classic rolls around, I think I should be in great form. Also, there's no one in my age and weight class that competes, so all I have to do is show up and I'll get a medal. WOO!
- I don't want to fail any of my classes when I resume my degree. I have yet to figure out an action strategy for this. I am so worried about going back to school. I have some things in mind that will help (studying at friends' places for one) but it is going to be very traumatic for me to cut off my social life. Not to mention I'll be 10 years older than everyone in my classes. *barf* This wouldn't be SO BAD if people in Kinesiology were interesting, but they are not. They are little kids who think that they are going to move to the burbs and buy a house and get married and have babies when they are 22. They are so mainstream that I want to put ice picks to my eye sockets. They are *nice* mostly, which is helpful, but even though we are in the same place at the same time working toward the same goal, they are in much different places in their lives than I am in mine and it fucking sucks. At least I have friends who work in the Math department that will get me drunk. ;)
I will be back to Melbourne some day. I just have no idea how or when or in what capacity. This place fucking rules. I have to come back!!
(and yes that was the shortest I could make it!) :P