22 December 2010

they always come home for christmas

Home sweet home for 32 delicious days of break, the longest vacation since the beginning on nursing school. I can literally feel the stress leaving my body.

1. Really pleased with my grades this term. Pulled a 3.94 (A- in research, dullest class ever, haha) but I got a 99 on my med/surg final, which is really exciting.

2. Watched the lunar eclipse two nights ago. Dragged my siblings out of bed for it. The sky was brilliantly clear and the moon was amazing.

3. This is the Break of Childhood Revisited, in which I am trying to stuff in as much film and literature as possible from an earlier time in my life. This includes reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy, watching the original Star Wars trilogy, and at the nursing student post-finals celebration, I accepted the challenge of reading the Harry Potter series as well.

Six days into break and I've finished Fellowship of the Ring and watched A New Hope. Can I do it?

I want to go snowboarding.

06 December 2010

2010 Réflexion

2010 Réflexion...

01. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?

Snorkelled the Great Barrier Reef. Sandboarded. Put needles into real people. Did a flash mob. Jumped off a waterfall. Attended a fashion show. Kissed an Aussie.

02. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Hahaha nope. Dunno why I try.

03. Did someone close to you give birth?
Oh lordy, it was an explosion of babies...

04. Did anyone close to you die?
People close to people close to me died

05. What countries did you visit?
Australia, New Zealand

06. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

Control... over any aspect of my life.

07. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The day I started nursing school was a pretty big deal for me.

08. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Making the spring nursing school dean's list, not failing any classes, crossing five things off the list of things to do before I die

09. What was your biggest failure(s)?
Not taking enough risks

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not seriously

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Ticket to Aus.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My parents put up with quite a lot of my nonsense. They're quite grand.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

None in particular, besides those in public office and a few fellow students

14. Where did most of your money go?

School and Australia

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Aus, bungy, snorkelling the GBR, spring, summer, fall, thanksgiving and christmas breaks, Dr. van Tilburg speaking at UP, suture class, sandboarding, the World Cup, SPAIN WINNING THE WORLD CUP! visit from my favorite Dutch person.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2008?
California Gurls - Katy Perry (west coast represent...how we identified ourselves geographically to the Aussies)
I Like It- Enrique Iglesias (last song I danced to in Aus)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder? happier
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner
iii. richer or poorer? drastically poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Speaking up for myself, being kind

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Letting the crazy send my stress levels through the roof, ruminating on things past, complaining

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With my fantastic family, which now includes an awesome new sister :)

22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Erm, well...

23. How many one-night stands?
Well, there was a guy on the flight home that said the mile-high club would be a "once in a lifetime opportunity..." I let him keep waiting.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, Dexter, How I Met Your Mother

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Some people I continue to avoid

26. What was the best book you read?
We Band of Angels -Elizabeth Norman
Band of Brothers -Stephen Ambrose
War - Sebastian Junger

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Mumford & Sons

28. What did you want and get?
The trip to Aus

29. What did you want and not get?
A functional relationship

30. Favorite film of this year?
Secretariat. It was a good movie, but to be fair, I think I saw two movies this year and I can't remember what the other one was.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Turned 25. Had the day off from school and celebrated by going to QLD two weeks later.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Missing the plane back. More of a summer.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Minimalist, Euro/classic/lazy. Sometimes I wear a skirt.

34. What kept you sane?
...am I still sane? Was unaware. Erm, vacation time, my family, trips home, the internet, red wine.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Yoann Gourcuff. French soccer star, current midfielder for Lyon and Les Bleus.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Can't think of any standouts, but probably anything regarding the war

37. Who do you miss?
My family, Rosey, Andy, Melanie, Aafke, Ray

38. Who was the best new person you met?
My nursing school buddies, esp Tina, Dan and Shane. They made life bearable.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
Change your attitude, change your world.
Be kind, as often as possible. It is always possible.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
'Cause I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it's meant to be' - Mumford & Sons, "The Cave"