Better Late Than Never

So I have definitely procrastinated on this whole "New Year Reflection" post. But, I've finally found some time (Competition is in less than a month and I may or may not be having daily panic attacks about it) to sit down and reflect on 2010 and my hopes for 2011...

JANUARYI rang in 2010 in Deep Creek Lake, learning to snowboard. Turns out, I really learned to love it! I jumped into the FREEEEEZING cold Chesapeake Bay to support Special Olympics.

FEBRUARY
Maryland got a blizzard like never before - there was over 3 feet of snow and no school for 2 weeks!!
But, Antonio and I somehow still made it out for our Valentine's date at Fogo de Chao MMMMMM DELICIOUSSSSS

MARCH
I started of St. Paddy's Day celebrations by having a little leprechaun destroy my classroom and end silly MSA testing. That night, we celebrated in the more "traditional" way... with green beer of course!

APRIL
I got to spend some time with my Golden Girls, bar crawling for a good cause.

MAY
Some of my Phi Mu sisters and I at Wine in the Woods wine festival.
Antonio and I went to a chili cookoff and concert put on by a local radio station.

JUNE
To celebrate the last day of school, the MVES teachers cut loose for a bar crawl in Annapolis.

JULYAntonio and I headed down to Siesta Key FL for the second summer in a row. We just LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!!! It's like a mini paradise.We also spent Fourth of July on Kent Island MD with his family. This annual event is definitely one of my favorites every summer.

AUGUST
*warning: August was VERY eventful. Apparently I was trying to get every last drop of summer in before going back to school*
I went tubing with some MVES teachers.
I went to Ravens training camp and got SUPER startstruck at being so close to some of my favorite players!The 3rd Annual Phi Mu Ocean City trip took place!

Since Antonio is a Redskins fan and I'm (very obviously) a Ravens fan (and we somehow still get along with each other pretty well from August-February), we were SO excited to get to go to the Redskins Vs. Ravens pre-season game. Which, by the way, the Ravens won. Of course.

SEPTEMBER
I celebrated my 24th birthday at The Jetty, one of my most favorite restaurants in Maryland. A ton of my Phi Mu sisters, as well as MVES teachers were able to come and enjoy one of the last warm summer nights of 2010!

OCTOBER
A bunch of MVES ladies enjoyed a beautiful fall day at the Ocean City Wine Festival.I was so lucky to watch one of my good friends, Emmie, marry her high school sweetheart, Carl.

NOVEMBER
Traveling farther west than I ever have before, I spent a week in Phoenix, Arizona with one of my best friends, Jaime, and her fiance.

DECEMBERAntonio and I celebrated TWO. FREAKING. YEARS. together by visiting the National tree in Washington DC.And finally, I ended 2010 the same way I began it: snowboarding in Deep Creek Lake.

I rarely make "New Year's Resolutions" because everyone know they never last and I HATE failing at things, even silly things like resolutions. But this year, I decided that I wanted to give myself some goals. Nothing serious, no pressure, just a clear list of things I'd like to accomplish in the next 12 months...

-work out more often/more effectively
-save money to move out (even though I say this EVERY year, I really mean it this year. I want to get out on my own and create my own space in this world. Hopefully with Antonio??? Like I said... just goals.)
-prioritize better, at school, at home, and with my friends
-make more time for my friends who I don't get to see very often
-spend less time worrying about things I can't control
-spend more time grading papers/getting to know my students as people
-pay off my student loans
-learn to snowboard toe side
-complete my first cheerleading competition as a coach (EEEE!!!)

That's all I have for now, but maybe I'll reevaluate later on in the year. Wish me luck...

Good luck, love and laughter to all of you in 2011!