Friday, December 31, 2010

Top 5 Things I Learned in 2010


2010 is coming to a close, and I want to start with the top 5 things I learned this year. It was a big year for me, lots of ups and downs, and here are some important lessons I learned:

1. Loss is hard, but it is a fact of life. In the end of 2009 I lost my grandmother, but I'm putting this in 2010 because that's when I really came to terms with it. I learned that it is important to remember the person, but it is also important to continue living and to continue finding beauty in everyday life. I mean, my grandmother wouldn't want me to miss out on friends and laughter (two of her very most favorite things) because she isn't there!

2. Go ahead, make your own path. As I neared my graduation date (May 16, 2010), I realized I had some huge decisions to make. And you know what? I made the ones I thought were right. Yes, it was hard. Yes, I cried. Yes, my mother got tired of phone calls asking her what I should do. But I made it and while I'm still not where I want to be, I can assure you that I took the path I wanted to take, and I am well on the way to where I want to be.

3. Step back and reexamine periodically. I learned that it's okay to make everyone stop once in a while and make sure that everything looks (and feels) right. People got frustrated with me because I slowed things down sometimes, but I know from experience now that people get more mad when you forge ahead with no idea of what you want.

4. There is nothing better than family. I already knew this, so I guess this was just a re-realization. I live with my mom's family in Illinois and my uncle is my roommate. I made pies with my grandma for Thanksgiving (and earned a letter home saying I'm a nice girl. Score!). I see my cousins a lot and drink Manhattans with my grandpa. And Monmouth is starting to feel more like home than Spokane.

5. Change is good. Change is also scary, intimidating, and I'm bad at it. But changes, both small and large, are good for me as a person.

To be fair, I also learned smaller, very important lessons like my alcohol limit (4 rum and cokes...good, 5 rum and cokes...bad) and that I may be more of a cat person than a dog person. I have also learned about the joys of car ownership and the trouble that befalls a person who loses her keys in downtown Chicago. I learned that I can't get from point A to point B without my GPS (a GP-what?) and that even though I'm 22, I still love children's movies. But this was more about the big lessons than the smaller ones.

What did you learn in 2010? Anything earth shattering?

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