In January, I went into 2011 with two main goals:
- Lose Weight
- Get a new job
In May 2011, I reached a 30 pound weight loss* and in July of 2011 I gained a new job in my dream career field!
Bonuses in 2011
In May of 2011, I met a really great guy at a mutual friend's party and in July 2011, that really great guy became my boyfriend! He's still that same really great guy and I'm excited to see what 2012 holds for us. I only "though it would be nice to meet a great guy" and I wasn't looking to meet someone but he just came into my life when I least expected. "That's how these things happen" he's told me. I've been told this before but of course I never believed it, until it happened to me! The right guys always comes at the right time, always.
In June of 2011 my sister told me she was moving to California and asked me if I wanted to join her on her journey out west. It was probably the most amazing experience of my life! Seeing all the landscapes I have mostly never seen before - especially mountains and canyons! Visiting Colorado was the highlight of the trip......seriously the most beautiful place I've ever seen. I kind of felt we were like Thelma and Louise, minus the bank robbing. ;) I never really talked about this trip so here are some highlights; Just crossing different states and seeing things I will never forget....the run down poverty stricken neighborhood in Western Colorado - I literally thought it was a junk yard until I saw someone coming out of a house and children playing outside....very sad; the most greenest rolling hills with lavish ranch houses; driving through Wyoming through the forests which seemed never ending and staying in a honeymoon suite with a heart tub in Wyoming because all of the other hotels were shady and that was the only room they had left, being on top of a mountain 14,000 ft above sea level at Rocky Mountain National Park, staying in the cutest town I had ever been to in CO - Estes Park, literally looked like it came out of a story book! Trying to figure out where we are going to stay each night was always an adventure and we just played everything by ear. We would go to different hotels and stay in the one with the lowest rate/least crappiest! Going to the zoo in Utah and spending the day in beautiful Salt Lake City. Seeing the Bonneville Salt Flats! Staying in the most crappiest hotel in Nebraska after our first day of traveling..literally thought we could get murdered or a disease from the toilet seat. Leaving Nebraska and stopping at a gas station on our way out where small town city folk (aka. old retired men with their dogs resting in the beds of their trucks) were just sitting around inside drinking coffee and talking about the good ol' days and then finding a huge cockroach in the bathroom! Seeing snow capped mountains in the Nevada dessert and a casino not even 2 minutes into getting to the state. Not liking Reno one bit because it was so dirty. But the whole trip was EPIC. It was wonderful. And I'm so GLAD I did it. With my sister. :-)
In February of 2011, I went to Hollywood/LA/Beverly Hills/Santa Monica with my roommate and her friend. Definitely memorable and a fun way to spend a last minute sporatic vacation! (We literally booked the tickets three weeks before the trip.) We even saw PINK on the boardwalk in Santa Monica, saw paparazzi and took a celebrity homes tour. I'd love to visit CA again, but in the San Francisco area next time!
Oh, and I also got my first real bonus from work in December. Heck yeaz!
FIRSTS in 2011
2011 was the first year my friends started getting married!
In April of 2011, I moved out of the house I lived in for two years post college (bittersweet) as one of my roommates was getting married! I moved in with my other roommate about 2 miles from our old place. In October of 2011, that roommate got married and I was in her wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and I was glad to be a part of it.
Two other friends also got married this year, my childhood friend Melissa in July and my high school friend, Erika in August! Which means 2011 was the first year that I attended a bachelorette party; make that THREE bachelorette parties in 2011!
2011 (Sept), was also the first year I went on vacation with a male, my boyfriend, Matt. :-) It was of course, a small local vacation and more like a weekend getaway to Northern MN. Duluth to be exact. We stayed at an old mansion which was converted into a cozy, romantic bed and breakfast. We enjoyed wonderful fancy breakfasts, wine and cheese hours at the mansion, quality time with my sister and her fiance, and walking along Lake Superior. It was quite nice.
2011 was also the first year that someone in my immediate family got ENGAGED! My sister, Kim, and her fiance, Casey are tying the knot in March 2012. No one ever thought the baby of the family would be the first to get married but he's pretty great so I'm alright with it.
2011 also brought another baby into my life...my friend Jenny had a cute little guy in March and he is just splendid to be around.
So many positive things happened but there was one loss in 2011. My grandpa Erny died at the ripe old age of 100 years old in March. Yes, you read that right, 100! He lived a great, long life and he was the most funniest grandpa I'd ever known. I'm happy knowing he is with my grandma Alice and no longer feels empty without her.
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So, of course this leaves me to 2012...what's in store for this year? I have a few inklings, which I'd love to share.....in my next post.
Stay tuned......
*PS: Weight loss is now technically at -24 lbs because I've gained 6 pounds since meeting Matt. Gaining weight when you meet someone? That really happens? Go Figure!
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