Where, it don’t matter

As long as we’re going somewhere together;

I’ve got a quarter,

Heads Carolina, Tails California”

It’s official! Husband and I are going on vacation at the very beginning of March! As we’re on an extremely tight budget, I’ve been scoping out the best deals online for about a week now. By this I mean I’ve been obsessively searching for (practically page refreshing, but not quite) airline tickets on the internet. I didn’t really care where we went, as long as we found ticket prices under 200 dollars a pop. I actually loved the spontaneity and excitement of knowing we were going somewhere together soon, but not yet knowing where. Last night I finally made a decision when I found a deal I just couldn’t pass up. So Guess what, Guess what, Guess what? March 1st, I fulfill an eight year long dream of visiting California. I can’t put into words how giddy I am. But I shall try. Right now. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! <<< There you go. That’s a tiny part of my giddiness put onto a computer. I feel like a kid on Christmas right now (Or really, just me on Christmas.) San Diego, here we come!

Other giddy moments lately:

•  Finding and blowing/wishing on dandelions with the littles ones I nanny. Being around kids so much really helps keep in tact the magic of life.
• Date night with my boy.
• A fellow classmate/new friend did the sweetest thing for me yesterday. She knew I hadn’t bought my book yet and that we have an upcoming test. I planned on just studying notes and googling terms. Last night after class, she walked up to me and handed me her book. I was confused. “Won’t you need this to study?” She responded with a shrug, said she already studied and I could give it back to her on Tuesday. I gave her a hug and left the classroom feeling heart-warmed and relieved. No googling terms for me this weekend!
• 
• My friend Becca and I share a class together, and have taken to writing one another notes this week. Above you can see the page we filled up with random doodles and words. I love sharing a class with this chick. Not only does she make the time fly faster, but she has taken to bringing me random treats to class. Candy, Girl-Scout cookies and once even a whole meal. I have sweet friends.
• 
• The above picture is me trying on a pair of size 5′s. That were too big for me. I did a happy dance in the dressing room. I haven’t been in the size 3 arena since I was a teenager. I’m doing another little happy dance right now, just thinking about it.
• I really like life right now. Life seems to really like me right now too. Hopefully that doesn’t change anytime soon.
• What have you been liking about life lately?

A couple of weeks back, a guy friend of mine posted this on my facebook:

“Your effing neverending happiness could power New York City for 24 whole hours in the event of a blackout.”

I’m not sure how I was supposed to take this, but I was both tickled and pleased. I love that friends know all too well and can tease me about my freakish amounts of joy. It’s something I’m proud of, because I feel I choose it. To be happy. To see the good over the bad. To love the rain. To plan trips when broke, knowing the memories will one day compensate for said brokeness. To take a long run when I’m feeling extra stressed. To catch some of the silly things I fuss about–A bad hair day, too much homework, a messy house–and know that this is what others would kill to complain about. To be thankful for my youth, knowing it’ll probably go by faster than I want it to. To laugh as much as possible. To focus on the little details that make life spectacular: The smell of a new book, Hour long talks with girl friends, Hot showers, Pretty skies, The first sip of my glass of merlot, The taste of a fresh-baked, Husband-made cookie, Holding hands with someone I love, The candy a friend brings me to class, Hearing my dog snoring, Long kisses, Sweet words, Random treats, The gift cards left over from Christmas that support date night on a really,really,really tight budget. It’s things like this that give me the potential to power New York City in the event of a black-out. (Ha-ha.)

At the same time, I won’t lie and say that the extra goodness life throws my way doesn’t maybe help out said happiness. This weekend for example. Chilling downtown and cruising in a Hummer limo with my best friend and other cool peeps. Neat, unforgettable experiences like this may indeed aid in some extra boosts of happy power. Ahem:Not to mention, the calmer joy of catching up with loved ones I haven’t seen in much too long…. 

I definitely have my occasional grumpy days. My sad days. My mad days. But more than all of these combined, I have good days. Great days. Loved,bright, wonderful days. And the bad days I do have are me being blessed and spoiled enough to complain about my silly first world problems. The fact is, life is good, and I’d be stupid not to choose happiness. I know that my positive feelings probably never will be enough to power any sort of city in case of black-out, but that’s okay. Right now, I’m watching the sun set from my window and I’m about to go get all fancied up for gift-card date night with the husband. And I couldn’t be happier.

Confused with all the lines in-between

They are dying to be read

Softly spoken, simply said.”

(Tristan Prettyman- Simple as it should be)

A good word to describe how I’ve been feeling lately would probably be, “inspired.” Long walks in the park. Checking-out a library book for the first time in years. Friends and music and long drives that make me think. In a couple of months, I’ll turn 23. It’s the first time in a while that I haven’t dreaded getting another year older.  The sound of the word “Twenty-three” is something I like rolling off my tongue. To me, it sounds happy and young and playful, but grown-up and more aware too. Or maybe that’s just where I feel I’m at right now, and I’m just placing it to the way an age sounds on my lips. Either way, a lot of things seem to be coming together for me lately. It’s as if the universe is conspiring, not against me, but for me. Yesterday afternoon, for example.

 I adore my university, almost everything about it, but I dislike being forced to take religious courses that have nothing to do with my major. So I grudgingly made my way to my required religious course, where I saw our guest speaker. He was an Eastern Orthodox minister. He was wearing a robe. And, considering I’m not a church-goer, he looked eerily familiar. I sat down and tried to place how it was that I could possibly know this man, but wasn’t sure until he started speaking. Then I was near certain. It was Father Wilcoxson. Father Wilcoxson, who was my very first professor. Father Wilcoxson, who taught me English 1 at Austin Community College. Father Wilcoxson, whom I, at 18 years old, believed to have the first name of, ‘Father’, and just enjoyed wearing long, black robes. Father Wilcoxson who has been the most influential and remembered professor of any that I’ve had since. Father Wilcoxson, who knew all of my secrets. I remember walking up to this man after he had given the class our first assignment. It was to simply write a story about ourselves. I walked up to him and said, “I know what I want to write about. But….you have to promise not to judge me.” I think at this time I had become a little more aware that he may have been in a religious field of some sort. He informed me that he wasn’t there to judge, but to teach. This came as a relief. I was taking my first college course at the same time I just so happened to be  making some of the most questionable decisions of my life. I had recently been awoken from my sheltered existence in the form of waitressing. From this job sprung my first doozy of a relationship–A relationship that I knew without a doubt I shouldn’t be in, but was anyway. Being 18 and arguably the most naive,innocent girl to ever exist, ‘Love’ was all that mattered. Nothing and nobody else. Still, I needed the therapy of writing to someone who could read without judging, only grading. Father Wilcoxson offered this to me. Though I do feel that he kept his promise by never judging me, after the first paper he asked if he could speak with me.  My paper was good. The decisions I was writing about? Not so good. He gently informed me that the man I was with would not change, and that I needed to get the hell out of that relationship, asap (In different words, of course.) But I didn’t. I did, however, continue writing about it. By the end of the semester, he was taking me aside again, informing me that this relationship was no good and that it had to stop. I still wasn’t listening. And then I never saw him again. That is, until yesterday.

It’s a very funny feeling to see someone who knows you only as the girl you were four years ago. Because I see that girl as a story. I see her as someone who existed in some kind of parallel universe, a ‘me‘ that existed only in some far away land. I know she was real, and I know all about who she was and what she did, but I don’t think of her as being the same person that I am today. We’re too different. We shared bodies and memories maybe, but she’s gone now. The wiser, more mature, much happier me is here. I thought all of these things until about 24 hours ago. Seeing Father Wilcoxson standing only feet away from me was a mind-altering experience. My past was meeting my present. I couldn’t sit still. I wanted to wait until after class to speak with him, but I just couldn’t. So, in between all of my classmates religious questions, I finally raised my hand and blurted out:

“This is totally besides the point but….did you use to teach classes at ACC?”

Father Wilcoxson: Yes….And you look extremely familar.

Me: Yes…Yeah…Wow…You taught me English 1. (I was flustered at this point.)

Father Wilcoxson: Okay. Yeah. Did you…I hope I gave you a good grade?

Me: Yeah…you gave me an A actually!

Father Wilcoxson: Okay good …. You look older. Do I look older?

Me: No,no…I was actually thinking you looked younger.

After this whole exchange, the whole class was laughing and my current professor’s face was bright red with his own chuckling. Despite the amusement we brought to the classroom, I knew I wanted to end things on a more serious note with him. I waited until class was over, and he came to the back of the room to throw his water bottle away. I told him that he was the most influential professor I’d ever had, that he helped me through a lot of tough things at the time and that I had been married for 2+ years now. I also thanked him about fifty times. I wasn’t sure what he would remember about me, and wasn’t about to tell him, but did at least want to let him know that I was in a much better place now. But somewhere in our conversation he asked me, “Didn’t you work at a restaurant?” And I couldn’t help but laugh a little bashfully, realizing that he remembered most everything.  He seemed genuinely happy for me, and the place in my life where I’m at now.

To me, seeing Father Wilcoxson was a lot like closure. It was as if that chapter of my life from four years back was finally closing. It was a realization and an acceptance that the past me and the present me are the same me. It was the ability to see, before my eyes, a part of my life that has come full circle.  It was the knowledge of how far I’ve come and of how wonderful it is to be where I’m at right now. And it was this incredible, unforgettable feeling of being able to tell someone from the past who undoubtedly helped shape my present, that their part in the book of my life helped aid in reaching a happy ending.

There is not much I adore more in this world than time with my girls. They are a constant source of inspiration, laughter, love, relaxation and joy. This past weekend was no exception. I was able to see a few of my favorite ladies for four days straight. Hot-tubbing and a sleepover at Jenn’s place. Sharing a bed with and cuddling up to my best friend Tessa, who also was sweet enough to buy me brunch the next day. (Cuddling and free food the next morning? Wouldn’t she make a perfect boyfriend?) Listening to live music, strolling through quaint book-stores and making fun of ugly ducks at the park with Melody and, again, my best friend Tessa. Drinks and giggles with Brooke and Emily for happy hour. A pizza buffet and retail therapy with my Little (of Big Brothers Big Sisters), who is growing up too fast and doing so quite gracefully. What I’m getting at is….Oh thank goodness for the ladies in my life. Sometimes I just break into smile thinking about them, our memories and how lucky I am to have stumbled across some of the most amazing chicks on the planet. How cool is it that I get to journey through life and explore the world with the greatest girls in the world?

Pictures help the words come to life: 

Tessa and I were talking on Sunday, and I mentioned that I’ve always liked being an adult better than I liked being a kid. I had a really sheltered childhood, and I’ve always loved and have been completely exhilarated by the freedom of adulthood. Later that same day, my best friend wrapped my thoughts up perfectly by saying something like, “We can do whatever we want. We can do anything.” That,in a nutshell, is exactly what I find absolutely spectacular about being a grown-up.The excitement of making new experiences, meeting new people and doing these things whenever I want to. The beauty and wonder and spontaneity of endless possibilities. The fact that I get to explore these endless possibilities with amazing people by my side just makes life that much more beautiful.

Some happy pieces lately:

• All red and pink in my package of Dots! If that isn’t a reason for excitement, I don’t know what is.
•  
• School started up again this week. I really love my classes this semester. Probably me favorite is ‘Theatrical Performance.’ It’s just started and already I’m falling in love. Though yesterday was a little strange. We were practicing relaxing and focusing, a couple of qualities which obviously help on stage. To practice these things, we partnered up and practiced moving each other’s limbs around. Head, legs, arms, the works. I thought I was relaxed, but my partner kept shaking my body parts and telling me to, “Let go.” I apparently do not know how to let go. Control freak problems. The instructor noticed this and used me as one of the guinea pigs next time around. Next thing I know, five people are moving around different parts of my body, whilst I lay on the ground giggling nervously. I kept my limb-movers laughing and amused by saying things such as, “Watch out for the stubble.” and “I think this is the most awkward moment of my life.”, but I never did learn how to be totally limp and trusting. Maybe next time I find my body being simultaneously maneuvered around in odd places by five almost (albeit kind) strangers, I’ll be better. Practice makes perfect!
• 
• My friend Becca has just started training at the Cheesecake Factory. Yesterday, being the wonderful and thoughtful person that she is, she brought me a box full of yumminess to class.

As I opened my take-out box of goodness, she took the time to write me out a menu. It read:

“The grilled chicken is ‘skinnylicious BBQ chicken’

And the crusted one is Idk

And the pasta is tomato basil pasta with cheese.”

The crusted one, whatever the hell that was, was my favorite.

• During my week, I have about a 35 minute break between work and school. Instead of lounging or eating, I’ve started to take this time to work out at my school gym. I’ve been running on the treadmill and have started lifting light weights (A New Years resolution!) I’m also doing ab work-outs three times a week and am starting to see traces of a 4-pack.  I’ve cut out all fast food (even my beloved Chipolte) and soda from my diet. I feel awesome and constantly energized and I’m currently in the best shape of my life. I don’t know why it’s taken me this long!
  
• Tuesdays and Thursdays are my long days. I leave for work at 8:45 and don’t get back home from school until around 7:30. Last night I came home,exhausted, to the aroma of a home-cooked dinner. Hubby had made me chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and homemade gravy. Later, he made chocolate chip cookies. I put the picture of him slaving away in the kitchen up on my facebook. A couple of my favorite comments:

Girl Friend: “What a sweet ol’ house husband.”

Dude Friend:  “Look at that piece of meat! Also the steaks look pretty good…”

• My best girl friend has been begging me to get a Twitter for some time now. I usually just blatantly ignore her requests. I am extremely slow and hesitant when it comes to being comfortable with different social networking devices. It took me a good year, maybe even two, to transfer over to Facebook after everyone else had.  The same best friend finally convinced me, and even helped me register and uploaded most of my pictures to Facebook. I still didn’t use it until almost everybody had left Myspace. Even knowing how stubborn and reluctant I am, Meggie is quite persistent. She asks me or tells me about once a week to get a Twitter. Last night, she resorted to bribery. I said something on a blog comment that she found quotable (“I’m sure if men ever ‘fixed’ women, they’d be quite bored anyway.”) and then she informed me, “I’m quoting you, Tina. But I’m doing it on Twitter so….you should get one.” Sigh. I’m still not convinced. But she is slowly but surely wearing me down.
• I mentioned last week that I was a promotional model for an event in San Antonio. I also mentioned how completely amazing the people I met were. I miss them so much already. Morgan, one of the girls that I miss dearly, left a comment on the rest of our little group’s facebooks that wrapped up our time together pretty perfectly :, “Sooo yeah I already miss yall so much. I miss our long hours of goofing off, eating lollipops, changing our hair every hour, singing, taking as many breaks as we can to walk around, and long talks about boys. Let’s PLEASE reunite soooon. Y’all are so great “   I never went to summer camp as a child, but from watching movies and stuff, I feel like these are the kind of bonds that I missed out on back then.
•  
• While I was working this event in San Antonio, I came upon an older man with the last name, ”Wagemaker.” How neat is that?! I informed him that I loved his last name and he informed me that if I was a bit older I could have married him and had that last name too. Christina Wagemaker. I like. But Christina Boudreaux is pretty nice too, I suppose.
• I made a video blog! It’s been too long. Unfortunately, my computer is having all kinds of technical difficulties. The colors are very off and at the end my voice distorts to sound like one of those creepy phone callers from horror movies. I’m trying to work through kinks because a couple of girl friends and I are about to start a project with said web cam. Thought I’d might as well show y’all what I came up with:
• One more class until my weekend begins! I have lots of lovely plans with buddies this weekend, including exploring and hot-tubs. All the more reason to be excited and happy.

I usually try my best to keep from writing about the mushy-gushy, lovey-dovey, hubby-wubby stuff. For the most part, I like to focus on my adventures, friends, experiences and the rest of life in general. After all, those are huge parts of my world and there is only so much you can say about a wonderful relationship before making everyone around you want to puke. Thus, even in my day-to-day life I really don’t talk about my husband with others too much. When friends make comments on how cute we are or how great we are together, I probably tend to quickly agree, maybe blush a little and then change the subject. There’s no need to ramble on and on about what most already know: Robby is–without a doubt–a lovable, amazing person and an incredible husband. (He kind of has to be to put up with me. It’s a prerequisite.)

That being said, every once in a while I really do just have to gush, if only just a little. Because he is wonderful, and I very rarely give him enough credit for that. I forget that this world is made up of billions of douche-bags, and that I did not get one of them. Not even close. I got Robby. Robby, who is patient and understanding and calm when I’m frantic. Who allows me to over-analyze everything out loud and doesn’t mind that I’m insane. Who loves educating me on the simple things in life, such as Star Wars and Back to the Future marathons and cheap Mexican food. Who simply chuckles and looks at me with love-filled eyes when I dance obnoxiously or pronounce a word wrong. Who gets up to bring me water when he’s already laying down in bed, just because I don’t feel like going to get it myself. Who will be an amazing daddy one day, and who loves to annoy me every month by saying, “Yay! We’re pregnant!”, even when we both know that we’re definitely not. Who loves my friends, who love him right back. Who is always on my side and never fails to put me first. Who allows me to drag him to things he doesn’t really want to go to, and has a good attitude about it just the same. Who gets excited everytime he sees a deer. Who is always happy and rarely not smiling. Who is selfless and faithful and oh-so-handsome and the best listener I know. Who constantly is able to surprise me, in a good way. The other day he made homemade butterscotch cookies. They tasted like those Great American Cookies you can buy at the mall. Among everything else, the dude can bake. Apparently he learned from home-ec in high-school. Just when I think he can’t get any better, or that our relationship is at it’s best, he proves me wrong. He always gets better. And we always get better together.

To top it all off and for reasons that sometimes surpass my understanding (I mean, the guy knows everything about me…), he seems to think I’m pretty great too. The other day I received a typed love note that was just too sweet not to share. I did make sure I had husband’s permission before I showed y’all though. As it is a little sappy, I was relieved that it only took asking him, “Pleaseeeee?” a few times.

“Dear Christina,

A few of the many reasons I love you.

You have dinner ready for me after work.

You do Christmas shopping for my family on the most hectic day.

You do all those things around the house. Clean laundry and much more.

You keep me from being a total hermit.

You love our dogs as much as I do.

You go out and help make money for us.

You are a very determined person and an achiever.

You’re my light in the darkness.

There could never be words strong enough to express how much I love you. You’re my everything. I love you so much,baby.”

If it’s not clear yet, we maybe like each other a little bit.

As a side note, husband really isn’t much of a writer. He actually kind of hates it. So the fact that he typed this up was a heart-melter all in itself, though I couldn’t help but giggle about the “light in the darkness” bit. I was also pretty proud of him for how great his grammar was. I didn’t have to make any punctuation or spelling changes when typing it up, and only had to capitalize a few things. Props to him! (And me, for the English lessons I’ve given him over the years. Hee.)

So I forced my brother to be my driver/mini road-trip buddy to San Antonio (He’s a good boy.)

Booked it to a hair institute to dye my hair a golden brown. (I’m too pale for blonde now and it makes the green in my eyes show better. I’ve only been able to show a few loved ones, but comments are super sweet so far. My best friend said she wants me to keep it forever and my husband is excited I’m a brunette again.)

Spent some much needed family time with my cousins, aunt and uncle.

And made my way to the Great American Bowl.

I worked 21 hours in two days. It was exhaustingly fantastic. Gaining this kind of experience was definitely a plus, but still just a part of the wonderful time I had.

The bonds I made in two long days were the best part. Michael and I hit it off right off the bat. As noted and respected by one boss dude, we traveled to other booths as a pair. A few asked how we knew each other. Our answer was always a tickled, “We don’t. We met a few hours ago.” We constantly giggled and would occasionally sneak off to ride the plane-life simulator, or to go find food, or to get pictures from the photo booth. Near the end of the first day we were placed in our permanent booth, which registered people for Army info and gave away free water bottles. This is where we met Mandi and Morgan, and once again, we all hit it off immediately. Despite working our booties off, we still made plenty of time to bond by dancing,singing, laughing, wandering, playing, eating and chatting about nothing and everything.

I wish I could describe in words how incredible and once-in-a-lifetime this whole experience was for me, but I really can’t. I made so many memories and met so many people that I’ll never forget. I’m still glowing from the past couple of days. I am thankful and happy to have started this promotional modeling gig and especially to have met the lovely people that I did. As completely tired as I was by the end of last night, I was still sad to leave. Luckily, my friends are all from Texas and love traveling from their respective homes to downtown Austin, so hopefully it won’t be too long before we all meet again.

As of right now, I’m feeling ready to go out there and conquer more goals. I’m feeling confident. I’m feeling like the whole world is at my fingertips. I’m feeling like the possibilities in my life are endless and awesome. I couldn’t possibly think of a better way to knock off about a handful of my newly made resolutions or to spend the first week of my 2012. And I’m feeling ready for so much more.

I mean, how could it not when I have such a dreamily hot husband? Hee.

And if that’s not enough, I have a list of 2012 resolutions to help the whole year live up to it’s full happiness potential:

-Go on a cruise.

-Watch the sunrise.

- Join/Try out/Volunteer for new things.

-Decorate my house.

-Do at least one of the following: Zipline, Skydive, Bungee-jump.

-Travel to at least three new states. (I did it last year without making a goal, so seems pretty attainable.)

-Visit best friend up north.

-Explore more of Texas.

-Eat healthier. (This especially means no significant undereating/cracker/baby food diets, missy!)

-Maintain current weight. (Within 5 pounds either way.)

-Take a yoga class.

-Go camping.

-Continue working out at least 5 times a week for 30+ minutes. (This isn’t hard for me as I get pretty grumpy if I don’t, ((Must. Have. Endorphins.)) but seems like a nice thing to add anyway.)

-Begin lifting light weights.

-Buy something from Etsy.

-Read at least three books a month OR 40 in a year. (outside of school.)

-Read more non-fiction.

-Try my hand at more arts and crafts. (It still counts if results suck.)

-Pick up a new hobby.

-Take more time to relax/enjoy alone time.

-Treat and be as giving to loved ones as well/much as they treat/give to me.

-Take a big chance on someone or something.

-Stay 22 forever.

-Make significant progress in novel I’m attempting to write.

-Improve both organizational and financial skills.

-Take Little (of Big Brothers Big Sisters) to visit my house.

-Cook 15+ new recipes, and record them in recipe diary husband bought me.

-Maintain or improve current gpa. (3.55)

-Do something that scares the crap out of me.

-Do something incredible. Or somethings incredible.

-Continue going on adventures, trying new things, meeting/getting to know new people, loving on others and living life as fully as possible.

 I’ve gotten pretty decent at this accomplishing resolutions/goals stuff.  That’s a good feeling. So 2012 resolutions? I plan on owning you. Be ready.

Hello there and Happy New Year! I had a wonderful,safe,fun and slightly crazy night spent with friends at a local bar and later back at my very own house. My friends like my house. I like that my friends like my house. Because I like my friends and my house. (And the alchoholic goodies that friends bring along to my house.) You know those moments when you just feel completely wrapped up in happiness? And, you kind of just think to yourself, “This is perfect. I am happy.” I had one of those moments. Friends and I were sitting right next to a live band at the bar, and we were all drinking, laughing and singing along to a great rendition of Uncle Kracker’s, “Follow me.”  I’m young and alive and surrounded by sexy,wonderful people who love me. I’m starting a new year with a new dress, splendid folks and so many great plans and ideas already in mind. To top it all off and as luck would have it, I had just found a sparkly New Years hat to celebrate with. I just looked at all of the faces around me, and mixed with the music and the atmosphere and life in general, I just felt like jumping up and down out of pure joy. But sitting there basking in the glow and taking it all in was just as great.

Pictures of a, as my friend Melody put it, “crazy fun time.”

As most of you probably gather, my friends mean the world to me. One of my resolutions (That list coming soon) for 2012 is to be as good to my loved ones as they are to me. My best friend Tessa left me feeling like I’m off to a pretty good start a couple of days ago. She blog-commented,

“And Christina, you’re absolutely beautiful. I love that you’re my best friend. My mom said the other day, “you really found a rare one with Christina. She seems to be a really good friend”. Indeed!”

If I was more of a crier, I would have cried. Instead, I just felt really heart-warmed and blessed. Ringing in the New Year with her and so many other of my closest friends seems to be a good sign for the rest of 2012. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for me.

I’ve been procrastinating on starting my 2011 review just because it’s been such an amazing, eventful year and my organizational skills are crap. I wasn’t sure how I’d put it all together. I did a lot of debating and decided to do a monthly review, whilst ending each month with the new years resolutions I accomplished in that time frame. As I had to do this mostly by going through old blogs, I ended up feeling overwhelmingly grateful. This year has been so great,and this is mostly due to the opportunities and wonderful people I’ve been blessed with. I can only hope 2012 lives up to what my 2011 has been. The way things are looking so far and as long as the world doesn’t end (Fingers crossed!) looks like it’ll be quite the competition. I’m thankful for this year and beyond excited for the next. Well. Without further ado, here is my 2011:

January:

-Went to Louisiana for the first time. Gambled and had a romantic time with the hubby.

-Went kite-flying for the first time since childhood with a couple of my close girl-friends. Had a blast.

-Went to my first hockey game.

-Rode a mechanical bull

Resolutions accomplished:

Ride a mechanical bull,Travel,Try more outdoor activities, Discover/ Do at least 15 new things in Austin.

February:

-Had a photo shoot with my on campus radio show, Un Poco De Todo

-Played in (Texas!) snow

-Auditioned online for a country radio show I’ve listened to since childhood. Had my radio audition played on air and was told the dj’s really liked me. Amusingly enough, I was only aware of all of this because other people heard me on the radio and informed me of it.

-Hubby, as usual, made my Valentines Day very special.

-A friend made a pasta meal for me at my house, and days later a dude coworker made me pasta and brought it to work. I felt the noodle love.

Resolutions accomplished:

-Maintain and better on campus radio show, Discover/Do at least 15 new places/things in Austin

March:

-Friend Crystal brought Ferrero Roches to my work on the same night I came home to a giant Twix bar from the hubby. I felt the chocolate love.

-Wrote arguably my favorite personal blog. (Screw Ideals, Be Happy)

-Went kayaking.

-Met Gumby.

-Was completely and ridiculously spoiled by friends and hubby and coworkers for the entire week of my 22nd birthday. Mimosas, breakfast, chocolate-covered strawberries, flowers, clothes,cookies, cakes, birthday songs,etc….The works. Felt very loved. On birthday weekend, had reserved seating at a fabulous rooftop lounge in downtown Austin.

Resolutions accomplished:

Focus less on cultivating new relationships and more on maintaining the ones I already have.

April:

-Went to hubby’s cousin’s wedding. My first wedding to go to in adulthood besides my own. Drank too much. Danced with the in-laws. Had an amazing night.

-Left my job at Starbucks (of two+ years) to become a nanny. Had mixed feelings about this. Excited to start a new chapter. Sad to leave behind  my beloved coworker buddies.

- Had a blast and made an A in my Martial Arts Class.

-Arguably took part in the most insanely amazing bowling league to ever exist.

Resolutions accomplished:

-Look into finding a better paying job, Improve skills in bowling league, Learn/Have fun in upcoming Martial Arts class.

May:

-Traveled all over New Mexico with my friend Katie. Met Indians, saw the wonder that is White Sands, played with snow in May, ate a burger with an egg on top, and visited about 343242 other places I will never ever forget. Had the time of my life and barely had to pay anything for it at all. (Thanks to amazing Katie and her wonderful grandma!)

-Made this Youtube video on my trip to New Mexico, which is by far my favorite of any video I’ve ever made. Perfectly captured the magic of said trip.:

-Hosted a jewelry party.

-Went from dark brown to light blonde and shoulder length to chin length. Loved it.

Resolutions Accomplished:

Travel, Go on a road trip.

June:

-Started nannying. Loved it even more than I thought I would.

-Parasailed

-Made sushi for the first time. It looked horrible but tasted amazing.

-Went tubing with buddies.

-Met my blogging friend (now in real life friend!) Jenny.

-Changed my blog domain and had blog ‘business’ cards made.

-Participated in a charity bikini car wash.

Resolutions Accomplished:

Help the community in multiple and creative ways, Try more outdoor activities.

July:

-Family reunioned it up in Colorado.

-Went horseback riding in the Rocky Mountains.

-Wore flip-flops while climbing up a mountain and played in the snow whilst wearing a dress. Fun? Yes. Recommended? No.

-Best friend Tessa bought me milk and cookies.

-Went and participated in my first ever nude lake. Felt brave and free and exhilarated.

-Went to Louisiana with my boy again.

Resolutions Accomplished:

Travel, Do something absolutely, spontaneously crazy.

August:

-Bought cute, matching journals with my Little (of Big Brothers Big Sisters.) This could be considered a small celebration of our one year match.

-Friend Jennifer treated me to a free sushi date.

- Received a heart-melting scrapbook and letters at the end of my summer nannying job.

- During a stressful and grumpy week of mine, Husband surprised me with a flower-filled glass swan, a new computer mouse and a sweet card. He put all of this inside a brown paper bag which he drew a bat and poop on. Inside the card he wrote, “I love you,even if you’re bat-shit crazy!” 

-My best friend, who lives up north, came to visit me.

-My brother and two best girly friends took a mini-road trip and vacation to the beach.

-Rain-danced on a baseball field. It didn’t rain, but it was a pretty neat experience.

Resolutions Accomplished: 

Travel, Go to at least three events in Austin

September:

-Best friend wrote,“ 8 Reason I Love Christina Cirotto Boudreaux”

-Friend Kimber and I had a sleepover. She cooked me blueberry muffins and I found out she has a very comfy bed.

- The best dude friend and I went to our first deaf football game.

-Decided I needed to lose weight and started that journey. Three+ months later, I’ve lost almost 30 pounds.

-Partook in my first 5k. Loved it.

Resolutions Accomplished:

Help the community in multiple, creative ways; Focus less on cultivating new relationships and more on maintaining the ones I already have, Try more outdoor activities.

October:

-Husband and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary.

-Bonded with my girlies at Chelsea’s awesome bachelorette party. Wore a very sparkly dress.

-Went on a field trip with my Intro to Counseling class and discovered the benefits of Equinox (horse) therapy.

-Road-tripped it to Little Rock,Arkansas with the husband. Stayed at my first Bed and Breakfast, and was pleasantly surprised at what an incredible,beautiful state Arkansas turned out to be.

-Attended Chelsea and Jake’s wedding, which was also my first ever open-bar wedding.  Had a wonderful night celebrating love and happiness and tipsiness with some of my closest friends.

-Discovered the joy and therapy of soup-making.

-The best girlfriend and I went to the Gypsy Picnic, a scrumptious food-trailer festival in downtown Austin. Ate and Hula-Hooped. Fun and Yum.

-Celebrated a great Halloween with some of the amigos.

Resolutions Accomplished:

Travel, Go to at least 3 Austin events (I’m pretty sure I ended up way surpassing this one),Discover/Do at least 15 new places/things in Austin.(and that one)

November:

- With a couple of tech-savvy dude friends, started up a project for my first ever web show (Coming in 2012) & finished the video intro.

-Met my first celebrity, the twelve year old Chandler Riggs of The Walking Dead. Was completely starstruck and acted like a ten year old girl.

-Hung out with a monkey in my sign language class.

-My friend Samm spoiled me by bringing me cookies and Starbucks in the same week.

-Spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws. Wasn’t prepared for the all day drinking and had a little too much fun. (Puked in the in-laws toilet)

Resolutions Accomplished:

Meet a famous person,Discover/Do at least 15 new places/things in Austin.

December:

-Met two of the members of the youtube sensation, Dude Perfect.

-Tried moonshine for the first time.

-Had a great semester at school. Four A’s, and one B, which brought my overall gpa to 3.55.

-Was video-taped while role-playing a counseling session in Intro to Counseling. Reviewing myself later kind of reaffirmed that I should really consider counseling as a future profession.

-Went on a train ride with the in-laws and Santa.

-Went to a fabulous Christmas party and had a small,cozy one of my own.

-Caught up with friends and family and felt spoiled with lots of gifts and love and giggles.

-Speaking of giggles. Yesterday my best guy friend came over and he started cracking me up with his dance moves. Between my fits of laughter, he informed me, “I don’t show anyone else this. That’s how comfortable I am around you.”  Awesome.

Resolutions Accomplished Overall:

19/24. I’m pretty proud of that.

Among the 5 that I didn’t accomplish, I’m probably most irked with the, “Be more financially responsible.” (Just a total fail on my part) and the “Make only A’s and B’s (I made one C . In Old Testament. A required course at my university that I really just didn’t care about. Grumble. Still, over a year period I’ve made 6 A’s, 3 B’s and one C. I suppose I’m still okay with that.) Among the 19 that I did accomplish, I’m probably most amazed that I didn’t break my phone. I never thought I’d accomplish that one. I break everything I touch. Of course, I still have a couple of days to go on this one….

More than anything, I am just blown away by what a near perfect year this has been. I knew it had been a great one, but upon review, it is still amazing all that’s been accomplished and how spoiled with love I am. At the end of 2011, I’m feeling grateful and proud and content. 2012 is already promising to be another wonderful year with so many projects, opportunities and adventures in the works. Not to mention the people who have helped make this year so splendid are following me over into the next one too. Still, 2012 has a hell of a lot to live up to.

2011, I love you. 2012….You’re looking good over there.

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