A year in review

I currently find myself in a situation very similar to one year ago. I was unemployed, rather lost, and temporarily living with my parents while I tried to sort out my next step in life. Although not far from that situation again, I am much more at peace with it all this year. I have a plan, it is much more realistic, and I am wiser (I think).

I decided that since 2008 was pretty rough for me, I was going to make up for it in 2009. And boy did I!! I have had a most amazing year. I have been places and met people and experienced things I had always dreamed of, yet never imagined possible. I was left speechless, breathless, and motionless on multiple occasions. I stored up a truckload of great stories to tell the kids some day, and took over 5000 photos to support the tales.

Here are my favorite moments of 2009:

• Re-connecting with some wonderful old friends, and the awesome meals and conversations we shared
  
• Working at Disneyland Paris


• Paris Institute and the Chinese-speaking Elders


• Kissing under the Eiffel Tower


• The spectacular lightning storm over Venice


• Playing at Disneyland Paris with some fab American friends


• My first Jason Mraz concert


• Celebrating the 4th of July with a bunch of Europeans at Parc Asterix
  
• Exploring Versailles with my bestest best friend and eating a raspberry from Marie Antoinette's garden
  
• Being thought French, twice:)


• Boat tours down the river Seine


• Eiffel Tower fireworks on Bastille day
  
• Real crêpes


• Dancing under the stars with my Frenchman


• Attending Campus with the French YSA


• Climbing to the top of monuments, mountains, and towers in several countries


• Sunsets!! -from the mountains of Cinque Terre in Italy, the top of the Arc de Triomphe, at the Eiffel Tower, on the beach in Tel Aviv


• Going to church at the BYU center in Jerusalem


• 4 sessions in one day at the Madrid Temple


• The beach in France, Israel, Belgium, Spain, Holland


• Staying in the honeymoon suite of my hotel


• Learning to understand Spanish and Italian
  
• A million wonderful people who made my day: co-workers, guests, old friends, new international friends, family, church leaders, missionaries, new babies, little kids....


• Catching up with my cousin Cathy and her kids
  
• Meeting my newest nephew, Miles Conrad Harper, and spending a wonderful week with him and his parents.
  
• Taking piano lessons again


• Singing with my family for the Christmas program at church


• Date nights with my Rugama nephews


• Discovering my career path and the decision to attend grad school


• Interviewing with Disney Cruise Line


• All the good news from friends and family getting engaged, married, graduating, or having babies.

See? 2009 was a great year! And I have every intention to make 2010 even better.

My life is a great adventure. I have been so blessed! Right now, I'm just taking a pit stop - but I think I'm on the right track. And with all that fun behind me, who knows what tomorrow might bring??