Have a nice life, 2010…

5…4…3…2…1!! HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR!! I am greeting 2011 with an eager handshake. I’ve been DYING to meet you, 2011, really I am. I’m ecstatic for your arrival. While 2010 wasn’t a complete fail, it also wasn’t my favorite year. A lot of rotten times intermingled with some really awesome memories and firsts. I’m ready for a clean slate and somehow I have gotten an extra bounce in my step these past couple of days and I’m really excited for what 2011 has to offer. I’m positive and upbeat and ready to go—a mentality I’ve been lacking quite a bit in 2010. But here I am, probably somewhere in my little black party dress, and I’m ready for you 2011..I’m showing up with a vengeance in which I’ll talk about more in coming days and weeks. (There is a Top Ten Tuesday in two weeks about bookish/blogging resolutions!)

And here’s my year in review–the good, the bad and the downright REDONKULOUS. Kindly take a look at the month of JUNE to find out my best decision of 2010.

January— I was ready to ring in the New Year. After having worked almost a year in EXTREME RETAIL HELL in a store full of bratty teens upon graduating college, I was ready to start my career. I had very high hopes. January also meant my three year anniversary with the boyfriend and a fun sisterly trip to NYC for my little sister’s 15th birthday. Good times were had. It made me realize how much I miss not keeping touch with her–she’s growing into a woman before my eyes!

February— The month of a huge snow storm and some pretty ridiculous videos (that I’ll show upon request :P)  made with my sister and her bff whilst we tried to venture out in the blizzard and ended up getting her car really stuck. February was also a trying month as my boyfriend’s dad’s fight with ALS was really getting rough. I learned a lot about being there for somebody. I had always been the person that people were there for when my mother was sick and dying. OH and I got my very part time job at the magazine as a marketing assistant. Love this job but knew I needed FT work.

March– March, you were the bane of my existence. Seriously. My boyfriend’s dad passed away a lot sooner than we thought. This was just an excruciating month but my strength proved to be more than I knew. I was able to be there for my boyfriend in a way most people couldn’t. I knew that my mom was giving me some hidden strength I didn’t have. But god, did it make me think about her even more and how her death really affected me. My little sister got really sick in March, my stepdad tore something in his arm and had to have surgery and my grandpa had a really bad heart attack. Screw you, March. Still no full time job. The only good thing about March was our trip to DC with our friends. We got to sit in on the Senate meeting on Sunday about the health care. I got to experience two protests and marches. SO fun.

April— Nothing really significant to note in April. Still no FT job. Loved the job at the magazine and took a job babysitting for some bratty kids to pay for my Los Angeles trip. OH YEAH, in April the bf and I made a really spontaneous ( I mean, on the spot decision) to go to LA after seeing a flash deal on Southwest.

May– Caaaaliforniaaaa, here we come! The boyfriend finished up his semester at college and we were off to Los Angeles. This was one of the best trips EVER. This trip solidified my love for the West Coast. This was a trip of epic proportions. I did everything I ever wanted to do and MORE. We met up with one of our good friends out there and we hopped a fence and hiked at night to get the most amazing view of Los Angeles at night. It was breathtaking. Minus the fact that I could hear coyotes nearby. Best month of 2010, to date. My inner travel bug sighed a tiny sigh of relief.

June — My favorite month–plenty of laying out, pool parties, reading and SUNSHINE. Lots of weddings and beach days. This was the month of ultimate relaxation and I damn well deserved it after how the beginning of the year was. The job search was getting on my nerves. Real bad. I gave it a big thumbs down and stuck my nose in a book and got my tan on. BEST DECISION OF 2010-— Starting my book blog!! I started The Broke and the Bookish and this here blog at the end of June. Boy, I sure didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Book blogging actually became my sanity and an outlet that I really needed because the next six months, while I had fun times, proved to be some dark days for me. I missed my mom, I hated not having a job and I just let myself slip into some sad days of nothingness. Blogging really kept me from feeling alone though and gave me some purpose–I hated sitting at home feeling unproductive.

July– July, July! July was freaking hot and I liked it. Give me that heat. I’ll just close my eyes and pretend that grass isn’t all dry and brown. July was a really fun month as we went on our annual family trip to Maryland for a crabfest. Before that we were in Williamsburg to get our history on. This month I felt the love of family. So important. No FT job. ARG.

August — My boyfriend’s birthday which I tried to make extra special because it was his first one without his dad. We went to a TON of Phillies games and they were always exciting! I also went to my FIRST EVER BOOKISH EVENT –PAYA! I met some amazing people who are still some of my closest blogging friends. I didn’t want to go because I had to go by myself and was still really new to blogging and didn’t know anybody going. Pshhh. I should have known I wouldn’t need to know anybody. Bookish people are the best. I’m glad I didn’t get in my head too much about going alone! Also, the bf and I spent a beautifully HOT day in New York City.

September —  I found myself back in NYC. This time it was time to face the Brooklyn Book Festival. I had some car mishaps and almost missed my train but all was well. I met some AWESOME bloggers and met Rob Sheffield and Lauren Oliver! THEN my boyfriend and I ventured down to DC for the National Book Festival which was all sorts of epicness. I met Jonathan Safran Foer and got to see Suzanne Collins!! No FT job. Le sigh. The fall also met me with a TON of author signings!

October — I turned the big 2-5. My quarterlife crisis, which had already been in full force since I was about 20, kicked up majorly. October was NOT a good month for me. At all. Most of you who know me can verify this. I was a mess but luckily I had my blogging buddies to rely on when the people IRL were failing me. I pretty much gave up on the job search this month. This was the month of fixing myself. I had a lot of stuff that needed fixing and many great realizations were made that were very much lessons I needed despite the crappy way in which I had to learn them.

November & December — All about family these months. I realized how much you need your family. I started to look around at the people in my life and noticed that the ones who were always there were my family. They supported me. They “got” me. I went through some pretty big lows in this month but towards the end of December I somehow found myself ready to clear the slate of 2010 and come out in full force. I would take the lessons of 2010 and make 2011 MY year.

So, thank you, my blog friends and Twitter friends. You have provided me with the support and the encouragement whether you knew it or not. I have made some AMAZING and genuine friendships through this community and you all made this year what it was for me. I’ve met some of the most awesome people IRL (and online!) because of blogging. I can’t imagine what I would have done with out blogging. Blogging and reading gave me a sense of purpose during my times of trying to find a FT job. It’s tiring to feel like a waste of space. I know I’m not but that’s how you feel when you are out of work for that long. You feel out of the “contributing to society” club when you sit at home in your pajamas for days at a time. I know this all

sounds sappy but I’m not sure you know how much I appreciate you guys. My boyfriend even notices how much joy this new obsession of mine has given me. You guys ROCK. I’ve laughed and I’ve cried with you. I’ve learned a lot and had some incredible conversations. I’ve only been blogging for six months but I feel like I’ve been doing it way longer and I’ve loved every moment of it. To the ones I’m close with and spend the majority of my time talking to (you know who you are!)–I seriously love you all. Miles might separate us but many of you have become friends that know more about me than my IRL friends. You are some of the most genuine people I’ve ever met and I know I can count on you. So, here’s to 2011 —a year with endless possibilities and more blogging/reading fun! I’m so lucky to be going into this year with every single one of you!