The Obligatory New Year Post

It's late on a Sunday night and I should be headed to bed, but for some reason I'm wired. I'm really looking forward to the self-loathing accompanied by a healthy, bucket-sized dose of caffeine tomorrow morning.

In 2009 I omitted "The Obligatory New Year Post" because I had just come back from Italy and it took me a while to get back into the swing of things. My blog was also still focused on food and less on my actual life. I'm really trying to be positive about 2010 so I decided to dive in with a self-serving post about why.

For those who have been reading my blog in the past year or so, you will notice a trend of "trying to stay positive" posts. All I will say at this point to sum up 2009 is "it was not a good time." I started off 2010 with fantastic celebration surrounded by friends. I would like to say that this bodes well for the tone of the new year, but last year I started off in Italy, so clearly the kickoff does not necessarily stipulate the quality of the rest of the year. I would, however, like to state my excitement in anticipation of the following events:

Babies being born: My friends Celeste, Annie, and Karin are all having babies this year. My cousin Jesse's wife is also having a baby this year, as well as Preston's wife Kaitlin. While it's true that the joy of each birth is accompanied by a pang of sadness that I won't have a child of my own anytime soon, the impact is minimal and pales in comparison to the bliss felt with the growth of each family. It really is amazing to see so many of my friends grow and develop into wonderful, loving parents, and I am grateful for all they teach me. Besides, I love being an aunt!

I'm headed to New Orleans for the first time in February. I'm so excited! I'm not going for Mardi Gras; I've opted to go sooner to avoid the expense and insanity. My friends have assured me that there will still be plenty to do and see as the city prepares for the tourists. I'm visiting two of my friends from high school, Greg and Kate, who are both graduating from Tulane Medical School in May. I'll be attending the annual med school "prom" and I'm so excited for the mayhem that will ensue! It will be such an adventure, and I'm so proud of Kate and Greg for their accomplishment of getting through med school. I'm so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life! (As an aside, Preston is also graduating from Drexel in Philadelphia this year.)

In April I'm headed to SLC for my last mission companion's wedding. She has had a lot of trials in the past few years, most notably breaking her back and going through several surgeries and rehab to learn to walk again. She is such an example of diligence and dedication. She did it all with a smile, and is one of the strongest, most amazing people I have ever known. She is marrying a wonderful guy who also served in our mission. They became good friends after the mission (we have been home for a long time now) and just recently started dating. They will be sealed in the Jordan River Temple by our mission president who just became a sealer. It will be such an amazing experience!

In personal news, I am graduating in May, and I have a new job. I finish class April 12th and my graduation ceremony is May 8th. I am so excited! It will definitely be nice to be done with homework and sacrificing time and energy, but I'm most excited about the feeling of accomplishment. I'm not going to say I'll never go to school again because last time that landed me in my Master's program! I have been through quite a lot during the course of my program which makes the victory that much sweeter. My new job is wonderful and I'm really enjoying learning and growing back into the writer I once was.

I'm also hoping to head out to NYC to see Ron and Celeste again. They are having a baby girl sometime this month and once the weather warms up and my schedule calms down I want to head out to meet her. I'll also hit up CT and Boston with Elise. It should be a really fun trip!

That really only takes me through the first half of the year. I really wanted to get to Italy this summer but I don't think it will happen. It's more likely for next Christmas, but I'm just not sure what will happen. Mentally I can't really get past graduation! We'll see where life takes me. As we're all aware, it's an unpredictable thing.

Also up and coming, by request: recipes for cannoli and eggplant parm. Please let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see!

Happy 2010!