2010 - has come to an end.

Happy 2011 beginning!

I know you were expecting Day 5 of my eurotrip. I will get back to that sometime in the next day or so. Tonight after reading a few friends' blogs about the past year in review it's caused me to reflect on my year in review. So for my benefit, I'm going to do my own similar post.

Things I learned in 2010.

1. Sometimes the biggest upheavals caused by a silver-tongued heartbreaker can lead you to something more -- a downward spiral into blackness followed by some incredible self-discovery which led to some incredible time transcending healing. I never thought a year ago at this time that I'd be grateful for the pain he triggered. But looking back now on what I've done for myself in the past 12 months because of what he triggered, I wouldn't have it any other way... except maybe that I had kicked him between his legs too.

Just once.

Really hard.

Ok let's be honest, I meant really, REALLY hard.

Alright I'm derailing this post quickly. Let's get back on track...

2. I'm tough. Who knew a type of person who could walk through fire and come out on top was inside little old me? Also, I'm learning how to plant my feet so watch out, this tiny little frame that you see on a daily basis, well... she's a force to be reckoned with! Pretty soon I'll be learning how to throw a serious right cross. I hope you're a little scared.

3. I've got a little bit of that fearlessness quality, that I envy so much in others, in me. I did something this year I was scared to do. Some of you may think it's no biggie, and to me now it isn't, but at the time it sure was. I was terrified to travel to Europe with just a girlfriend. Everyone and their grandma told me to watch Taken. Thanks guys, way to fill my awesome excitement with the ideas of what Italy will be like with visuals of me being kidnapped and sold into sex slavery praying that my Liam Neeson father/man/guy is coming to rescue me and kill everyone that even flinches in his direction!

Anyway, nothing bad happened, in fact, it turned out to be the best trip I've ever been on, and I'm in love with Italy!

4. It's amazing how you can love someone more than anything and wish that "bad" things would happen to them to cause them to feel that they have no where else to go in their life but up... hopefully. This may not make sense to any of you, but I can't explain further than this right now.

5. Home cooked food will trump restaurant food any day of the week.

6. You can do the thing you think you canNOT do.

7. Flush your toilet with the seat cover closed, and keep your toothbrush in a drawer. Poo particles are everywhere in bathrooms, let's keep them out of our mouths.

8. People never cease to surprise me. Good and Bad. I've had a lot of good surprises lately in regard to people. I like this a lot.

9. Trust your gut. You are generally right.

10. Listen very carefully to this one, it's the most important one. If you take in ANY advice from this post let it be this -- If your roommate ever, for any reason owns enough stuffed animals to cover her entire bed, you must, if possible, avoid her at all cost. For she will be an experience you do not wish anyone to have. Trust me. I will not expound further, just TRUST ME.

Now let's have a moment of silence for 2010's passing.

Ommmmmmmm.........

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And now let's listen to my favorite song of 2010. It will have to be a Sara Bareilles song... DUH can you expect anything less?

I posted this earlier this fall, but I hadn't found this version which shows you the lyrics. This song defines my 2010 perfectly. Seeing her perform this live was amazing, and I've always loved her because her lyrics seem to be exactly tuned to my life in a way. HAPPY 2011 and happy listening!