Year in Review.

2010 started very rough for me, personally, as I lost my grandmother on January 10th. She was my last remaining grandparent, and so her passing made even more of an impact on me. Her loss still weighs heavily on me today, nearly one year later. So January was definitely a tough month.


February brought me a much needed distraction in the form of the Vancouver Olympics. Figure Skating! Skiing! Curling! Other distractions that helped cheer me up included my new iPhone and the Planet Earth series, both of which were favorites of mine in February.


March was a busy, busy month for me. There were Brown Paper Packages gift exchanges with new bloggy friends, a brand new makeover for my blog, a new book series to get hooked on, and my very first time watching the Broadway hit "Wicked," which I absolutely adored.


April brought me my first Menchie's experience, a new blog series centered on confessions, and a rally with fellow teachers against Senate Bill 6, a bill that would have hurt both teachers AND students in the long run. Thankfully, Governor Christ would later decide to veto this bill.


May was all about tests for me, by which I mean my students' tests. I learned how my students performed on the FCAT Reading re-take (not good) and I helped prepare my AP English Language students  for their exam. The good news is that my AP students would end up performing quite well on this test, well above my expectations. In happier, less work-related news, May also brought us le boyf's birthday, which we celebrated with a few close friends.


June was the month I bid adieu to my 2009-2010 students. I was sad to see them go, especially my seniors, but eager to begin enjoying my summer vacation. Mind you, it would prove to be a pretty work-intensive vacation, as summers go, because I spent the last couple of school days moving from my old classroom to my new classroom -- in another building, no less. And my work didn't end there -- I was finally able to start working on my thesis again in earnest after finding a new major professor, one who would help me stay on track, and, most importantly, finish the darn thing. Even if it meant taking a (short) bloggy break.


When I wasn't busy thesis-ing in July, I was watching "Eclipse" and reading Hush, Hush, both of which were favorites of mine for that month. But I think my biggest favorite for July was the film "Inception." It made me rethink everything from the way I dream to the way I watch movies. Amazing, amazing film.


August had me falling for fall clothes (despite 90+ temperatures). Despite these horrid temperatures, we went to the Morikami Gardens for the first time during their Bon Festival. While it was hot and sticky and insecty as all heck, it was still a beautiful experience. Other significant events in August included one of my poems being published in a book for the very first time (yay!) and the start of a new school year (kinda yay!), one which would present me with a new teaching experience, namely teaching 9th graders for the very first time.


September found me writing incredibly short poems like this one, dreaming up birthday wish lists, and contemplating worth. September also gave me the impetus to give my closet a much-needed spring fall cleaning, which was nice.


October was one of my favorite months of 2010, not just because it's my birthday month, but because two very wonderful things happened in this month. First Ricky and I went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the very first time, and it was just as magical as I hoped it would be. And then on October 19th I had my thesis defense, which I was able to pull off successfully (somehow). So yeah, pretty good month.

November was a very bookish month for me. First I read a lot of books (and talked about them here). Then I went crazy and decided to start writing my own book. I closed a chapter in my Twilight life by deciding to say goodbye to my long-standing Twilight blog. But that's okay, because "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part 1" was there to keep me company. Finally, I bought an ereader at the end of November, which was quite possibly my favorite purchase of all 2010. Yes, even more than the iPhone. (Which is saying something.)

If I didn't blog a lot in December, it was because of my new ereader. I've read so many books in the past month alone! I've lost count, there's been so many. When I wasn't too busy reading this month, I was busy graduating from FIU with a Master's in English Literature (YAY!) and going on lovely road trips with Ricky to Orlando and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (again). And I was also spending time with my friends and family and just enjoying each other.


So 2010 may have started off on the wrong foot, but it ended up being a pretty good year all the same. Here's hoping 2011 is the best year yet! :-)

You can read my favorites post for December here. What was your favorite month of 2010 and why?

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2 comment(s):

Unknown said...

hmm... i'll have to steal this for my own blog. hope you start off on a better foot this time around. happy almost 2011!

{andthisiswhatshesaid} said...

happy new year!