I know that I should be excited for the New Year (and I am), but to be honest, I am a little sad to say goodbye to 2011. 2011 was good to me, in fact, it may have arguably been the best year of my life. Every day I am reminded of how blessed I am and I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences that 2011 had to offer. In 2011 I packed up and moved across the world changing my life forever in many ways. Living in China has allowed me to grow into a better person, learn about people and cultures, travel and has taught me whole new meanings for respect, diversity, and appreciation. With each step I take forward, I learn more about the world and myself as an individual. I have had good days and bad days; experience that brought me to my knees and experiences that set me on top of the world. I have laughed and cried and cried from laughing. I have been taken out of my comfort zone; eaten food that I thought would kill me and enjoyed the rich nightlife that Shanghai has to offer. I have made friends and I have made enemies. I have partied on buses and slept on the side of mountains… and all in all, I wouldn’t change a single day for anything. 2011 was MY year, the year of the rabbit and I took full advantage of it.
2011…
* Before leaving Michigan, I spent January soaking up every moment with my friends and family. Within that time I found a whole new appreciation and love for my family and my very close friends. In that last month, I learned who my true friends were and I knew the people that I could count on.
* Working at Morgan Rothschild Academy. It was not an ideal job, but I learned a lot about myself as a teacher and a lot about cultures. To be honest, it made me into a stronger person. It gave me a backbone and showed me that I could stand up for myself and for what I believed in. I loved those kids.
* Nanjing was my first travel trip while in China and my first Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) Celebration. WOW what an experience with Courtney Harp and Courtney Leedy. Street food, Confucius Temple, Hot Spring…
* Chinese New Years (Spring Festival) – fireworks, fireworks, fireworks.
* Next trip was to Xiamen and Gulangyu Island with Courtney Leedy. Hiking, gardens, temples, Holland guys, Sunlight Rock, double bike…
* Softball – I fell in love with softball season as soon as it started. Not only did I met a ton of new people, it felt like a little piece of home and I really enjoyed going to all of the games every Sunday.
* Camping trip to Huang Mountains. I met some people on that camping trip that have become very close friends – Chris, Amanda, Dante, Colin, Brandon, Shantel, Matt, Malory and Kevin. Long bus trip, Panda Blood, bonfires, hiking, tents, cabbage patches, summit, camping at a restaurant, guitars, kegs, corn hole…
* Suzhou with Courtney Leedy and Courtney Harp. Rain, gardens, Michigan people, zong zi, Dragon Boat Festival…
* New Job in Shanghai – I was so grateful to be offered another position teaching preschool in Shanghai after I decided to leave MRA. Rainbow Bridge International School was a blessing and I am looking forward to working at RBIS for years to follow.
* Summer in Michigan. I appreciate my friends and family more when my time with them is so limited. Parties, camping, Dunes, bon fires, Sublime, 311, Beach boys, Tigers, Higgins Lake, beach, taco bell, movies, shopping, Memories, boating, family reunion, Fowlerville fair.
* Meeting Amy, Anna and Christina – my Shanghai family. These three girls are the most important people in my life currently and I have no idea how I survived before without them.
* Hiking trip to Hangzhou with Amy, Anna and Lindi. Staying with locals, hiking, food, West Lake, lotus…
* Returning to Nanjing with Amy Wilson. Temples, hiking Purple Mountains, cable car, massacre, pagodas…
* ERA Acrobatics
* Many, many happy hours with Amy, Anna, Christina, Paul, Dawn and Nadya. Broken toes, “Grab somebody sexy”, Pussypoppin on a Handstand (it’s a dance move), street food, Pedestrian street, the bund, lost phones…
*Party Buses with Chris, Amanda, Dante, Brandon, Tina, Christina, and Amy. Airplane, techno clubs, sleepovers, the Bund, Brix, Just Dance (Wii), Motorbike rides, lost…
* Black Rabbit Music Festival
* Celebrating Halloween with Amy and Paul
* Thanksgiving at the Marriot with my Shanghai Family (Amy, Anna, Christina, Brian, Donna, Lily, Walt, Brian and Fetri) followed by Thanksgiving dinner with our RBIS Family at Michelle and Stephanie’s (apples to apples and Kwelf), concluding with Thanksgiving at the Kent’s house.
* Traveling to Malaysia and Singapore with Anna and Amy for Holiday. I can’t think of a better way to end 2011. Beaches, sunsets, shopping, Kopi coffee, jungle monkeys, village, motorbikes, island hopping, meeting people, great food, mountains, streams, lakes, bridges, boats, bonfires, fireworks, shisha, beach bars, lady’s night….
Looking forward to 2012…
* More traveling and meeting new people – Mongolia, Russia (Trans-Siberian) Tibet, Nepal, Korea, Philippines, Kota Kinabalu, Beijing, Chengdu, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia.
* My mom coming to visit me!
* PYP training for my job – growing and learning more as a professional.
* Reconnecting with my FAITH and growing stronger as a person spiritually.
* Spending time with my family and friends in the summer.
* My sister getting married in October.
* And whatever else life throws my way. I have no idea what is going to happen in 2012, but if 2011 is any indication, than I am hopeful that my future will also be plentiful!
My Chinese horoscope for 2012 predicts that I will flourish in wealth and opportunities. This year is going to be your best year as you will get mixture of happiness and challenges simultaneously. For your work life, you have to work hard to make your profession and career best. There is no time hanging on what happened last year, you need to stride forward and welcome new environments in your life joyfully. Chinese horoscope 2012 predicts that you have to take care of your friendship and will give quality time to enhance mutual understanding between your relationships whether with friends or lovers.
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