My 2012 In Review

My year has been a very busy one.  I feel it's a good exercise to remember what as accomplished in 2012 (mostly because it makes me feel better about not being such a lazy bum).  Here’s a quick summary:

A) Worked at the Department of State, in Washington DC.  Traveled to Congo to monitor elections.  Worked in Istanbul to support projects on democracy and governance.  Currently working at USAID on Congo-related projects.

Lesson Learned: keeping track of 5 different email addresses, 3 calendars and 2 blackberries is no easy feat. 

B) My house is still standing up.  I waterproofed the basement so the rain won't keep on flooding it.  But I refuse to spend another dime on the place - unless some freaky natural disaster happens.

Lesson Learned: freak accidents of nature happen more often than expected. 

C) My brother got married.  It was an awesome set of ceremonies.  And then he and his wife were kind enough to invite me to spend part of their honeymoon package in Saint Martin over Christmas.  And it wasn't even super awkward!

Lesson Learned: when someone offers you free housing on a tropical island, accept it graciously – even if you ARE the third wheel.

D) My sister is still kicking ass in Australia finishing up her medical residency.  Will she ever be done?  Who knows, but it feels like she's been doing it for ages.

Lesson Learned: 4 years can feel like 10 years when you miss people you love…

E) I tried to freeze my eggs this year.  I felt like I was carrying two soft watermelons in my ovaries for two weeks, making even sitting down quite a trial.

Lesson Learned: If it doesn’t work, try try again (?)

e) After months and months of course and paperwork, I finally obtained my fostering certificate.  So I might be fostering children soon. An equally exciting and terrifying prospect.

Lesson learned: Obviously, I can’t stand being bored.

f) I broke up with a boyfriend, and attempted to date several other people in the meantime.

Lesson learned:  I don’t believe a romantic relationship is in the cards for me – so why do I pursue  them with aplomb everytime?

g) I bought a car to make grocery shopping and hiking easier.  I already added a number of miles, using it to attend a training in Suffolk VA (3 hours away) and lending it to a friend to obtain her driver’s license.

Lesson learned: they may say DC is a walkable city, but owning a car really opens up a wealth of opportunities.

Looking forward to a quieter 2013 J