A look back at 2009...

January - Received an award for "20 Outstanding Women You Should Know" for my work in Guatemala. Mother Maria from the Hogar also visited in January for the FIRST time and it was awesome. Soooo much fun and definitely a highlight for 2009!

Celebrated my 25th birthday in Guatemala with the children and nuns of the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage. A fiesta complete with firecrackers, balloons, presents, chocolate cake AND carrot cake, and lots of Guatemalan fun!
I completed my 1st year of law school and enjoyed it but decided it wasn't for me. I met some great friends and had fun at the Barrister Ball, debating in class with....well...everyone (didn't find anyone with my same views! Ha!), gaining an addiction to coffee, and the unforgettable Clint Travis rap song "Janutis".... good times :) My law school friends and I formed a softball team called the "Ultrahazardous Bus Jumpers" but my season was interrupted by a hospital stay after I almost lost my leg to a MRSA infection from the softball field. But, it turned out all good and I still have both legs :)

Went to South Carolina - Columbia, Charleston, and Kiawah Island - with my mom's side of the family for my uncle's 50th birthday. I loved the beach and being with everyone, even though it was a looooooong drive!
My mom, sister, and I went to New York City for the 1st time and we ate at Tavern on the Green. It was a long-time dream to eat there and I'm so glad we did it this year since they are now out of business! Booooo! We shopped until we dropped in Chinatown, Times Square, and all over the city. What a fun girls trip!
At the suggestion of Mother Maria and Mother Ines, I attended a FEE seminar - Foundation for Economic Education. I learned a great deal about Austrian Libertarian ideals and met some great friends in the process.
To continue with my traveling theme, I went to Michigan with my aunt's family. The most serene place I know! My family has been going to Petoskey, Michigan ever since I can remember and it's just one of those places where I know I can fully relax and just enjoy myself. It was fun vacationing with their family because my cousins and I all get along so well and we laugh and joke the entire time. By this point in the summer I was diligently job hunting and needed some R&R!
In 2009 I decided it was time to get serious about playing golf. I'd dabbled in it for a couple summers but decided now that I was entering the workforce it was time I learned how to play for real. So, I received a set of golf clubs for my birthday, bought an adorable pair of golf shoes and some golf polo shirts, donned a stylish pink and white golf glove, and hit the links! Ask my dad and he will even admit that I play surprisingly well for having just taken up the game! Ha! Can't wait for the weather to turn nice again.

I moved to Washington, DC in September to start my new career in non-profit international humanitarian work. Something I have a real passion for and enjoy doing. My job is stressful at times and rewarding at others, but no matter what I am learning a great deal about responsibility, diplomacy, compromise, and compassion. I do everything from answering phones to meeting with congressmen; the mundane to the unordinary; domestic to international. Hardest part of 2009 was saying goodbye to my parents and sister after they moved me into my first apartment in DC.
I had so much fun in NYC during the summer that I returned in the fall and met a group of girls from Guatemala and Honduras for an exciting weekend vacation. Most of us had never met one another prior to the trip but we had corresponded by email, so it was neat to finally meet. We went salsa dancing downtown NYC and made fun of the "art" in the Modern Museum of Art!
A big event in 2009 was my older brother's wedding. First of my siblings to get married! I was a bridesmaid and loved every minute of being part of their special day. Many joyous and blessed years to Craig and Megan!
As if I hadn't done enough traveling, I rounded out the year with short trips to Baltimore, MD to see Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley in concert, and not too long after that went to Virginia Beach to splash in the ocean.

You know, 2009 probably held the most changes for me out of all the years I can remember. I went from a law student living at home to a career woman living in a big city all in a matter of months; gained a sister-in-law; dated part of the year and had fun being single and hanging out with friends the other part; discovered I HATE sushi; traveled approximately 12,940 miles total for all my trips; moved apartments within 3 months; and learned to trust God more than I ever have and take one day at a time.

2009 had its ups and downs for sure, but I wouldn't trade anything. I live my life with a "no regrets" attitude because it doesn't do any good to lament on the bad; if I spent time doing that I might miss something really good right in front of my face. You can't be afraid to close your eyes and jump every now and again....might work out and it might not but you know what? It doesn't matter. Life is too short to be wasted sitting on the sidelines watching.

So here's to 2010! Carpe diem!