this past year

2010 was more of the most notable years I've had to date. Mostly, I moved a lot and spent way too much time digging through boxes. But I consciously made the decisions I did and I stick by them. I do hope there's a bit more stability in 2011, though.

Here's 2010 in review with pictures from each month.

January
I got back to the UK just before New Years, and my American roommate and I spent the holiday with some great friends in Sheffield, England.

While we were there, besides freezing (because Steph and I are both from Florida), we got to see the Peak District, York and lots of countryside. Then it was back to work in London.












February

For my birthday in February I got an awesome package from my friend, Hannah, a teacher living in Taiwan.

January and February, and even into March blend together in my memory. They were dark, cold, and short days. The outside was so cold but when underground on the tube it was hot with all the people.






March
We climbed the Fire Monument. I'd been planning to go up the monument for a while and one day we just did it.

My favorite part of being in London was just roaming the streets. The monument is right over London Bridge on the north side of the Thames. Of course, they give you a certificate for climbing all the stairs to the top.

Before I went to London, I didn't know they had a massive fire in 1666.








April
I finally understand why in books and movies people love to rave about spring. I was so glad to see color and blue skies again, even if it was still cold.

In April, I did a lot of exploring on my own around the city.






May
We went to see a play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. If I had remembered my Shakespeare, I would have remembered how gory Macbeth is but it was fun all the same.

If you are willing to stand for the performance, you can get five pound tickets.






June
I think June was my happiest month in London. It got warm and sunny. I got a nice sunburn in Greenwich Park the first Saturday we had great weather.

In good weather, everyone comes out to lie in the sun and have picnics. It gets really crowded and you have to claim a spot of ground. It's like the beach.

I finally felt comfortable with the city and how to navigate around my favorite places... I actually had favorite places. I had found some good friends outside our little team, and there was weekly frisbee at the park.






July
July was a little more manic but cool. We had good, even hot, weather.

At the end of the month, Steph and I went to Nice.We had been planning this trip for a while. With all of Europe so close by, it was hard to decide where to go. My only stipulation was it had to be on the Mediterranean.So we went to Nice and I saw the Mediterranean for the first time!

Then one of our teammates got married. She let me make the cake - such a scary job- and she asked me to be a bridesmaid.

July was also really scary though because I was getting ready to leave some great people and a nice situation and I wasn't sure what I was going to come back to in the US.






August
In August, I travelled all over. But I was mostly in Florida.

I counted- 4 different cities in August, 9 different hosts - 7 days was my longest stay in one place. 2 weddings.

I was job searching. My friend Kristi was getting ready to go to Norway. At the end of the month, I left Florida, my home area, and went to Maryland.






September
I got offered a job in Maryland and decided to go for it. Instead of going back to the familiar Florida, I decided to take the challenge and relocate. I took the job. Besides my family, I knew no one. I spent a lot of time on skype and the phone with friends.






October
Nothing says diversion like a sibling getting married. My older brother got married to this wonderful girl. We all went down to Florida for the event.

For me, it was awesome to be back in my home state, feel the warm sun. But especially to see friends, some I hadn't seen since before London.





November
Really cold and working hard at settling into a new job. I had to get warmer shoes, especially since I had to paperclip-rig them.







December
Two of the best times I had in the fall was when I had friends come up to DC. I went down to the city twice for the weekend to see old friends from Orlando.