Fresh Start for 2012

I'm back!!  No good reason for my absence besides general winter malaise and laziness.  Sorry, folks.  I'm gonna be better in 2012!

Winter is cold, dark, grey, and sometimes rainy here in the UK which is a recipe for general blah-ness.  I wake up and it's dark and when I leave work it's dark again.   Thank God for windows at my office or I'd get no sun!  I turned to the husband today and said with desperation, "is it Spring yet?!?!"

Even so, I do like the idea of January--the new year.  A chance to make changes you were too scared or lazy to do just months before.  A perfect opportunity to leave the regrets and bad memories of the previous year behind you in the dust.  A time to reflect on all the positive memories and achievements you've made but were too busy keeping up with life to notice at the time.

2011 was a crazy year!  I started 2011 in Worthing (visiting Kieran and his family last Christmas) with Kieran and our UK friends ended it just the same, but perhaps a bit drunker this year.  In between I . . .

• Went to an amazing gig I always wanted to (DC101 Kegs & Eggs 12)
• Planned a wedding
• Married my dream man--the Ken to my Barbie...except not as skinny and wearing sweatpants
• Sold and/or gave away all my possessions except for 2 suitcases and a box
• Said painful goodbyes to the people I loved the most and to the place where I grew up
• Immigrated to a new country
• Lived in my first place in the UK...and then moved 6 months later with all our new (and heavy) possessions.  FML
• Adapted to driving on the left side of the road (not quite ready for manual cars yet, though)
• Came back to DC in November and had the best Thanksgiving I've had in years!
• Despite challenges early on, found success with new and exciting career opportunities
• Made new friends and nurtured relationships with old friends
• Fell in love with being a wife, with a country, and with my new sense of "normal"

The other day I was Skyping with my mom and she said, "people always ask me how you like living in another country and I never know what to tell them."  Sometimes I forget I'm living in a different country when I'm concentrating on boring things like work, domestic stuff, bills, etc.  I guess that must mean I'm settling in better than I thought I would!  

It's been a wild and mostly cheerful 12 months (though I admit I've had a few pity parties where I'm the only attendee) and I've learned a lot about myself and my ability to adapt to new things. I'm really excited to see what 2012 has in store for us!  There's already a few items on the agenda, including a Caribbean wedding (and belated honeymoon!), Passover and Thanksgiving in DC, a new job for me, and at least 2 other weddings to be scheduled.

Yesterday also marked 9 months since we got married--hard to believe!  We also finally received our professional wedding pictures today!  It makes me smile to look at the pictures, it was such a happy day with everyone we love around us.  I think we clean up nice, eh?

 

I have to go, The Grudge is on TV and Kieran has turned out the lights and making scary sounds to freak me out.  Ohhh just a normal weeknight at home! <3

Thanks for your patience as I prepared my re-entry to the blogosphere.  Hope you'll continue to check my blog for 2012 updates.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year to come!  What are your wishes for 2012?

Amanda