Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

At the beginning of every year, I make an attempt at some New Year's resolutions. I always fail. I didn't write down my resolutions from last year but I had some for 2009. I only got two done. One was pay off my car which I did do in 2009 and the other was finish my graduate certificate at UMUC which wasn't done in 2009 but was done the following year, as you will see below. This year, I'm just writing down what happened in 2010 and what should happen in 2011. I'll leave the rest up to fate and make no resolutions this year.

2010 in review

JANUARY
-signed up for my last class for my graduate certificate in Leadership and Management at University of Maryland University College.

-lost my beautiful, amazing kitten Gambit who was only 9 months old to Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a very deadly disease he most likely had from birth.
-decided to apply to the MSc European Studies programme at University of Edinburgh.

FEBRUARY
-got rejected from the MSc European Studies because my GPA was too low (3.34/3.4 but had a 4.0 graduate record), my undergraduate career didn't fit (spoke to the programme director who'd said it would), and didn't display enough interest (okay, my first essay sucked). I pretty much begged to be reconsidered and was allowed to submit again (aka rewrite my essay which then ROCKED if I do say so myself).

MARCH
-nothing extremely noteworthy that I remember…at some point during the spring I turned down my offers to the MLitt in History at University of Glasgow and to a programme in International Education (even though it was the course I would have loved to have taken) at University of Birmingham because I knew I wanted to go to school at Edinburgh.

APRIL
-finished my graduate class at UMUC.
-got officially accepted to the MSc European Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

MAY
-officially awarded a graduate certificate in Leadership and Management at UMUC.
-started looking for flatmates.
-got accepted to the MSc Gender History at University of Edinburgh, which I turned down.

JUNE
-went to Alaska with my parents!
-applied for my visa.

JULY
-got my visa issued for United Kingdom.
-Along with Bri, went to visit Meg in Ohio (Ireland 2006 reunion!).

AUGUST
-quit working as a graduate student advisor at UMUC after nearly 2 years (my first big world job).
-left for Edinburgh, Scotland.

SEPTEMBER
-moved into my new flat.
-started classes for a Master of Science in European Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

OCTOBER
-turned 24.
-took a trip to Loch Ness and other Highland attractions on Halloween weekend.

NOVEMBER
-My Aunt’s husband, Roland unexpectedly passed away.
-went to Whitley Bay near Newcastle Upon Tyne for Thanksgiving to visit cousin Julie and her husband Andreas.

DECEMBER
-turned in my first paper for my master’s.
-headed home for three weeks for winter break.

looking ahead to 2011

JANUARY
-Semester 2 starts - time to head back to Edinburgh for the longest time I've ever been away from home.
-Holocaust paper due.
-figure out how to file taxes.
-flatmate Caoimh’s birthday.

FEBRUARY
-Dad turns 58.
-friend Mags’ birthday – trip??

MARCH
-Cousin Kelly and Aunt Eileen visiting late February or early March.
-Bri and Meg visiting together at the end.
-classes end and papers due (finish early before friends come and go on break trips).

APRIL
-spring break trip to Greece??

MAY
-Flatmate Sophie’s birthday.
-Mom and Dad come visit.
-possible Aunt Christine, Uncle Livingston, Danielle, and Madison come to visit??

JUNE
-figure out what I’m doing with my life after graduation.
-dissertation.

JULY
-dissertation.

AUGUST
-dissertation due.
-programme officially ends.
-move out of flat at the end of the month.

SEPTEMBER
-Mom turns 58.
-move back home?
-find a job?

OCTOBER
-turn 25 – cheaper car insurance! Quarter of a century!

NOVEMBER
-Have my own place?
-graduation ceremony.

DECEMBER
-Have a master’s degree. Don’t know when awarded?

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