Reflections on 2011

I was thrilled to see 2010 go.  I could not get to 2011 fast enough.  If you are a long time reader, you know the trials and tribulations I faced in 2010, the rollercoaster year.  If you are not a long time reader, feel free to check out my original 2 posts on this blog … they will explain a lot. 

Anyway, back to the point.  I eagerly awaited NYE and 12:01 am, January 1, 2011.  As far as I was concerned 2011 had to be a better year than 2010 … there was nowhere to go but up.  Originally when I sat to write this post, I thought I would write about how 2011 was a stabilizing year, allowing me to recover from the challenges of 2010, and in a sense it was.  I thought I would write about how 2011 was nothing special, not sad to see it go not ready to push through to 2012. It was just another year.

But as I started thinking about all of the stuff that happened, all of the places I went to, all of the people I met, and all of the things I did in 2011, I have to admit it was a pretty special year.  Let’s start at the beginning.  This will be a recap of a lot of things that are more detailed in earlier posts, but I hope you still find it enjoyable, and maybe learn about a few new things!  :)

January 2011 I was in recovery mode.  Still extremely fatigued from mono I struggled to stay wake during the days.  I often slept in late, took naps, and went to bed early.  I had signed up to take the Colorado bar exam in February and was desperate to find motivation to actually study for it.  Fortunately a good friend of mine was taking the Hawaii bar exam in February, and he would consistently encourage me to keep (or perhaps start would be a better word) studying.  He would call me to ask what I had worked on that day and what my plan was going forward.  I thought at first he was just trying to get an idea of what he needed to be doing.  I realized later, this was much my for my benefit than his, and I am eternally grateful.  I am not going to mention him by name as I have tried to keep things at least a bit confidential, but I am confident he knows who he is (and some of you probably know too), and I hope he knows how thankful I am for his continued encouragement.

February blew by, as I finally got some more energy and motivation to study … fear is a great motivator.  Knowing how much I studied for my first bar exam in California, I was pretty much convinced that I was not going to pass the exam in Colorado.  I had studied nearly 16 hours a day for the California exam 6 months earlier.  I was averaging about 2 hours of studying a day on my good days this time around.  I told everyone that I hoped I would pass, but would not be surprised if I did not.  I flew to Colorado for the very first time in February, and stayed with my friend’s mom (the same friend who was taking the exam in Hawaii).  I took the 2 days exam and felt decent about it, but was still not going to be surprised if I didn’t pass.  Disappointed yes, surprised no.  My trip to Colorado was great and I was determined to go back for a visit regardless of what happened with my exam.

March was a life changing month.  I came back from Colorado and immediately found myself in a funk.  No longer did I have the distraction of studying, which even though I did not do much of, gave me the illusion of having a busy schedule.  I couldn’t do things … I had to study!  Well, that was no more, and I felt the deep void in my life.  The first 2 weeks of March I lazed around the house trying to think of things to occupy my time.  I was soooo bored.  As I was getting dressed one day, I noticed having difficulty fitting into my once rather loose clothing.  I looked in the mirror and truly saw how much weight I had gained what with studying for the bar, getting mono, and a whole host of other things going on in my life.  I should not look like this at 25 (or ever!) I thought.  Something needed to change.

On March 15, 2011 I joined Fitness 19, a no frills gym close to my house with a very low enrollment fee and unbeatable monthly prices.  At this point I was still holding tight to my previous life in Orange County and was bound and determined to get back down there as soon as humanly possible, so the low commitment was want I craved.  Upon joining I met with a trainer, Adam, for a free body fitness test, ended up purchasing a few training sessions, and the rest is pretty much history.  If you want to read about my fitness journey (and I encourage you to do so) please see my prior posts.  But basically, Adam changed my life.  I started losing weight immediately and feeling so much better.

April was a bit of a slow month, nothing really to report.  I did start seeing a nutritionist in April, which definitely helped my weightloss results, but other than that, it was just a month of getting into a routine of working out every day, and constantly searching for a job.  I did have a few interviews with Apple in April and in May too, but that did not pan out so well.

May was exciting because I had 2 trips to Orange County planned.  The first trip was for my best friend’s (and her husband) graduation from law school; the second was for the celebratory party the following weekend.  It felt good to be back in Orange County, back with my friends, back in the life I had left behind nearly 6 months before.  But there was something new, as excited as I was to get to Orange County, I was also anxious to get back to the bay area and continue my training regimen.  I was seeing results and was determined to continue down the path I was on.  I also found out my bar results in May – I am happy to say that I did in fact pass the Colorado Bar despite my lack of studying.

June brought with it my sister’s graduation from college ... yes, college.  Believe me, this really made me feel old.  We spent a week in Orange County and I finally got the opportunity to see all of the people I had missed the last several months.  June also was the introduction of double days to my fitness routine … this took some getting used to.

I spent Fourth of July weekend in Orange County.  I was asked to be the day of coordinator for my best friend’s sister’s wedding.  It was an absolute blast.  I had a great time doing the organizing and set-up (despite a few initial hiccups).  The last weekend in July I spent in Santa Barbara for a friend’s bachelorette party.  We had so much fun wine tasting, laughing, and reminiscing. 

August was not such a great month.  My birthday was the very first I had spent in the bay area for a number of years.  I usually arranged a big dinner with all of my friends, but since they all lived 400 miles away, it was a bit difficult.  I thought about my grandpa a lot that day, and how he would always call to wish me happy birthday, but that year the phone call would not come.  My disappointing birthday was followed by a disastrous trip to Lake Tahoe.  I could not wait for September to get here.

Labor day weekend was celebrated at a friend’s wedding in Temecula.  It was held at a winery and was as gorgeous as it was fun.  The majority of September was spent planning trips as I was asked to do recruiting for Chapman University School of Law.  The last weekend in September we went up to my grandparent’s cabin and I really got a feel for my new level of fitness – my sister and I hiked all the way around the lake.  I never would have even considered this in the past, and now I was actually excited about it … and after it was done I wanted to do it again (though not immediately)!

October was all about travel.  I spent every weekend out of town.  First was Chicago, which I loved.  Second was New York and Massachusetts where I adored seeing all the fall foliage.  Miami came next and a little beach time did me well and brought some color to my skin.  The last weekend in October I flew to Denver to be sworn in to the bar; the ceremony was a little lackluster, but the trip was fantastic!  Throughout the month of October I was fortunate enough to be granted a couple of interviews for positions I was interested in, one in particular was the Director of Admissions and Marketing of an online law school.  When I was in Denver I was offered the position.

November started with me accepting my new job.  In fact, I signed the paperwork on November 1.  I was ecstatic, and it made my upcoming trip to Orange County that much more exciting, because I could share my good news with everyone.  After my trip, I started work.  There was (and is) a huge learning curve, but I am loving the challenge, and really enjoying the people I work with and the work that I am doing, even though it is not exactly what I thought I would be doing.  While November was great in some respects, I also hit a plateau on my fitness goals.  I lost absolutely nothing the entire month of November (and the first week of December too) and I was extremely frustrated, especially since I was following my nutrition and still doing double days.

December rounded out the year on a bit of the flat note … nothing too exciting (which might be a good thing actually. I changed up my nutrition and Adam started pushing me a little harder in training.  I finally broke the plateau and dropped 8lbs the last 3 weeks in December bringing my weightloss total for the year up to a nice even 70lbs!  Yep, I LOST 70LBS in 2011!!

Even as I read this now, I am not seeing anything overly exciting, but let me put it in more simple terms and I am sure you will agree that 2011 was a pretty good year.

• I took and passed the Colorado Bar.
• I met Adam (my life changing trainer).
• I went to my best friend’s and sister’s graduations.
• I went to 2 weddings (one of which I helped coordinate).
• I traveled to 5 different states.
• I got a job as the Director of Admissions and Marketing at St. Francis School of Law.
• I lost 70lbs.

And now, I get to spend the final day of 2011 in Orange County with my best friend.  I could not ask for a better ending.  After realizing the impact of 2011 had on my life, I must admit I am sad to see it go, but I am excited for what 2012 holds.  Letting go of the past and looking toward the future takes gumption.

Write on Wednesday: I Remember ...

For the Christmas Season, WoW is having an open link, meaning I might have time to catch up on some of the past prompts that I have missed!  I randomly starting with this one because it caught my eye.  I din't even think of what I was going to write ... it just started flowing almost faster than I could type it out.

Write On Wednesdays Exercise 3 - I remember: Write "I remember" at the top of your page. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Use "I remember" as your prompt and write down the first words that come into your head for 5 minutes. Stop when the buzzer rings! Do this exercise over and over if you wish. I will try to do it every morning this week. I'll let you know how I go...I am hoping that the thought of having to tell you all about my progress will be the motivation I need to keep at it!

I remember … only bits and pieces of my former life now.  It has not been so long since I have lived in it, just over a year, and yet it seems like forever ago.  For months I held on so tightly that I thought I was going to snap.  I refused to let go, to be fully ripped from a life I loved and thrown into one I had long ago out grown.  As time passed though it got harder and harder to hold on to the life I loved.  My grip was slipping as days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and now months into a year.  I often wonder where I would have ended up in that life, the life I loved, the life I had planned down to every detail. 

This was definitely therapeutic ... may have to expand on it in the future.  Expressing your feelings so openly takes gumption!

Motivation Monday: Invest in Yourself

Although Chinese food is typically not on my nutrition plan, I make a few exceptions once in a while.  I just cannot resist those fortune cookies!  I recently treated myself to a fortune cookie and was please by what I found inside.  The fortune in the cookie read:

“The best investment you can make is in yourself!”

This is so true in so many ways.  Over the last year I have learned that I need make sure that I come first in my life at least part of the time.  I have made time to workout on a consistent (some would say crazy) schedule to improve my physical health.  I have made time to read for pleasure and not just for work to improve my mental health.  I have made time to take yoga classes for my spiritual, mental, and physical health combined.  I have made time to try new things (like going to the Dickens Fair – forthcoming post on that) and stay in touch with friends.

I have invested in different areas of my life and I am definitely seeing a return – in the form of happiness!  Make an investment in yourself … you won’t regret it!

Waiving the White Flag

As you may remember, the month of November was NANOWRIMO … aka National Novel Writing Month.  I decided to participate this year.  I was super energized and excited to begin my novel.  With my wide open schedule, I thought I would have plenty of time to knock out a 50,000 word novel.  Hell, I might even finish early I thought!  I was so wrong.

The couple days of NaNo started out alright.  I wrote the requisite 1,700 words each of the first three days.  I was on a total roll and things were flowing pretty nicely.  It was all downhill from there.

The first weekend in November I found myself driving down to Orange County for the weekend.  This was a pre-arranged trip, but I figured I would find the time to write during the day while friends were at work, or on the 8-hour car trip (each way), or at night.  Well, I didn’t.  My schedule was so crammed with seeing people that I barely had a moment to breathe let alone write 1,700 words a day!  And on top of it, when I sat down to write, nothing flowed from my finger tips as it had been the first few days. 

I found myself contemplating a story change despite repeated encouraging emails to not change the topic once you already committed a couple thousand words … it would just make it that much harder.  I decided to stick with the story, and tried to do some brainstorming since I could not find my writing voice.  I came up with a couple of good ideas and was energized to start writing again as soon as my trip was over.

Enter the new job.  I started my new job on Wednesday Nov. 9, 2011.  Already a few days behind in writing, this added “task” in my schedule threw a huge wrench into things.  My once wide open, free schedule was now … well … booked!  I found myself waking up at 5 to make it to the gym by 6 and home by 7 so I could leave for work by 8.  I worked until 6 or 7 at night and headed back to the gym for round 2.  By the time I got home around 9 I was beat.  It took all my energy just to brush my teeth before I crashed!  Needless to say, no writing got done that week, but I was hopefully that the weekend would give me at least 16 hours of writing solitude.

Wrong again.  The weekend was crammed with all of the stuff I could not get done during the week … phone calls, paying bills, trips to the post office, going to the bank, grocery shopping.  Plus I wanted to have a little fun too, it was the weekend after all! 

Thus, I found myself halfway through November with only about 5,000 words written.  (Note: for the mathematically challenged, you should have about 25,000 words halfway through November … I had 1/5 of that amount.)  I succumbed to my busy schedule, made the decision that for now my desire to write a novel must take a back seat to my new job and my continuation of my developing fitness.  It was a hard decision to make, but something had to be sacrificed for my sanity. 

I still want to write a novel.  I have for a long time, and I will forever want to until I actually complete it, but this year it just did not happen.  NaNoWriMo definitely opened my eyes to the novel writing process though.  It taught me just how difficult it is to write, even when I love doing it.  It is still a challenge.  So when you look at all those books on your bookshelf, know that a ridiculous amount of work went into each one. 

Sometimes, waiving the white flag of surrender takes gumption.

Be Thankful

Thanksgiving is a time for feasting and football, family and fun.  But it is also a time to reflect on what we have and to appreciate the people in our lives.  I have a lot to be thankful for this year.  I have met people who have changed my life.  I have deepened my relationships with my family and friends.  I have been provided with the necessities of life (shelter, water, food, heat).  I have continued my education.  I have been fortunate enough to find a job in these difficult times. 

In addition to keeping a blog, I keep a personal journal (handwritten and only for my eyes).  On occasion I go back and read my entries.  This year has been filled with ups and downs. 

On the negative side: I was really sick.  I lost a loved one.  I was for most of the year unemployed.  I moved away from my closest friends and back into my childhood home.  It was a trying time.

But there were good things too:  I got to spend more time with my family.  I got to reconnect with friends in the bay area.  I got to travel.  I got to spend time on myself and my own health.  I got to do volunteer work. 

You have to take the good with the bad, the happy with the sad.  Sometimes it seems like the bad times will last forever, believe me I have been there, and I have the journal entries to prove it! 

Being thankful takes gumption.

Motivation Monday: Aim High

It seems as though on most of my trips this past October I have found a little inspiration.  My trip to Massachusetts was no exception.  As I walked around the cute little town of Williamstown, I delighted in the fall foliage and classic New England style buildings (as you know if you read the posting on 10/29/11 entitled Fall Foliage).

During my walks I encountered this beautiful stone stairway with columns flanking the entrance.  On the column to the left of the stairway was a quotation:

“Climb High, Climb Far, Your Goal the Sky, Your Aim the Stars.”

I thought this statement was perfect for the college campus, as it provides continued encouragement to students who probably walk past it every single day.  Although most of us do not have the pleasure of walking by this gorgeous and inspirational column everyday, or even most days, maybe a picture reminder with suffice. 

If you are able to say this to yourself, once a day, once a week, or maybe even just once a month, it might help just a little bit to keep you on track toward your goals.

Aiming high takes gumption!

Catch More Flies

Most people, including myself have heard the saying “you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar” and while I am not sure the saying is correct when actually dealing with flies, the point is easily understood – a sweet disposition and positive attitude will get you farther than a sour disposition or negative attitude.  I have found this to be 100% true.

On my recent trip to Miami I found myself in a good mood (I think it was the sun) and I was smiling a lot.  I said “hi” to people first, I ask people how their day was going, I held doors for people, I made an extra effort to say “please” “thank you” and “you’re welcome.”  I did not complain about things and I pretty much had a relaxed go with the flow attitude.  This definitely played in my favor. 

First, it started at SFO where I volunteered to take a later flight.  I put on a big smile and told the lady at the desk I was interested in abandoning my seat but would like some information on the alternative flights.  I asked about departure and arrival times and about a million other questions.  When I was through I thanked her profusely for looking everything up for me and told her I would be happy to switch flights.  When it came time to arrange my new flight, she made the extra effort to get me a good seat on the plane (the exact seat I had on my original flight – the most coveted window seat!)

When I got to the Hyatt Regency in Miami, the room I had requested (a King) was not available.  I was kind of disappointed, but did not complain or throw a fit or anything else.  I simply said ok, and asked what was available.  The agent said there was only a room with 2 doubles or I could be upgraded to a suite.  I did not want to pay extra for the suite, so I smiled and told her I would take the room with 2 doubles.  She apologized for the inconvenience.  I told her it was no big deal (I really did not need a King bed anyway … I barely move when I sleep!).  She told me she wanted to give me something to apologize for the inconvenience and offered me a couple of drink vouchers.  I declined the offer telling her I was not planning on drinking because I was a bit under the weather.  She then insisted that I take a voucher for brunch at the hotel restaurant, which I gladly accepted. 

I ate dinner at the hotel restaurant both nights I was in Miami, mostly because I was too tired to do anything else, and being a female alone, I did not feel all that safe venturing out into the city at night.  Both nights I had exceptional service and both nights I ended up getting a dessert comped.  The first night I spent over 2 hours in the restaurant.  I ate slow, but that did not account for the entire time.  After I finished my fajitas I decided to order dessert (a warm chocolate chip cookie with ice cream).  It took absolutely forever for the dessert to come, but I did not complain … I really had nothing else to do, so I just sat in the restaurant working on some materials for an upcoming interview.  When the dessert finally came I smiled at the waiter and thanked him for bringing it.  He apologized profusely for it taking so long and refused to add it to my bill. 

The next night, I ordered the paella with chicken and shrimp.  As I mixed up the dish I noticed that a few of the shrimp were not properly cleaned.  I picked out these pieces and set them aside.  The waiter came by and asked if I did not like the shrimp and offered to have the chef make me something else.  I told him that I loved the shrimp, but that the pieces I picked out were not cleaned all the way and I did not want to eat them.  He immediately took them back to the kitchen.  He came back to the table and offered me a glass of sangria or another drink, but I told him that was unnecessary.  I ordered dessert again that night, and again the waiter took it off my bill.  I tipped him very well (as I had done with the waiter the night before) and thanked him for the dessert. 

The next morning, I found myself back at the restaurant to redeem the voucher I had been given for brunch.  My waiter from the night before was on shift again.  He made sure to seat me in his section at a table with a view.  He gave me excellent service (my glass was not empty once) and he even made pleasant conversation with me about what to see and do in the city.  Being pleasant the night before had paid dividends both that night and now the next morning. 

When I was checking out of my hotel in Miami, I made the effort to thank the front desk agents for the service at the hotel.  I complimented the restaurant and how they had handled my stay.  He was glad to hear that I had a pleasant time and asked if there was anything else they could do for me.  I told him I was going to be waiting around in the hotel for a bit and wondered if there was any way to get internet access.  He immediately provided me with a code for free access.  Then an hour or so later he walked up to me in the lobby and wanted to make sure that the code had worked and that I had everything I needed.

I understand that a hotel is supposed to be hospitable, and that some hotels are better than others, but I also believe that the customer’s disposition plays a huge part in how people act and react.  Had I been rude about my flight being full or oversold or ungrateful for the amount of time the airline agent spent answering my questions I probably would not have gotten a good seat on the next flight.  If I had thrown a fit about the room I likely would have gotten a bad room with no view and may not have received a voucher.  If I complained about the wait for dessert, I likely would have paid for it and only received an apology.  If I had sent back my food, it probably would have come back with spit in it and I doubt I would have received a comped dessert or such great service the following morning.  If I had not thanked the hotel for their efforts I doubt they would have given me free internet access.   

Sometimes it is very difficult to keep a cool head and a pleasant disposition, especially when things do not go as planned or the way you want, but if you can be nice about issues and try to stay positive, it will certainly pay off.

Staying positive and cheery in less than desirable situations takes gumption!

Fanciful Friday: Candy Thank Yous

Back at the beginning of the summer I was babysitting for a family I have known for years.  I not only babysit for this family, but I have done Christmas wrapping for them, run errands, worked on the wife’s business, and done a variety of other tasks that fit into the “jack of all trades” category. 

I was asked to help out on another project.  The wife does a lot of work for the school district, specifically a lot of fundraising.  Her team raised a couple MILLION dollars for the school district and she wanted to thank them for their hard work.  She came up with this idea to have cocktail glasses filled with candy as a thank you gift.  She suggested using jelly beans and creating a margarita, pink champagne, and daiquiri using various colors.  It was my job to execute this idea.

First I went to Diddum and bought the glasses – plastic margarita glasses as small as I could find.  Then I had to find the jelly beans.  I went to a couple place and could not find the right colors.  Finally I went to Powell Street Candy where I found all the jelly beans I wanted in all the right colors.  I bought a couple pounds of cotton candy (pink), cherry (red), lime (green), and coconut (white).  I filled a third of the cups with green, a third of the cups with red and a third of the cups with pink.  On the green sups I added white to the top to make them look like margaritas.  The red cups got a sprinkling of pink to make them look like daiquiris.  The pink cups got a few white beans to represent the bubbles in the pink champagne. 

After filling the cups, I carefully wrapped each one with saran wrap over the top to prevent the beans from falling out.  I then tied a matching ribbon around the base of the glass to keep the saran wrap in place.

Now that the cups were done, there was something missing.  Every good drink needs a good swizzle stick.  While I was at the candy store I had seen these sticks of liquid candy (like honey sticks that you can get at the fair).  I bought several in green apple (green), cherry (red) and honey (a champagne color).  I cut a tiny slit in the top of the saran wrap and inserted the candy straws into the cups.

After assembly was done we added stickers to the bottom that said thank you and the presents were good to go.  From what I heard they were quite a hit!

 Creating something from someone else's idea takes gumption!

Motivation Monday: Heart Leads Head

I am a big reader, and recently I have been reading James Patterson’s Alex Cross Series.  I have read his Women’s Murder Club Series, and I find both easy and enjoyable to read and certainly recommend them. 

I am about 5 or 6 books into the Alex Cross series, and in the last 2 books or so, the main character Alex Cross repeats a mantra that he has “Heart Leads Head.”  I found this to be quite interesting, and have had a chance to mull it over a bit.  

I consider myself an analytical thinker.  I collect excessive information, organize the information in a variety of ways and then compare and contrast as long as possible before typically coming to a decision, and yet a good 9 times out of 10, that decision is what my heart told me to do in the first place.  I have also noticed that the few times that I have let me head lead, it has lead me a bit astray. 

While my work must be driven by my analytical mind and the research is necessary to an evidenced outcome, the same is not the case with my personal life.  I know I have millions, if not billions more decisions to make in my life, and I think it is time for me to implement Heart Leads Head, at least for a little while.  Who knows, maybe it will be the worst things ever and I will have to revert back to making research driven decisions, but maybe, just maybe it will make me happier to do what I want to do instead of what I think I should do.

It takes gumption to let your heart lead your head … but here goes nothing!