Top 10 of 2010

In no particular order...

RODEO. Oh my gosh. I know it's terribly cliche to be from Texas and love the Houston Rodeo as much as I do... but good grief. It is amazing. So much so that I would consider flying home for a weekend. A 9-hour flight - each way - for 36 hours of amazing. The only downside is that Rodeo 2010 is the reason I now drink coffee. I could barely keep my eyes open all month while I was teaching, and my friend Craig across the hall made the best coffee. After it was over, TAKS was around the corner - equally as exhausting, certainly not nearly as fun - so the coffee just kept coming. Rodeo, oh sweet Rodeo. You take all my money... but you give me Crown, so we stay friends. You will be sorely missed this year. With only Oktoberfest to take my mind off the pain of missing you, I'll do my best to get through the year without you. Drinking and dancing and Chute club and Crown and concerts and runaway bulls and late-night slide races and pot-bellied pigs and shopping and scandal... I hope I can make it though March without too much jealousy this year, because you might possibly be the highlight of my 2010...

WEDDINGS. All FABULOUS and all great memories!!

Garrett & Heather.

Jamie & Garrett.

Catherine & Jon.

Diana & Mike.

SANDCASTLE. On the last day of school with my fabulous CLIS girls - whom I miss dearly. And will laugh as hard as I am now when they also remember the peep-show photo shoot! ;)

MIAMI. My friend Catherine planned her Bachelorette Weekend in Miami in May, and it was fabulous in every sense of the word! I had so much fun, and I am so glad I was able to make the trip!! Except for the scar on my leg - story known only to the few close, personal friends ;) - I made it out alive! The hotel view. The free booze at the VIP table. The dance class (and practicing). The dinner and dancing on top of the table. OPA!!!

FOURTH OF JULY. The Elite Eight. Enough said.

OKTOBERFEST. One twelve hour day trip to Munich is enough explanation. 5am train to booze? Yes, please!

TRAVELING. Rothenburg, Germany. Fussen, Germany (Neuschwanstein Castle). Alvor, Portugal. Vienna, Austria. All in two months. I love Europe.

SNOW DAY. Okay. Not actually "the" snow day when school was cancelled - although, having the last day of work in 2010 on account of snow was kind of nice - but the first day it actually snowed while living in Germany. I had just gotten back from my vacation in Portugal (where I swam in the ocean), and there was snow on the ground. Quite the weather-shock. The next day at school, when it started snowing again, I found myself almost more distracted than the kids as I stared out the windows in the back of my classroom. At break, I bundled up, and looked just as ridiculous as the children walking around in the falling snow and grinning. It was a peaceful happy. A little-kid happy. The best happy.

FAMILY. My parents came to visit me. I got to go to Wisconsin to see my cousins and aunt and uncle on my dad's side. I saw all my mom's family at my cousin's wedding. I only wish there was more time and more money to have made it to Wyoming to see the rest of my family. I absolutely love my family. Love. Love. Love.

MOVING. Moving to Germany is the first truly selfish, ME choice I can remember making in a long time. Although my mind was made up move by the end 2009, I didn't know where I was headed until after the job fair in February 2010. The months between Tuesday, February 9 and Thursday, July 29 were some of the most excited and most stressful days I have ever experienced. They were not, however, terrifying days - which tells me this is right. Being where I am now is the best decision 2010 allowed me to make. Although I miss my friends and family every day, I love the life I am experiencing here, and I can't imagine what I would be doing if I had not made this move.

"Give up the life you planned. Find the life that's waiting for you."

So long, 2010. Let's see what 2011 has to offer..................................