I've always wanted to try one of these and every year am inspired by one of my favorite blogs to read written by one of my OSU colleagues, Catherine. Here we go - my 2015 year in review:
1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?
Tried crossfit, participated in Gazelle Sports Run Camp, coached Girls on the Run, went sailing on Lake Michigan, alumni Dutch Dance, worked as a summer camp counselor, rode a segway and moved to Japan
Tried crossfit, participated in Gazelle Sports Run Camp, coached Girls on the Run, went sailing on Lake Michigan, alumni Dutch Dance, worked as a summer camp counselor, rode a segway and moved to Japan
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't remember if I made resolutions or not but if I did, it was probably something lame like daily flossing and in that case, nope, I didn't keep it. I will make some for 2016, though.
I don't remember if I made resolutions or not but if I did, it was probably something lame like daily flossing and in that case, nope, I didn't keep it. I will make some for 2016, though.
3. For 2016, I would like to:
Focus more on self-care. This past year I took on a bit more than I could handle which caused a lot of sleepless nights and stress. It would be great to have more time to exercise, relax and just slow down in general. I want to take more pictures in Japan and write more about the experience as this is something that I truly enjoy doing and brings me happiness.
4. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Mary and Tracey - both past roommates from college and beyond.
5. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother
6. What countries did you visit?
Japan
7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The last time I saw my grandma she was having a really good day and the nurses let me wheel her outside because the weather was perfect. We sat and soaked up the sun while chatting for the better part of an afternoon. When I brought her back inside I asked if she wanted a wheelie and she laughed and said 'not today.' That was my last moment with her as she passed away not too long after.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting second place in the Citizen Diplomacy Challenge and because of that getting to meet Assistant Secretary of State Ms. Evan Ryan at a private reception in Tokyo.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Getting lost. This is a constant and persistent failure and causes me lots of problems (i.e. #8 above I got lost and arrived thirty minutes late....)
Focus more on self-care. This past year I took on a bit more than I could handle which caused a lot of sleepless nights and stress. It would be great to have more time to exercise, relax and just slow down in general. I want to take more pictures in Japan and write more about the experience as this is something that I truly enjoy doing and brings me happiness.
4. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Mary and Tracey - both past roommates from college and beyond.
5. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother
6. What countries did you visit?
Japan
7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The last time I saw my grandma she was having a really good day and the nurses let me wheel her outside because the weather was perfect. We sat and soaked up the sun while chatting for the better part of an afternoon. When I brought her back inside I asked if she wanted a wheelie and she laughed and said 'not today.' That was my last moment with her as she passed away not too long after.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting second place in the Citizen Diplomacy Challenge and because of that getting to meet Assistant Secretary of State Ms. Evan Ryan at a private reception in Tokyo.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Getting lost. This is a constant and persistent failure and causes me lots of problems (i.e. #8 above I got lost and arrived thirty minutes late....)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I took a really nasty spill off my bike while riding in Tokyo and still have the scars to prove it.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My first smartphone
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband for having the patience to wait months for his work visa and in the meantime do everything else it takes to run a house and a life abroad so I could study
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I took a really nasty spill off my bike while riding in Tokyo and still have the scars to prove it.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My first smartphone
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband for having the patience to wait months for his work visa and in the meantime do everything else it takes to run a house and a life abroad so I could study
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My Japanese university students who are forced to take my English class and as long as they are physically present (even sleeping) I am not allowed to fail them which they know and their behavior follows accordingly.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Traveling (gas, hotels, airline tickets, eating out)
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finding out that I got the internship to Mozambique this summer
Traveling (gas, hotels, airline tickets, eating out)
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finding out that I got the internship to Mozambique this summer
16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
Any one of the 25 camp songs in Portuguese that we were required to sing and dance over and over and over again for the entire summer.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Any one of the 25 camp songs in Portuguese that we were required to sing and dance over and over and over again for the entire summer.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Happier (I love school!)
b) thinner or fatter?
Fatter (I'm studying too much and I need to get out more)
c) richer or poorer?
Richer (Rotary's fellowship is the most generous one that I've ever had)
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Explore Tokyo (saving that for when visitors come... come visit!)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Screw around on social media and compare myself with everyone
20. How will you be spending New Years?
Biking to a nearby temple to watch the celebrations and then staying in with Sean with a meat, cheese and olive plate with a nice bottle of wine
21. Did you fall in love in 2015?
It's weird when in marriage, you just assume that the other person won't ever change, or if they do, it won't be much. But I re-fall in love with Sean all the time for different reasons than I ever have before.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
House of Cards (ahhh!! loved it!! can't wait until the new season is out in February!)
23. What was the best book you read?
I read Little Women and the Joy Luck Club for the first time this year and loved them both.
24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Spotify and Pentatonix
25. What did you want and get?
A new computer (when I took my old black macbook in to the Apple store to see what could be done, the Genius bar guy gathered everyone else around to see it... I still have it and am wondering what to do with it)
26. What did you want and not get?
A job for Sean - we're working on it
27. What was your favorite film of this year?
Inside Out
It's weird when in marriage, you just assume that the other person won't ever change, or if they do, it won't be much. But I re-fall in love with Sean all the time for different reasons than I ever have before.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
House of Cards (ahhh!! loved it!! can't wait until the new season is out in February!)
23. What was the best book you read?
I read Little Women and the Joy Luck Club for the first time this year and loved them both.
24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Spotify and Pentatonix
25. What did you want and get?
A new computer (when I took my old black macbook in to the Apple store to see what could be done, the Genius bar guy gathered everyone else around to see it... I still have it and am wondering what to do with it)
26. What did you want and not get?
A job for Sean - we're working on it
27. What was your favorite film of this year?
Inside Out
28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 34 this year and for my birthday I had a special lunch with Mom, went to get milkshakes with the bookstore crew and then had a Japanese dinner and saw a movie with Sue
I turned 34 this year and for my birthday I had a special lunch with Mom, went to get milkshakes with the bookstore crew and then had a Japanese dinner and saw a movie with Sue
29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
"Athleisure" (stole this from Catherine but it's spot on for me), jeans and flannel shirts, and more suits and dress clothes than I've ever worn in my life
"Athleisure" (stole this from Catherine but it's spot on for me), jeans and flannel shirts, and more suits and dress clothes than I've ever worn in my life
30. What kept you sane?
Dark chocolate, heating pad, icy hot, down bootie slippers, care packages from home, coffee and the new Google Translate app (it's amazing - you just take a picture of Japanese on your phone, trace over the words you want to know with your finger and then you get a rough approximation of the meaning)
31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jimmy Fallon (I loved his tiny concerts with classroom instruments)
32. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay marriage, Black Lives Matter, current presidential campaign (try being an American abroad and having EVERYONE want to talk to you about Trump...)
33. Who did you miss?
My friends and family from home
34. Who was the best new person you met?
Maddie, a feisty Australian journalist and former UN worker who is also a Peace Fellow - she challenges me to be a better person
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015:
Dark chocolate, heating pad, icy hot, down bootie slippers, care packages from home, coffee and the new Google Translate app (it's amazing - you just take a picture of Japanese on your phone, trace over the words you want to know with your finger and then you get a rough approximation of the meaning)
31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jimmy Fallon (I loved his tiny concerts with classroom instruments)
32. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay marriage, Black Lives Matter, current presidential campaign (try being an American abroad and having EVERYONE want to talk to you about Trump...)
33. Who did you miss?
My friends and family from home
34. Who was the best new person you met?
Maddie, a feisty Australian journalist and former UN worker who is also a Peace Fellow - she challenges me to be a better person
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015:
It's extremely difficult and humbling to learn a new language and it sucks making mistakes in front of groups of people - this is important to remember as a language teacher myself
36. Quote a song that sums up your year:
36. Quote a song that sums up your year:
"Making banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend" (Jack Johnson) because I love to romanticize things in my head. We actually tried doing this and I found out that banana pancakes are disgusting in real life.
This was really fun to read! Keep enjoying the journey and sharing snippets along the way. Very fun!
Hey Sarah ... my friend from Changzhou (if i may call you that way haha) who took care of "my" four cats when i had to leave ^^ a very valuable lesson, that you just explained about learning a language being humbling and difficult just matches my experience learning Arabic for two years and sth now ... would like to share with you some things if you have time to chat on facebook some day ^^ wish u all the best, greets to Sean ! Best, Satu (Xiao Li)