Obligatory Reflection

Of course, you can’t end the year without some sort of reflection on the previous 12 months. I gotta say that 2012 has been a supremely weird year. Some great things have happened to me this year, but I’ve also had some terrible experiences as well. And I know some of my friends have had an especially rough year. I don’t know if we’re all just hyper aware now or what, but 2012 did really seem to want to put some people through the ringer.

The year started with me still teaching middle school under the leadership of an administration I couldn’t stand. By the beginning of the year, I knew I wouldn’t be coming back whether they wanted me to or not. I loved my kids, even when they drove me nuts, but that school was not the place for me. I still miss certain parts though. I had some great coworkers and some truly entertaining students. I’m hoping to go back for a visit in the next couple months. It was also around this time that I knew I was going back to school. I’m a nerd. I LOVE school, and I always knew that grad school was on the horizon. I’ve written so many pages this semester that I can’t even begin to give a guess on a number. Still, I’m pretty happy with my decision. Being in grad school has opened my eyes to some new possibilities and I’m really looking forward to my future schooling.  (I’m still freaked out by the word dissertation though)

I really got back into blogging this year. I had a livejournal for several years that was mostly personal, and I’d tried my hand at blogging in the last few years, but I was never really able to commit as much as I have this year. Granted, I still go long stretches without updating, but I blame school and the neverending stack of essays to grade lol. Ultimately, I’d like to get into some sort of regular update schedule. Maybe I can make that work in 2013.

The disregard of Black life, especially Black boys’ lives, became glaringly apparent this year. From Trayvon Martin to Jordan Davis and everyone else in between, young Black men were killed for simply existing. This post racial paradise that some want to think we live in simply does not exist, and while people are pretending, others are dying. Additionally, that’s not even taking into account the various mass shootings that occurred this year. I thought about posting my feelings on gun control after the Newtown shooting, but I could never get the words out right. I will say this though, I grew up around guns and gun violence. The presence of a gun has never ever made me feel safe. This idea that giving everyone a gun will make things better makes me sick.

Over the summer, I spent a lot of time try to be healthier in my eating habits and it worked out for a while. But school kind of impeded my progress. I’m going to try to readjust a bit in 2013 and work out a better schedule so I can get more healthy foods in along with more exercise. I’m not especially looking to be skinny, but dropping even just like 50 pounds would make me feel awesome.

There was some truly awesome entertainment this year with the best I think being The Avengers. I’m a nerd, and while I haven’t read all of the comics, I’ve watched a lot of superhero tv shows and movies. The Avengers is one of the best of all time, and I don’t even want to think of what types of comparisons people will make when the inevitable sequel rolls around.  Also, I developed a deep love (read: obsession) for Pretty Little Liars. I started watching the show on Netflix one night and proceeded to watch all of the episodes within a week or two. The new episodes start soon and I’m super excited. Speaking of tv, I can’t let the post go by without mentioning my favorite show of the year: Scandal. Listen, if you’re not watching Scandal and you like shows with drama, mystery, suspense, occasional sex, occasional violence and constant backstabbing, then this is the show for you. Shonda Rhimes is awesome.

In addition to being a student/teacher, I also work in the campus bookstore. I only work there during breaks, but they did ask me to stay on for the semester. Ultimately, I decided I couldn’t do it, but I’m glad I’m doing a good enough job for them to want me to stay. I’ve been trying to get a job in a bookstore for several years, but I never managed to get hired. I dig my coworkers, and even though boxes of books can be evil at times, it’s still a good time. I also love helping people, even with something as simple as finding their books.

The Olympics happened this year, and even though I’ve watched in the past, I never watched as intently as I did this year. In the past, I only watched certain events, but I watched some of pretty much everything this year. Of course, the highlights for me were goofy ass Ryan Lochte and the Fab Five. In my regular life, I have no interest in gymnastics, but watching those girls this summer was awesome. Gabby is adorable and McKayla wins at life.

This cute thing called a Presidential Election also happened this year. Liveblogging the debates kept me sane For a long time, I really thought I just might have to leave the country. Being in a country led by Mitt Romney sounded like a supremely terrible idea. But Barack Obama prevailed and I’m hoping that some awesomeness happens in the next few years. Though if the GOP keeps dragging its heels…*sigh*…I don’t have the time or energy to go into that right now.

I bought my first car this year. Thus, adding to the enormous debt I already had >.<. It had to be done though. My taurus was giving me grief, and even though it still runs, I really didn’t want to have to depend on it. The cruiser has required a couple repairs in the few months I’ve owned it, but it’s doing well overall .

And the biggest thing to happen to me this year? I got engaged. Huzzah! ‘Tis pretty awesome I must say. I’ve never been the girl that dreams about a wedding, but I’m looking forward the reception quite a bit. Open bar with my best friends? Yes please! The fiancee fits in pretty well with my family. It’s now just over a year since they met him and they seem to like him pretty well. I was a little bit worried about it because my family still sees me as a kid most of the time, but I think they’re (slowly) letting me grow up (at the age of 25) lol. It helps that the fiancee is super helpful and handy with building/fixing things around the house. And he’s great with kids. He built a dollhouse for my little cousins last week and he put together a desk for my mom. I think they’ll keep him…Plus, he survived our family reunion back in May in the Tennessee heat. And he HATES the heat lol.

There’s probably a lot that I’m missing, but if I include anymore, this post will get even more out of hand than it already is lol. I’m looking forward to 2013 and some big things happen. Hopefully, you all have a good New Year’s and an even better 2013 as well. See you next year!