2010 surely was one heck of a wild ride. Let’s take a look back on a year that taught me that whatever you may have planned for your life or the things you think will never happen, just might.
*************************************************************************************
The very first picture of 2010. Taken just moments after midnight. At this point, I had no idea of all of the great adventures that were going to come my way this year.
2010 started off with one of my most challenging and rewarding experiences: teaching kindergarten at Ft. Wayne Public Schools. Such a great adventure. I still think about these kids a lot. I miss them.
Two of my kindergartners showing what they made for my lesson. I loved teaching them this language arts lesson!
I loved spending every morning in January with these girls driving to Harrison Hill Elementary.
Chelsey, Christen, Lindsay and I got to go to Gasparilla Island for spring break. Too fun to even describe.
Easter back on the island with the whole family! So great!
In one of my classes we had to write songs. I wrote a song about the zoo for kindergartners. It goes along to the tune "Home on the Range." It was a number one hit at Huntington, so much so that even my friend Erica felt the need to write the lyrics on the board!
Saying goodbye to good friends and ending another spring tennis season.
Beth and I in the backseat creeping on couples at night. When I leave Huntington, this is one of the things I am going to miss: driving around late to honk at the couples making out in F lot.
The day Sex and the City 2 came out, I drove down to Indiana to watch it with these best friends. My Sex and the City girls!
In May, Jessie graduated! Grandville High School is officially out of our lives. Weird.
I was able to intern at Amway again where I met these great girls! It was an amazing opportunity again, and awesome to meet new people!
No year would be complete without taking in a Tiger's game!
Trips to the beach with them is always hilarious. Friends since 7th grade? You got it.
Obviously, a lot of time spent in the summer at the cottage!
August trip to Chicago!
Of course, a family trip to Mackinac in August!
In August, Brynne moved downtown into this huge (and slightly creepy, haha) house which is called Morris. It is a 2010 highlight because this house has let us all spend a lot of time together this year!
Jessie moved down to Huntington with me in August! We officially became neighbors. Her being on campus has sure changed a lot of the dynamics for the better! It's pretty funny and we have been able to have a lot of fun and watch our lives unfold!
Pre-season in August is probably my favorite time at Huntington, especially this year. While the freshman tennis players had orientation stuff on Saturday, the upperclassman went to the 'beach' and then went to Ft. Wayne to Olive Garden. SO fun. Such wonderful friendships!
Again, pre season: The team always goes on different outings at night after our 2 practices a day. Keaton and I have been bowling buddies ever since freshman year, and now we are finally seniors!
The tennis girls at the Tincaps Game in Ft. Wayne during pre-season. So many great memories here of talking about upcoming first dates, watching new romances start to bloom, and laughing about how funny coach is.
My last Stance ever :( This is our annual picture that we all take at every Stance. Wouldn't go to a Stance without them!
My last Hoedown ever :( This night was very fun!
This photo probably does not say a lot to anyone else but me. I clearly remember the exact event that happened before this picture was taking. It was one of those moments when you say, "Never in a million years would I think to be here." hah. And then, Susanne brought in this giant bird. Memorable night, that is for sure.
Tennis this fall = amazingly fun. I think some of my best memories from 2010, and my senior year, will revolve around spending time with these girls, home matches, practices, playing tennis, and laughing a whole lot.
One of the greatest adventures of 2010 was being doubles partners with Jessie, haha. We fought like sisters on the court, but we got in sync eventually. It was a memorable time, that's for sure.
These are my wonderful roommates, and some of my best friends: Christen, Susanne, and Lindsay. Christmas is a big deal at our apartment. Here we are in front of our tree just after we spent a great Sunday night decorating!
My roommates and I (well, actually just Susanne), rescued this cat and adopted it in our apartment (which is against the rules, by the way). We named her Sophia. She was great for 2 days, but after a while she started to freak us out...and she smelled awful. We had her for 3 weeks before we took her to the animal shelter, where we actually found out that she was a he; a neutered male.
Lindsay, Susanne and I threw the First Christmas Party of the Year. Obviously it was a hit, haha, and a great way to start celebrating Christmas!
<--- Celebrating my beautiful friend, Carrie's last days of being single. Now she is leaving us for a boy. What am I going to do without her in their apartment?!
I could not have ------>
asked for two better listeners and people to make situations better than Brittany and Beth.
asked for two better listeners and people to make situations better than Brittany and Beth.
Living with my roommates this year has been amazing. We are super weird and spend hours and hours just laughing and talking. Life in the 831 could not be better with them.
Ugly sweater party at Morris with some of the best friends around!
Gift exchange for the 10th year in a row! Love coming home to these girls. 
Christmas time with the family in my favorite city, Grand Rapids :) The night before Christmas Eve we went out to our favorite restaurant downtown, the BOB and then walked around. Beautiful!
Spending part of Christmas break on the island, where I will say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011!
*************************************************************************************As you can see, 2010 was an exciting year. This year also brought on some of my favorite memories from college. 2010 taught me that you can never really know how life is going to be. Life is crazy, that’s for sure!
This year circumstances that have been occurring since 2007 completely unfolded. I didn’t necessarily want it to happen. In fact, for the past 4 years I have been fighting against it. Then this year I finally just rolled with life. Looking back now, I just have to laugh. Even though it is all bittersweet, I realized this past week that I would not wish for it to have not occurred. In fact, I was reading a journal I kept during my freshman year, all the way back in 2007. Even way back then I started praying about this and have since. This made me realize that the circumstance and happenings were meant to happen, because I did surrender it to God, and I will continue to surrender to Him in 2011.
That being said, 2010 was really a great year. I learned how to trust, how to be more dependent, and how to let go. I learned what change is again and what it means to let change happen and not wish for past days.
2010 will always be a great year. A year filled with firsts and lasts. A year filled with songs like “Wish Right Now” and “Dynamite.” This year will always be one that reminds me of youtube videos and days spent collecting shells, playing tennis in the dark, and staying up all night with special people and learning to open up.
Crazy how fast a year goes and what all can happen. So, one more day in 2010. I am planning on having it go out like a bang, just the way it started! And as I say goodbye to 2010, and letting go of the past, this quote seems appropriate:
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”
Posts
Love it Erica! (:
ReplyDeleteJust a few things to add:
1) Some of us have been friends since 6th grade. Remember gym class? (:
2)Isn't the "wish right now" song actually called "airplane?"