The '00s in review

Happy End of the '00s!  I guess I'm joining the ranks of those of you who are "reviewing" either this past year, or the decade.  Even though these last twelve months have brought about a number of changes, it's amazing to think what a different person I have become in the past ten years.  Here goes!

2000:

• Rang in the New Year (and new decade) in London, where I spent two weeks visiting my old friends from sleepaway camp.  
• Got mono that spring - ugh!  
• That summer was also the last summer I worked at Camp Monroe.  
• Became a Student Fellow at Vassar that fall and helped a group of incoming freshmen adjust.
• Got my first car, a used red Toyota Corolla. 
  

2001:

• Got really involved in writing poetry with a year-long class at Vassar called Verse Writing.
• Started working at a music school in Ossining, NY teaching piano and voice part-time.
• Turned 21 -woohoo!- and spent my birthday at the Dutch Tavern in Poughkeepsie listening to one of my favorite Vassar bands, The Oddities.
• Performed a lot with our college a cappella group, Matthew's Minstrels.
  
• Worked that summer on a book project about BargeMusic, Ltd., a floating barge holding chamber music concerts under the Brooklyn Bridge.
• Also started working for Young Communications part-time helping edit educational texts.

2002:

• Visited the Outer Banks, NC.
• Graduated college!  Heard Tony Kushner speak at commencement.
  
• On a whim, applied to the NYC Teaching Fellows program, and got in.  Moved to NYC (Inwood).  Started a crazy summer of student teaching, back-to-back classes, and basically a crash course on how to teach "at risk" youth having never majored in Education.  Got the sh*t kicked out of me, mentally and emotionally.
• Started teaching at an elementary school in the Bronx, where I again felt like every day was a struggle.  Was I really cut out for this?
• Got my first cell phone.
  
• Moved to Park Slope, Brooklyn in November.
• Sold the Toyota. :(
  

2003:

• Finished my first year teaching!  Can't believe I made it.
• Attended some really great summer classes at City College, and met tons of great people.
• Started back at work and felt rejuvenated.  Met even more amazing coworkers who turned out to be great friends.

2004:

• Visited Lake Placid and the Bahamas.
• Almost took a different job at a charter school specializing in math and science.
• Was asked to take over a gifted/performing arts program at my school and decided to stay.
• Got my Masters Degree in June!  Heard Bill Clinton speak at graduation.
• Got my first ipod.
• Spent some time on Long Beach Island, NJ that summer with my mom and stepdad. 
• Moved back to Manhattan (Washington Heights) with Kristin.
• Had a great summer visit (as well as two following summers thereafter) visiting my cousin Steve and his girlfriend Amy in San Diego, CA.
  
• Co-created a music/dance performance at school with my performing arts students.  Also became musical director of 5th grade graduation.

2005:

• Auditioned for an a cappella group in NYC.  Got called back!  And then...rejected!
• Started my very own a cappella group in NYC.  We rehearsed for a while....let's just say the friendships lasted longer than the group.
• After struggling with indecision, finally ended a 4-year relationship in October.
• I decided to finally do something about my inactive lifestyle and joined the gym in November.
• Joined Weight Watchers in December and began to see my life completely change.

2006:

• Started running...mostly on the treadmill...
  
• ..and doing yoga.  Started frequenting my favorite yoga studio, Life in Motion.
  
• Visited Atlanta, GA in February and the Dominican Republic in April.
• Had a lot (a LOT) of bad dates, and some good ones, and some weird ones.
• My roommate got plagued with bedbugs (recurring) that entire year!
• Watched more Sex & The City than anyone I knew and ended up being able to quote the entire show.
  
• Spent New Year's Eve on the subway with Kristin.  We were coming home from Bella Luna, our favorite UWS Italian restaurant, and the clock just so happened to strike midnight as we rode the 1 train.  It was pretty memorable!

2007:

• (Re)-met Derek on January 20 at a party for mutual VC friends.  We went out on a couple of dates and we both knew we were going to fall in love.
• Ran my first 5k in March in Washington Heights.  Derek was there with the camera!
• Spent part of July in wonderful Walloon Lake, Michigan with Derek's family and also attended his cousin Kate's wedding that month.  Was introduced to Wisconsin, its sports, its beer, and its cheese!
• Ran my first half-marathon (NYC Half) in August. My stepbrother also became engaged that month.
• Joined Team in Training in September.
  
• Derek moved to Madison, WI for business school at UW that fall.
• During an October visit, Derek proposed to me in my classroom in front of all my students!

2008:

• Put in my notice that I was leaving work.  :(
• Ran my first marathon in Phoenix, AZ in January!  Made sure to do my 9+1 (volunteering) for NYRR to secure a spot in the NYC Marathon 2009!
  
• Moved that summer to Madison, WI.  Bye bye, NY!!!! 
• Got a new (used) Ford Focus, my first car after six years of taking public transportation.
  
• Spent the summer searching for a job and visiting Derek at his internship in Minneapolis, MN.  Spent a lot of time with Kim attending concerts on the square and other fun Madison events.
• Started working at a music school part-time, and then finally found a classroom position in Madison.  Spent the year being in over my head!  Everything was different and I barely had a minute to myself.  Good thing the wedding plans were done!
• Went to my Jack and Nicole's wedding in September.
  
• Got married in October at Harvest-on-Hudson in Hastings, NY.  Best day of my life!
• Started my blog but hardly wrote in it.
  

2009:

• Re-joined Weight Watchers in March.
• Took a birthday trip to NYC in April, and attended Nick and Kristie's wedding in Folly Beach, South Carolina that same month.
• Derek struggled with finding a job in the economy, but finally lands a position in Cleveland, OH.  Bye bye, Madison!
  
• Ran another half-marathon and a bunch of other races, but was REALLY waiting for...the NYC Marathon on November 1st!
• Spent the summer training for the marathon and looking....looking....LOOKING for a job!
• To pass the time while looking for a job, I started baking, cooking more, writing in this blog more often and writing reviews on Yelp!
• Spent another lovely week in Walloon with family.
  
• Finally found a job in my field in October and I am happy there. :)  It's not a classroom position, but I am still very satisfied with what I am doing.
• Cooked dinner with Derek for our entire family for Christmas!  That was exciting and nervewracking.
  
• Derek and I just celebrated our one-year anniversary and plan to ring in the new year at one of our favorite restaurants, Fahrenheit!

Whew...if you are still reading this, congratulations! :)

And Happy New Year!