I think it could be safe to say that 2011 has passed with more speed than any year I can remember at a pace frighteningly similar to blinking. There were parts, however, that were agonizingly slow. Some parts I'd rather not remember. But, in reality, I see all were necessary, and as I sit here and think of the crazy ride that 2011 has been, perhaps the most valuable were the parts that I'd rather not recall.
It's a little funny actually. There are many things to recount from this year all fantastic, many big accomplishments for me-- finishing a year and half of grad school in a foreign language (which I am now quasi-fluent), traveling to a new continent, having an Italian Thanksgiving and an Irish Christmas even! But the things that stick out the most in my mind, are the crap parts, the parts that in many ways, I wish I hadn't had to deal with. These were the times that I learned the most, discovered the most about myself (good bits and bad bits), and also found that I have some of the very best and without a doubt amazing people in my life both home in America and my home away from home here in Europe. I am beyond blessed and lucky, and will continue to remind myself of that and be thankful for it everyday, especially on the days that aren't so great.
I suppose I don't have much more to say about you 2011. You were good to me and you were bad to me. But all in all it was for my own benefit. I was challenged more than I've ever been challenged, which is always a good thing. How can you ever get better if there is nothing to push you to be? I had new adventures alone and with friends, both old and new. I watched one of my dearest and oldest friends get married to her best friend. That is a memory that I will carry with me forever. I was able to show my roommate where I come from and introduce her to the people that mean the most to me in my life first-hand. I found another family in the girls that I study with, and I have no doubt we will stay that way always. I was welcomed into homes with open arms without question, even in times that many would find an intrusion. There is much to be said for Moroccan, Italian, Portuguese, Irish....well let's just say 'global' hospitality, and for that I am eternally grateful.
At the end of it, I really can't say enough about the people that 2011 has brought into my life. Perhaps this has been the greatest gift of this year or any year for that matter. In my experiences, I've found that people are just good no matter where you go, and that is a refreshing thing in a world where all you hear about is doom and gloom. These people have all left imprints on my heart in their own individual way, and I hope that we make many more memories together in years to come. Maybe it would even be fitting (and yes albeit cheesy) to credit 2011 with a real-time illustration of a quote from a favorite movie of mine-- "Love actually is all around."
So 2011, I salute you, I thank you, and I also say good riddance. I am looking forward to 2012. It's shaping up to be absolutely fantastic: Spain with the ladies, my little brother's wedding, and this little old thing called a Master's Degree! :) Who knows what other things it has in store for me, but I think I'm ready to take it all on. You've given me plenty for my arsenal 2011 and now I say one more time: Grazie mille e ciaoooooooooooo!!
