2011: Year in review

The first day of 2012 is almost over! It’s so clichéd to say this, but time really does fly by. I remember that it was around this time last year that I made the decision to stay in Honduras while I waited for my US residency. Back then I swore that I’d only be here for a couple of months. Look at me now, an entire year has elapsed and I’m still waiting, but I know it’s something that will work itself out sooner rather than later. As I’ve always been saying, it’s just a matter of when, not if.

So, what did I do in 2011?

2011 was a year of incredible personal growth. I lost 30 pounds and found my long-lost self-confidence. I continued making great progress in my pursuit of happiness, self-awareness, and knowledge. I strengthened the bonds with the most important people in my life: my family, and despite the distance, I grew even closer to my true soul-mates, my best friends (don’t need to mention any names because you guys know who you are.)

What were the highlights of the year?

Well, let’s try to do this in chronological order… I got accepted into NYU! (Still incredibly proud of this, even though I’m still waiting to see if I’ll actually be able to go.) I saw Lady Gaga in concert! I went to New York City!!! My family and I went on 2 trips (something which we hadn’t done in a LOOOOONG time.) And even though it wasn’t something positive, getting mugged at gunpoint certainly helped 2011 go out with a bang (no pun intended, lol.)

Oh yea, and I had my share of fun, too. 

What were some of the things I learned?

Even though there are a few people out there who will claim that I’m a vile person, the truth of the matter is that I will always do what is best for my wellbeing, even if that involves sacrificing some other things, which may at times make me seem cold-hearted or evil. 2011 was all about looking at my past in order to close the chapter on certain issues and situations that were still affecting me. I’m not going to say that I succeeded entirely, but I certainly made great strides in this respect. Even though it’s the only way to do it sometimes, it’s very hard to try to get closure on your own, i.e. – trying to just come to terms with the reality of things.

Also, I realized that as important as it is to carry ourselves with dignity and integrity, we mustn’t let our pride play an overly important role in our lives. In the past, I was afraid of letting people see that I could be vulnerable, that I was capable of being hurt (as ridiculous as that may sound), and I got so consumed in appearing to be strong, that I let my pride get in the way of fixing things with individuals who meant the world to me. It’s hard to meet people with whom you have a connection on an intellectual, spiritual, and emotional level, and now I truly do feel that when you’ve found people with whom you have that, you must hold on to them at any cost (as long as it’s mutual, of course.) Lesson learned. In the future, I have to let people know just how much they mean to me, even if it means that I make myself seem vulnerable. Being strong is not about NOT having emotions; it’s about having emotions, not being afraid to show them, standing by your decisions, and knowing that even if you’re hurt, you’ll be all right.

10 important events that took place in 2011?

-       The Arab Spring: riots in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, etc., that led to the overthrow of several authoritarian regimes in some of those countries (most notably, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak.)

-       Earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

-       Capture/killing of Osama bin Laden.

-       Terrorist attacks in Norway.

-       The Occupy movement.

-       Problems with the euro.

-       End of Berlusconi’s rule in Italy.

-       The discovery of the first Earth-like planet, Kepler-22b.

-       End of the war in Iraq.

-       Death of Kim Jung-Il.

Song of the year?

“The Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga. (Highly predictable, I know. Mais, qu’est-ce que je peux faire? Je suis comme ça.)

 

Movie of the year?

“Midnight in Paris,” directed by Woody Allen, and starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Marion Cotillard.

Book of the year?

“1Q84,” by Haruki Murakami. 

2012 - BRING IT. I'm ready for you. :)