sayonara 2009

For weeks now I've been planning my farewell speech to 2009. A thanks-for-nothing, don't let the door smack you on the way out kind of thing. I was done with 2009 about a month before it was over. I spent much of Dec just biding my time until 2010. 2009 chewed me up and spit me out. I was more stressed, frazzled, anxious, tired, etc. in 2009 than I ever thought possible. I was glad to see it go.

But the problem is, every time I try to write about all the ways that 2009 screwed with me, I come up short with the realization that all in all, a lot of good came of it too.

Sure, taking my qualifying exams was brutal. But I passed them!

Sure, taking them while searching for, buying, moving into, and renovating a house was kind of an insane move. But we have a house! Our house! And it is rad.

Sure, going to China by myself to try to salvage my research project was trying at times. But come on, two months in China! I made wonderful friends and saw amazing things, and all-in-all it was a great trip.

My classes were stressful, but I passed them and learned a lot.

Writing my huge grant proposal while my advisor was on sabbatical was challenging, but also kind of creative and fun, and fingers-crossed maybe it will actually get funded.

Some other things about 2009 that didn't suck at all:

-my sister moved to the STL. This is awesome.

-we found a kitten that likes to wrestle with our dog. This is the cutest thing to ever happen anywhere, ever.

So, there it is. Despite my best intentions to give 2009 what-for, I have to concede that I have come out of it all in one piece.

Dear 2010, May you be a gentler year.