So I have finally returned to Canada and left behind what used to be a warm Florida. I can't believe it's in the thirties in Orlando! Well I had a wonderful time back in Winter Park and Fort Lauderdale. I got to relax on a beach, did plenty of shopping, and spent time with so many of my old friends. It was so nice catching up.
Well my vacation is indeed now over, and I'm busy packing and doing laundry so that I can leave bright and early tomorrow morning for school. I'm super excited to see everyone again. It's been almost an entire month since I've seen my house mates and I can't wait for our reunion!
What: The Lilly Pulitzer Jeep
Where: Park Ave, Winter Park, Florida
When: Tuesday, January 5th, approximately 5:04 pm
Reaction: Bliss, Jealousy, Satisfaction
So it seems that the year is indeed coming to a quick close. This has truly been a great year. I thought I would recap some of the best of my 2009 (in no particular order).
1) Going on exchange- Spending 5 months abroad in Europe was one of the best experiences of my life. It was incredible being on my own in a foreign country, being able to jet of to Greece for week, meeting so many amazing and diverse people, and finally making use of my secondary and tertiary languages.
2) Moving in with my bff at school- It makes life much easier when in a hazed mid-exam week state someone can interpret your odd mumbles and perplexed expressions and can read your mind.
3)First half of senior year- It's hard to believe I'm in my last year for my Commerce degree. It has truly been a whirlwind. I've definitely tried to experience everything my school has to offer this year. I was a leader during orientation week, attended our Fauxcoming football game, went to the engineering Greasepole (see old post for explanation), and tried to become more active in my business school's student government (mostly through bake sales and volunteering. I also made the bake sale sign below)
4) Started my blog- Sure I may not be queen of the blogosphere, but that's not matter. I've had a great time writing my posts (on the rare occasions I've found the time) and reading those of the many wonderful bloggers out there.
5) Secured my position as the Craft Queen amongst my friends- With my newly-acquired Martha Stewart craft supplies (and they are truly amazing), I've glittered, painted, and colored my 2009 away, and it has been a blast. I love arts and crafts, which is why everyone keeps telling me I should accept my fate and become a kindergarden teacher.
6)Michael Buble released a new album- I LOVE Michael Buble. I think he brought so many wonderful classics back to life and added so great new songs of his own. I especially love Haven't Met You Yet. So good!
There are of course many more, but my mind is slightly distracted by the upcoming festivities.
And of course I have new resolutions for 2010 (and beyond):
1)More workouts- Sure this is a staple on most lists, but it's definitely true. While I tend to work out quite often during routine weeks, during those of stress I tend to lag a bit on my gym visits. I really do love that post-workout endorphin kick and feeling healthier in general. And of course it's important to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle, which is quite difficult as a student, but equally important.
2)Cook more- as a student who doesn't live on campus I'm forced to fend for myself for food. I'd love to say that I cook myself a wonderful meal everyday, but unfortunately that is not the case. I'm unfortunately a frequenter of mac and cheese and frozen pizza. As a recent vegetarian I'd really like to cook for myself much more often in the new year. I've come to love tofu so it's definitely becoming a staple of mine.
3)Read more- I've barely enjoyed personal reading over the last year- again the plight of a college student. So I vow to spend more time reading for pleasure in 2010, rather than only for school. I have so many books in my personal library that I have yet to read, and I've had a hankering to finally dig into them.
4)Clean!- It's been far too long since I've done real 'spring cleaning.' I have far to much in my room, and my closet is bursting at the seams. It's about time I take out one of the 365 days of the new year to finally purge my room of the unnecessary. I also have so much that I really don't use that someone else could need far more than I do. I foresee a hefty trip to the Salvation Army in my future.
5)Update- my blog, my to do lists, my journal. It's important to take the time to jot my life down everyday, otherwise I will quickly find myself over my head. I must remain organized!
6)Less Starbucks- Even though I moved a little further away from campus this year (and a lot further away from my neighborhood Starbucks), I still found myself visiting the coffee shop far too often. The baristas now know me by name, never a good sign. Last year I received an actual Starbucks Barista espresso machine for my birthday, so I aim to make my own lattes at home instead of heading to Starbucks everyday. It's really too expensive of a habit.
And again, I'm sure there are far many more that I need to include on my list, but there's a glass of champagne with my name on it!
Greetings from Orlando! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and is looking forward to ringing in the new year (and new decade)! I can't believe it was a whole decade ago that everyone was worrying about y2k, and here we are about to enter the 2010s. Time really does fly by too quickly.
So I have had a great vacation so far. I spent a week in a condo in Fort Lauderdale. Our condo was right on the beach, with only an elevator ride and a few steps down to sandy beaches and ocean waters. Although there were icky blue jelly fish lining the shore, I went on enough walks to find some great shells to bring back to Canada with me. I also did some great shopping! The outlet mall in Ft. Lauderdale is beyond amazing. I found so many great items at the J. Crew outlet for some great prices.
I'm also the proud new owner of a pink Kate Spade Wellesley Quinn. I LOVE it oh so very much!
We also headed over to West Palm Beach. I was hoping to pop by the Lilly Pulitzer, but it was a little too far. But have no fear, I stopped by C. Orrico for some Lilly goodies. I found some great deals on a swimsuit, a skirt, and I somehow scored Lilly espadrilles for a mere $10! Deal of the century! After a lovely time relaxing and reading on the beach, I flew to Orlando yesterday and have been spending time with some old friends from high school. It's so nice to be back. I feel like I'm home again. Tonight I went to see Me and Orson Welles at the Enzian theatre.
I'm not sure how many of you liked Citizen Kane, but it's one of my favorite movies, and I think it's one of the best movies of all time. I thought Me and Orson Welles did a great job of showing the big-headedness and ego of Orson. He was known for being a little unkind. It has also been years since I've seen a Shakespeare play, so it was enjoyable to see the portrayal of Julius Caesar, and a good one at that. And of course having Zac Efron in it made it a little more enjoyable to watch as well.
