Year in Review

2011 was one of the best years I’ve had. I was able to accomplish a lot & travel to some pretty cool places. I had to make a few life changing decisions & I have been happy with those choices. I was able to accomplish one of my new year’s resolutions (see below) & I think I did pretty well with my attitude adjustment for the year (take life one day at a time, don’t worry too much & enjoy life). Since I’m a horrible blogger (don’t get too excited I’m not making a NYR to become a better blogger…sorry) here’s a summary of the awesomeness that was 2011.

January:  I started another quarter at WWU; I was living at SPMC & driving up to Bellingham to TA biostats (again). So the NYR that I was able to accomplish was to travel outside of the state I was living in at least once a month for the whole year. So Selina & I went to Hawaii.

February: I went to Puerto Rico for the ASLO meeting where I presented some of my research, it was a great meeting & it was nice to visit PR. I got a new niece this month (Brooke) so I used my frequent flyer miles & went to Dallas for a long weekend to help Adrienne & hang out with the kiddos.

March: I spent finals week in DC finishing up the MSPHDs program. It was fun to see the capitol, experience some of DC, see old friends & make some new ones. I also became AAUS certified, drove to Canada to see The Green (finally), became a NZ citizen (finally!) & decide to pursue a PhD at the University of Oregon in the fall. I also started more experiments, so I had baby crabs everywhere.

April: was a pretty low key month, I was TAing an inverts course at SP (yay!) & working on experiments/writing. I also went to Virginia for a few days to see a friend.

May: Also a pretty low key month, more TAing, learning how to teach to informal audiences, oh & I went to Barbados… When I was offered the PhD position at UO my potential advisor said that if I accepted the position I had the option of going on a research cruise as part of one of his grants (yay science!).

June: Started off the month in DC at a planning meeting, took my first train ride from DC to Virginia Beach to see a friend. I drove down to OIMB for Dr. Braithwaite’s retirement party; it was amazing to meet some of the people Dr. B has mentored. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help & guidance of Dr. B!

July: I spent most of the month housesitting (which I really miss), sorting eelgrass (for summer support I worked at Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve) & writing. I went to Utah at the end of the month for the Burgess family reunion.

August: was a month full of finishes, I finished working at Padilla Bay, finished house sitting (best job ever), & finished up at Shannon Point. I went to Hawaii to help Auntie Olly with a wedding & go to the beach.

September: M&D came out to Western Washington for a visit. I moved down to Oregon to start at OIMB.

October: I spent most of the month in the library & at my desk, finishing my thesis, doing course work, & studying for quarterlies. I went to Utah for an extended weekend for another OSM planning meeting; it was nice to get a free trip home.

November: most of my time was spent in the library, but I successfully defended my master’s thesis at WWU (yay!) & about a week later I went back up to WA for WSN. Thanksgiving break was full of studying & getting ready for the end of the quarter.

December: The first week of December was crazy; I finished up my coursework, took two quarterlies, & packed for the next few weeks. I spent the first weekend in San Francisco at AGU where I attended the DeSSC (Deep Submergence Science Committee) meeting. I flew home to Utah for about a week to spend time with the family before Selina & I headed off to New Zealand. Spending Christmas/New Years in New Zealand has been the best!

2011 was phenomenal! 2012 has started off well & I’m sure it will be another great year. Happy New Year everyone!

PS. For pictures, see facebook