1) I started getting some real freelance work opportunities shortly after 2010 got started. I was working on several ongoing projects for a company called Cocoa Daisy, which kept me busy and somewhat financially stable for a while. Little did I know at the time that the most important thing I was actually gaining from the experience was some major networking. In April I was offered a salary position at the company I work for now. My first real design job out of college! This was a big deal. A very big high of 2010. And has enabled me to have the freedom to go do the things that I want to do because I have the money for it, for the first time ever.
2) Me and Pat bought a car together! I now have my very own and very first car. Not to mention that this was a huge financial decision both for us individually and as a couple. Another big high of 2010.
3) In the summer of '09 my Dad and Stepmom adopted a little girl, 4 at the time, named Destiny. She had been in foster care since she was an infant after being taken away from her drug addicted and neglectful mother. This was the year that she really started to understand who I was and allow a relationship to grow between us. In one visit last summer I picked her up from daycare and was greeted by her jumping up and down yelling "Jennifer, Jennifer, thats my sister!" to her teachers. The next morning she snuck into my little sisters room where I was sleeping, crawled in bed with me, and said "Jennifer, I love you." Heart. Officially. Melted.
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| [[ my sisters: meagan. me. destiny. jenna. missing: leah. ]] |
4) August and September were really hard months. I was personally going through a lot of physical changes and issues to begin with. And then the worst thing imaginable occurred, My friend Johni passed away. I was, and still am completely devastated by this because it seems like it was only yesterday. Her memorial service was really hard, but really beautiful and I was proud that I could be a part of it.
5) There were some big changes with friends/family as well. One of my best friends Tiffany and her boyfriend Jason got engaged in July! Tiff asked me to be a bridesmaid, which I was really honored by and am really excited about! (Their wedding is in February). One of Pats best friends Brad proposed to his girlfriend Alia the weekend before Christmas, and Brad asked Pat to be his best man, which is again very exciting. Also, Pat became an uncle when his step brother Chris and his girlfriend Mandee had their first baby a few weeks ago. He is a little boy named Maddox.
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| [[ brad/alia. tiffany/jason. maddox. ]] |
6) I had a lot of fun in 2010 partying with my friends and family. Me and Pat took some trips together to the beach, which included a visit to one of our first date locations to re-enact a picture we had taken back in 2005. I went with my family to Disneyland over Spring break which was a ton of fun! I enjoyed running around and being silly with my little sisters. For Colleens 24th birthday we had a Monster Mash and all dressed up like monsters. I was Medusa, with snakes in my hair and everything. We went to Beauty Bar for Tiffany's 23rd birthday. We went wine tasting on Valentines day in Carlton and really got to meet Nate and Alicia for the first time. Me, Pat and a ton of other friends went to Sunriver for a long weekend of snow and ridiculousness. And we went to a lot of 80s nights at The Roxy in PDX over the summer. I got to see Fran twice, once when he came to visit over the summer, and once briefly on the way back from Huntington Beach when we stopped in Santa Monica. I made some great new friends, and lost some great friends.
7) Pat turned 25 on August 16th, and I turned 24, on August 24th thus celebrating my 'Golden Birthday'! We had a joint birthday party at Grand Central, which is basically a fancy bowling alley, and EVERYONE showed up. It was a pretty amazing night ending with Tony running head first down the hallway of our hotel at 3 in the morning...
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| [[ boiler room w megan. wally re-enactment. sunriver suits. minnie mouses house w meagan. monster mash w tiff. halloween. 80s night group. pat & me. disneyland. sams graduation party. beauty bar for tiffs bday, new years eve party at my house 2010. ]] |
8) Some friends moved out, some friends moved in. Sam graduated, and everyone left Corvallis and moved to Portland. This was a sad day. On new years day Tony moved in from Montana and brought with him the beast, also known as Loki the pooch. Adam and his pet Nala moved out in the summer, and were soon replaced by Pats little brother Hayden.
9) I went to some awesome shows. Most notably: Minus the Bear (twice in one week) at OSU/The Roseland, As I Lay Dying at The Roseland, and Silversun Pickups in The Crystal Ballroom.
10) I started blogging in September and really focusing on little projects for myself, to make me feel creative, accomplished, artistic, and happy throughout each day. So far I am really enjoying myself and finding this to be a great outlet for expression. :)
Happy New Year! I hope you have some great memories from 2010 as well. Bring it on 2011, I am ready to see what you have in store for me. - Jenn
