Here are the top 5 good bad and ugly things that happened in 2014. Hope that there is something I can learn from all of them:
Top 5 Good:
1. The A- in Research Methods: So much more than expected went into it and so much more than expected got out of it. I did well on almost all the assignments, had a great prof, had a great group, and gained confidence. I also was able to drop the Public Relations minor the day after the term was over which will give me a chance to broaden my horizons on what I can take and excel in.
2. The Internship at Special Olympics Idaho: This was my dream, I chased it, and I did super-well enough to perhaps have a job shortly after I graduate from college with them. Not only the internship but also my various volunteer obligations with Special Olympics College made this quite an exciting time to be an intern and with me as the one over a busy time this summer, I was able to do a bang-up job.
3. The times I've spent with Alexis: And there will be more of them to come. I have genuinely appreciated the more time with her this past term. We are established as a couple and we have done well with respect to space and with respect to entertaining each other in ways that are exciting for each other. She has been supportive the whole year long and will continue to be.
4. Reading: I will be done with 96 books at the end of the year. It has been an exciting trip and I have enjoyed every one of them. I love to read, it is almost like catching up with old friends.
5. Joining the Council: Great career move and I have enjoyed every minute of it. They are genuine people and I have genuinely enjoyed every single second of my time there and am already talking about another 3-year term when I'm done with it.
The Bad;
1. The F in Research Methods last spring: Just bad all the way around. I wish not to say much other than it was night/day spring and fall. Bad group, unaccomodating professor, and no sympahthy made for a bad term.
2. Depression: This is old news, but it hit big-time in the Spring again. It was a time when I did not feel happy and my anxiety got in the way and made it worse. I wasn't fully treated well and that made for a long spring as well.
3. My Own Body's Mortality: I think that I did not do well with injuries the past few years. This year was no exception. With a rolled ankle, a sprained ankle, a sprained hand, a strained calf, and knee difficulty as well as a cold that I am currently fighting that was nasty, this has been a bad year for health. And it's not getting easier.
4. Neighbors: A few different ones and they were all awful. The apartment is so bad sleep-wise that I have to wait until 11 or midnight to go to bed because it is impossible to sleep before then for me and if I do I can't sleep well.
5. My Grandma: She died a few weeks ago but went downhill all year. While she was ready to go, it wasn't any easier for my family. She was 96.
The Ugly:
1. Coffee Addiction: That is ugly. I don't like the taste of coffee for as much as I drink it. I drink it often and love the social side of things but as far as taste goes it is bitter a lot but I still enjoy it all the time. Partially also because of it being a part of my identity, I am coffee-Bott.
2. Controversial Advocacy: I wish it could be easier to support LGBT rights and disability advocacy in Idaho. It's not. I have been rided for supporting these things and have lost friends for these causes. I have had to hide that part of me from some people. I wish I could've chosen easier causes, but these are truly worth fighting for.
3. Ugly Splits: I dropped three churches/para-churches this year due to my support for gay rights. None of them were easy as I had been a part of Young Life for five years, InterVarsity for nearly eleven, and Calvary off-and-on for nearly eleven. I had even been in leadership for those places, making it much harder. I don't think I got sympathy from them enough to make it worthwhile and I feel like I have a hard time supporting groups that won't support me warts and all.
4. Foot-In-Mouth Syndrome: I am sarcastic and have an opinion about EVERYTHING! That seriously put me in trouble more often than I would like to admit. Something that I think has been the biggest thing I see is how much people like me when I'm being kind vs. when I'm opinionated. It is something I need to control.
5. Tiredness: I was exhausted in October. I need to find ways to control my schedule so that it doesn't get that way again.
