2011
An unexpectedly awesome year.
I Brought in the New Year as one should, at a friend's house party with 200+ syringe style jell-o shots and lots... err, memorable moments. I still stand by the fact I was pushed and that I didn't drop that corona...
The rest of the month I endured the cold wrath of Wisconsin, celebrated my 21st with a house party and left for Australia where I spent my actual 21st... on a monday... in a country where you can legally drink at 18.
A bittersweet month that ended up not being too shabby. I ended up not going to QUT(Queensland University of Technology) like intended due to the school being closed longer than expected due to the floods in January. Fortunately there was Jo to entertain me with trips to the Sunshine and Gold coasts, going to see Wicked and spending Valentines day with a "magic" flower and an outdoor movie.
Jo surprised me yet again with tickets to the Foo Fighter's Queensland Flood relief concert, planning an epic trip to Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays and little adventures around Brisbane.
Since I didn't start university like I meant to that meant my visa only allowed me three months in Oz. So I prepared for another trip back home. My last weekend was spent at the Gold Coast before I ventured back to the U.S. and decided to make a pit-stop in San Francisco before joining my family for Easter.
This month was all about trying to keep myself amused while back home. I ended up spending a lot of time with the pooch, had my first legal drinks and discovered how lame the Green Bay drinking scene is, did a little art excursion in Door County and met my newest niece, Tatum.
This was a month of pretty much non-stop travel fun.
After a month back home I started the journey back to Australia, with the good news of being accepted into the University of Queensland... another school I'd end up skipping out on because Jo ended up getting a promotion moving us to Sydney!
Before I went back to Oz I visited a friend and had heaps of fun in Colorado then did another pit-stop in San Francisco. Upon arriving in Australia, Jo whisked me away for a weekend in the gorgeous Byron Bay.
July welcomed the move to Sydney and the start of lazing around being unemployed yet again due to visa restrictions. Fortunately it gave me time to settle into our new house and stay in there due it being the wettest July in 50 years. It was non. freaking. stop. bucketing. rain.
The skies cleared up for some wandering around Sydney, although I was still unable to work for most of the month. So I started keeping myself busy with painting and drawing. Unfortunately, due to my unemployment and enrolling in a six-mont course we didnt' have much money to celebrate Jo's 32nd birthday, but I did make him a scrumptious breakfast.
Then, finally, towards the end of the month I started my course which allowed me to work.
A warm start which would have been pleasant if I hadn't starting working for the bunch of crooks that the Ice Creamery ended up being. I worked my weekends away making hardly any money but still tried to keep my cool with painting, wandering the city and looking for a new job.
It didn't take too long before I got my MX newspaper job that also introduced to me several promotion jobs. The weather brought by some nice weekends to visit Bondi Beach with two of the loveliest classmates. Jo and I also spent a weekend back in Brisbane for his cousin's wedding.
A lot started to look up as I was starting to make some real money mostly working for MX and promotions and weaning myself off of the Ice Creamery. There were more lunch dates with classmates, fun beach time, free meatballs at the IKEA opening, seeing Tiger Woods at a promo job, and spending some of that money on things that are not rent and food.
For it being summer, the majority of this month has been freakishly cold, though not disapointing.
I've gotten enough hours in with MX and my promotions job where I haven't had to work at the Ice Creamery this entire month which brings much glee. I have a least a three week break with minimal work just to chill and enjoy summer. Jo was my companion for a very different Christmas but with just as fulfilling presents. Overall a nice way to end 2011!
Oh and I got accepted into UTS (University of Technology Sydney)!
I'm super excited, and while I never intended to be out of school for this long, I don't regret it.
It turned out to be a pretty awesome year.