A Year In Review...

Dear Ocean,

As 2008 comes to a close I'm going to attempt to remember the important things that happened to me this year. Because it was a pretty big year, probably my best so far I think. Don't read if you get bored easily.

January '08... Full of waiting and confusion- with all the stress of the USCGA and Webb Institute applications, and with the whole SAT drama on winter weekend. Winter weekend was super fun, Manute and I rafted on Lake Superior.

February '08... I turned 18! Best birthday ever. I started and ended an addiction to scratch card games, stayed out as late as I wanted, and signed my own forms.

March '08... ?

April '08... spring break trip to florida! SCUBA certification, toured FIT (with my Tshirt inside out) and Eckerd (too pretty). Unofficially made my decision. Got wait listed by USCGA and rejected by Webb and the UofMN. that sucked: boat building no longer in my future.

May '08... was sooo busy. Performance for dance at the Minnesota Dance Festival (jazz, modern, and pointe?) was really fun. AP tests were a joke, it was nice to be done with environmental science and Calc and basically everything else. It was horrible being stuck in the classroom for that last month of school, so Manute and I spent a lot of that time outdoors. Last piano recital ever. That was hard to be done with all those years of hard work on the piano.

June '08... GRADUATION! WE'RE DONE!!!! (and a rockin fun graduation party at my house) and I also had my last dance recital ever. That was really really sad. I think that's the first time I've seen my dad cry that much. It was so fun, but even now I'm getting really sad thinking about it, because that was basically a big farewell to that whole chunk of my life, which was a pretty significant chunk. I miss it. June also included my 4th and final Mexico Trip with St. Pats! It was great, lots of good times. I also got an unexpected visit from my cousins (awesome!), but because of scary conditions. Thank the lord so much for the health of my grandmother!

July '08... abbreviated family vacation up north, lots of summer stuff, getting ready for FIT.

August '08... sea kayaking trip on lake superior was crazy ridiculous fun, and a good way to end my summer. Sarah's wedding was stressful (I played the piano), but then it was really fun at the reception. Everything was so beautiful, and it was so fun to be with all my family. Then my mom and I flew down to Florida for orientation, where I lost a roommate, gained a bed, and felt like my head was a tornado for two weeks straight. I also fulfilled my biggest dare in August.

September '08... made new friends, experienced some hurricane weather, tried sailing, got hooked on latin dancing, started my job

October '08... came home for a weekend, more studying, more dancing, more new friends

November '08... thanksgiving away from home

December '08... survived finals, came home!

And somewhere in the midst of all of that I managed to figure out what I want to do with my life (somewhat), continue the dare game, pull off some awesome TSW's, have many adventures, and acclimate to a new world basically. Woot woot! Go 2008!

love,
whitney!