2011 Review

I don't usually do "best of" lists because frankly, I can't remember everything from the whole year. So I thought I'd use my journal as a record, but you guys, two pages into it and I had to quit. That book is seriously depressing. (Apparently I only use it to vent.) So that leaves me to fall back on mere memory which is faulty at best and inaccurate at worst. So if I list something on here that you clearly remember doing with me in 2005, just don't tell anyone. And if I don't list something here that we did together, it doesn't mean I didn't love it at the time, it just means I've forgotten about it completely. So, there's really no reason to take it personally.

So, with that introduction, here are just a handful of some of my favorite things from 2011.

1. Feather bowling with Sarah, Sara, and Matt, Sara's husband. I love trying new things and feather bowling definitely fits in that category. Plus it's always fun to do things in Detroit. And doing those new things with two of my oldest friends? Even better.

2. Amococo. In case you forgot, Amococo was this huge inflatable "building" with lots of tunnels and rooms. I was slightly scared that the whole thing would come crashing down on us and we'd have to stab our way out. This did not happen, and it ended up being a very cool thing to experience.

3. Spontaneous road trip. One summer day, a cute boy and I had a plan to drive to a place called Irish Hills, but something came over us and we ended up driving all the way across the state to Lake Michigan that day. It was fun and spontaneous and a great summer memory.

4. Shipshewana. I've always been curious about the Amish, so one day my friend Erin and I drove to an Amish community in Shipshewana, Indiana, and spent the day at their shops, eating their cheeses, and admiring their horses and buggies. I scandalized the whole community by wearing my hair down.

5. Olde Timey baseball, and Greenfield Village. Of course, the two go hand in hand since olde timey (aka historic) baseball is played at Greenfield Village, but I also went to GV on its own several times this year and loved it. It is one of my very favorite places to go and buying a season pass was one of my best decisions of the year!

6. Tigers baseball. I went to a record number of games this season and never tired of it. I know most people find baseball boring, but I love it! Especially when I'm actually at the stadium. It's one of my very favorite things to do in the summer. This year I had a special treat of having very good seats a couple of times and that was very glorious. One day, with a very cool guy, I went to both an olde timey baseball game AND a Tigers game. That was a good day.

7. Family Vacation! I love my yearly family vacation to Ludington. This year was as magical as ever. I have a great family.

8. Watching the stars from the lighthouse in Ludington. I had never walked out to the lighthouse at night before, and sitting out there with friends one summer night was truly magical.

9. Trip to DC for Barry and Dana's wedding. I love Barry and Dana (my cousin and his wife) and was so happy for them when they got married. I also had a lot of fun with my family in DC!

10. Trip to Chicago to meet up with my friend Christi. This was a whirlwind trip but we packed a lot in! I even hailed a taxi for the first time! I love Chicago. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's my favorite city.

11. The Heidelberg Project. If you ever go to Detroit, please go to the Heidelberg Project. It is so strange and unimaginable. Is it art? Is it garbage? Is it terrifying? Is it awesome? Yes, to all four.

12. The whole month of October. Between Halloween parties, Edgar Allen Poe book club, Halloween Nights at Greenfield Village, and corn mazes, October was (and always is) a magical month.

2011 definitely had its wonderful parts. It was full of rewarding relationships, personal growth, and happy memories. But it was also a hard year for me in many ways, and I'm looking forward to a fresh start. I have a really good feeling about 2012. How about you?