2010

This may be really cliche, but it has been quite a year I've had, and I'd like to take a few minutes to reminisce.

What Happened For Me During the Year 2010

• Conquered my fear and came back to BYU for Winter Semester after the worst semester of school I ever had the previous Fall
• Said goodbye to a good friend who passed away, one of the hardest things I've had to do
  
• After failing Biology again, I finally passed the class the third time through, and actually learned a few things
• For the first time, I could not go either semester without failing a class
• After 19 years of general complacency, I decided to date more
  
• In one of the nicest things somebody has done for me, my roommate went and paid my rent without telling me or expecting payback, though I paid him back anyway
• Was upgraded to unlimited texting after exceeding my text limit by over 100 texts and being charged a fee of over 100 dollars for it...
  
• Became the undisputed loser at both Scrabble and bowling. Dang. Haha.
• Began writing music on my trumpet
  
• Made a homemade blackberry pie by myself (Well, the crust was bought, but the rest I made) ...though I think the girl I made it for was allergic to it, and ate it anyway to not hurt my feelings. I just found that out, though.
  
• Held hands for the first time
  
• Also had my heart broken for the first time...
• Was inspired by one of my friends to start writing in my journal consistently again. Since then, I've finished my old journal and have made it about 80 pages into a new one. Journal writing has helped me get out a lot of stress, and I'm grateful for good influences such as this friend.
  
• Saw Cliff Lee pitch a great game in his debut for the Seattle Mariners...but still lose without a single run scored by his team
  
• Went nearly the whole Summer without having a job
• Swam in the Great Salt Lake...that was cool.
• Planned a birthday party for one of my friends, who I also home teach, to go stargazing in the mountains, and felt good watching it turn out to be a really fun time
  
• Hiked Mount Timpanogos
• Drove through a blizzard for the first time in the mountains between Grand Junction and Provo...without crashing, too
• Went to my cousin Courtney's wedding, who's been one of my best friends since we were toddlers, and saw her in one of the happiest moments of her life
• Went on a cruise in the Caribbean with my grandma and cousins, one of the best parts of the year
  
• Went Snuba diving in Grand Turk, something I never thought I'd do
• Relaxed at the famous Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas
  
• Learned how to sing a lot better and performed solos several times in front of an audience
  
• Took a weight lifting class which has helped me become stronger over the past few months
• Got a 100% on a test in the BYU Testing Center
  
• Went to Tim Tebow's home debut for the Denver Broncos and saw his first NFL victory

These are just a few moments from the past year. Looking back, a lot of the year may appear to be quite a downer, but I've had a lot of great experience and have learned a lot. I'm looking forward to 2011, a new year I can build on old accomplishments and strengthen myself for the future. I'll be spending the rest of 2010 with my family. It's time to say goodbye to the past year, though. Many of the moments and times I will sincerely miss, but it's time to start anew. Welcome in 2011!

Wisdom Teeth

Yesterday, I had my Wisdom Teeth taken out. This has been quite an interesting experience, especially what happened right after. When I got out of surgery, I was almost completely out of it. On the way home, I started doing the Macarena in the car and told my Mom how much I loved and appreciated her. Haha. I probably don't do that enough, so that wasn't too bad. Then, in what might have been a mistake, I got out my phone and texted several friends some awkward messages, including one expressing my regret that I wasn't a good enough friend, another saying how happy I was for one of my friend's achievements, and then one more telling a girl how grateful I was we're friends and saying she was one of the most awesome girls I know.

So, yeah, maybe my judgment wasn't all there, but it did make me think about why it took narcotics and loopiness to make me say what was on my mind to these people. I know maybe some of it was really weird, but everything I said was the truth, and I don't really even regret saying it. Sometimes, it takes a judgment lapse to do what we really want, and it should be easier.

Anyway, my cheeks are so puffed up right now, and I look ridiculous. It also kind of hurts. I'm looking forward to feeling better soon.