january 2006...purple high lights!
march 2006...going blonde for the summer months
august 2006...a little darker, a little longer
october 2006...ready for baylor homecoming...not terribly different from before i moved from austin. mostly just longer with some dark low lights
december 2006...it wouldn't be a trip to austin without a trip to jackson ruiz...and vivo of course! darker with a hint of red. loving the dark colors!
ok so that's my hair progression through the year!
my personal theme for the year was "why not?" i'm proud to say i stuck by it. why not move? why not quit my job? why not make that call? why not send that email? why not go a little early and stay a little late? i learned that life is to short to not be lived. why not live life and enjoy it? cities aren't going anywhere, and there are different jobs to be had. the why nots in my life caused some relationships to grow, some to form, and some to fall apart. i learned something new, either about myself or other people, with each why not that came up in my life. i'm proud of myself for taking a chance on so many things, and whether i triumphed or failed, i was me and it's been my life to live.
i think two of the biggest challenges of 2006 were deciding to move to chicago and actually living in chicago. the entire process of making the decision, working through the logistics and following through were precisely orchestrated and executed perfectly. timing was perfect. i got to spend the summer with one of my best friends laughing and drinking more wine on her porch than should have ever been allowed. i got to leave my job at the right time for me. i find myself desperately trying to please people, and to be able to think and act for myself without thought of letting down my co-workers, or roommate, or austin friends, was nice for a change. ultimately i found that although they were sad, all were supportive. i could not ask for more.
actually living in chicago has been a blessing far beyond anything i could imagine. it's completely different than how i would have pictured it or even described it last august, but i feel like i'm situated right in the middle of something that great stories are made of. in 5 months i've formed solid friendships with fabulous people, stayed decently busy with work and created memories with my best friend that we will cherish forever. not many people, especially girls, could share a one bedroom apartment and synced cycles and not kill each other. i did have a dream the other day that she kicked me... seriously, we are lucky to share not only space but a solid and strong bond that many people live their whole life and never know, at least in my opinion - she might think differently!
it was a year that took me all over the country again. as far as i can remember, i visited the likes of
-abilene, texas
-durham, north carolina
-long beach, california
-laguna beach, california
-los angeles, california
-oklahoma city, oklahoma
-houston, texas
-new braunfels, texas
-memphis, tennessee
-more trips than i can count to waco, texas
-st. louis, missouri
-san diego, california
-oceanside, california
-carlsbad, california
-and a rainy day in la jolla, california
i got to enjoy more baylor baseball in oklahoma city and houston. OKC gave me the chance to live like a 21 year old for a weekend and houston was the hottest 4 straight days that i've ever sat through my entire life.
california, both times, was fabulous. there are truly no words, but you know me, i'll try. it's a place that you can very easily fall in love with. the scenery is gorgeous, the temperature is perfect, and when you top that off with the wonderful people i got to share that time with, some old friends, some new, it makes it harder to leave every time.
i ate a many a meal at a many a restaurants this year, but this 5 stand alone as my favorite from 2006
1. Vivo's: Austin, Texas - i made sure that i had time to eat there while i was in austin last week. i order: puffy taco plate, bean/shredded chicken/guacamole and i can never get enough of that garlicy salsa!
2. Juan in a Million: Austin, Texas- i spent most saturday and some sunday mornings at the restaurant rehashing the night with friends. this is the restaurant i miss the most, especially after a long night out. i order: what else, the don juan!
3. Giordano's: Chicago, Illinois- this is my favorite chicago style pizza in the city. the best part is the cheese grease that soaks into the crust! i order: chicago style pepperoni
4. La Madeline: Austin, Texas- every time i go there i'm tempted to order a bowl of tomato basil soup and a straw! it's that good, and i promise you can find any comparable!
5. Chick-fil-A: Austin, Texas- even though i ate this everyday for 2 years, there are times when i'd sell my first child on the black market for a #1 (Chick-fil-A sandwich & waffle potato fries) with cheese, polynesian sauce and a sweet tea!
and of course i found plenty of dance floors to keep me company this year. if i was some place that didn't have one, i made one. my favorite (newly released) songs this year were...
1. Hips Don't Lie - Shakira
2. Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake
3. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
4. How to Save a Life- The Fray (surprising since you know i NEVER like whiney boy groups!)
5. Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
how would i spend my evenings if i wasn't watching something i tivo'd? this one is kind of hard for me to remember, because when you live with different people, your tv shows change, and i lived with three different people this year. favorite shows of the year...
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Big Brother: All Stars
3. Laguna Beach
4. Friday Night Lights
5. either of the dancing shows...So You Think You Can Dance or Dancing with the Stars
none of the movies i saw this year made their way into my all time favorites, and i'm so attached to those that i sometimes forget to watch new movies. however, i did find affection for...
1. Little Miss Sunshine
2. The Devil Wears Prada
3. The Break - Up
one of my best personal accomplishments for the year was finding something that i'm truly good at. i offered to address Cari's wedding invitations, and while i can find every imperfection of my handwriting on each envelope, it was a relief to know that no one else could. plus i got to do the writing on the front of the program! what a compliment! when asked at the reception where i learned to write like that i responded, "2nd grade i suppose!" not to mention that i set a goal and accomplished it ahead of schedule! perhaps i turned over a new leaf in 2006!
finally...should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind... i will sleep easy in 2007, because of the quality time i spent with loved ones in 2006. spending quality time with people whom no matter how much distance or miles separate us, we find time to enjoy each other. be it a phone call, an email or a face to face visit. these are relationships i will always cherish and times that i will never forget. this is what represents my life of 2006.
