Year in Review: 2010

This year has been incredibly eventful, and I just wanted to remember some of its best moments and some of my accomplishments in 2010 before I turn to my goals and plans for the upcoming year.  In more or less chronological order, here they are.

In January I married a wonderful person who makes me laugh and makes me pancakes.  After we had started to plan a big June wedding, we decided that it wasn't the right financial decision for us.  We were also both in the final stages of writing our dissertations, so we were short on the time and energy to plan.  On January 22nd we had a small courthouse wedding with immediate family and some close friends.  It was an awesome day!  I often feel that I've won the in-law lottery, as my M's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and other relatives are kind, funny, smart, and welcoming people.

Photo by Julian Allen Photography

Over the winter and spring months I revised my dissertation, and in June I defended it. M. defended his a couple of weeks later in July.  After more than a decade, I ended my tenure as a student.  I had a few interviews and accepted a job.  Also during this past year I taught five classes - two of them brand new preps - at three different institutions, made progress on two journal articles, worked on editing a primary source for publication, presented some of my research at a forum at the university at which I took my first full-time faculty position, and developed a brand new class. 

In June I started this blog.

After M. and I had both defended our dissertations and ended the academic year, we were finally able to take a belated honeymoon.  We spent nine days traveling in Italy, spending time in Venice, Siena, Florence, and Rome.  It was an amazing trip, and we made many happy memories. 

M., Bailey, and I moved across the Midwest to a new town and a new home for my new job at the end of July.

I ran a 5K and three half-marathons.  Last December I set a 2010 goal of running three half-marathons, and I accomplished it by toeing the line at Virginia Beach, VA in March, Mankato, MN in October, and San Antonio, TX in November.  Although I didn't quite reach the time goals I had for these half-marathons or set any new PRs, my times got successively better, and I finished San Antonio about ten minutes faster than I finished at Virginia Beach.  Even better, I feel like I have a pretty solid base going into next year.  I also was able to see a dear friend in Virginia Beach and my sister, brother-in-law, and mother in San Antonio.  

In October our niece was born and we got to meet her and cuddle with her during a week-long visit to Toronto for the winter holidays.

I didn't do everything that I had hoped in 2010, but overall I can't complain.  Although there were a number of stressful moments, days, and weeks as I finished my dissertation, as I moved, and as I have continued my search for a tenure-track job, there were many truly joyful moments this year.  They included my advisor greeting me as Dr. for the first time, celebrating my marriage with loved ones, meandering the streets of Siena and Florence with my spouse, and crossing the finish lines at my races.  What were some of the best moments for you during 2010?