The year that was...

Just one more day and 2011 is finally over! Can I say I just can't wait for this year to end? I'm all excited for 2012 :) 2011 turned out to be a good year for me. Although I traveled less  which is kind of unusual for a wanderlust like me, I was also able to focus on the other aspects of my grown-up life -- like saving hard-earned money rather than spending it in travel, prioritizing relationships, focusing on work and all other things that matter.

So here are the highlights of my 2011 :) 

#1 - Travel

I traveled less this year compared to the past years but that doesn't mean I am slowly losing the wanderlust in me. It's just that there are other priorities I've wanted to achieve besides traveling.

This year, I traveled to Boracay, Bohol, San Juan, La Union (surfing makes me high!), Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point, Baguio, and Iloilo and few more day trips and staycations within Manila.

#2 - Learning new things 

I dreaded Adobe Photoshop for the longest time because it intimidated me. I'm not the creative type, as you know. But the time has come when I have to learn and embrace it because my work calls for it. I started learning it by watching Erick create project covers for our reports. haha.. But of course, I can't always depend on him to do our covers since he's also one busy bee. So I had to learn it myself.  It was a love-hate relationship . I struggled at first but now I can say I can create a decent cover for our project proposals and reports. I am also learning Adobe InDesign to enhance the layout of our reports. Yay for that!

Currently, I am also handling a database project which started out as an ad-hoc task for me. As I often say, I'm not the person to manage this project. I'm getting comfortable managing the project and take ownership for it. I never thought that being a project manager could actually be a very fulfilling job given all the headaches that comes with it.

#3 - Family time

My dad came home last September and it meant more time to be with him. We celebrated Christmas in Iloilo, my dad's hometown. It was great seeing my grandmother who still has a very sharp memory despite her old age at 89. She can still remember all the small details in the family. Our house in Iloilo was finally finished so we can probably go there more often to visit grandma and relatives .. and we can visit Boracay, Guimaras, or Bacolod because they're all close to each other. It was really heartwarming seeing all my relatives in Iloilo. The last time we went there was four years ago and so much has changed but all for the good.

#4 - Running

I joined three fun runs this year: Condura Run, Hyundai Fun Run, and Integrity Run. I recently discovered the joy of running and its health benefits. I used to hit the gym but found it a bit boring except for my belly dancing classes. 

I also went for 10k on the Hyundai Run and finished it in 1 hr and 30 minutes or less. Not bad eh? 

#5 - Food trip


If there's anything that would top my activity list this year, it'd be eating out. Erick and I discovered a lots of restaurants and hole-in-the-wall food places that all served good food.
With the influx of vouchers, we were able to dine in otherwise expensive places also. Thus, I gained a bit weight which I'm liking since I was skin and bones before.

#6 - my BLOG

I started this blog in 2010 but took a break for a while. This year, I became active again in writing and I took time in writing my entries to make them informative and helpful especially the travel and food entries.Writing is therapeutic for me and provides a good break from my 9-to-6 office work.

So thank you for reading my blog :) Seeing the number of blog page views motivates me write better and more.


2011 proved to be a good year for me despite the feeling that something's lacking.  I'm really not sure what it is, but I just get that weird feeling. So, I'm hopeful for 2012. Just good vibes!


Happy NEW Year everyone!
 
Xoxo,

streetsmartgirl