2010 - A Year in Review

It's amazing how much can happen in a year.

One year ago I couldn't wait for 2009 to be over and for 2010 to begin. I was out of work, sitting on the couch everyday watching TV and sulking every time I sent out a resume with no response. I needed to make some positive changes in my life. I told myself that I was going to grab 2010 by the balls and make it a fantastic year. I did exactly that.

January 2010 - My EI was running out and I was beginning to worry about money. It was a tough time for me because I knew that I was going to have to start applying for jobs that weren't in my field. I wasn't ready to give up my Interior Design career because I had worked so hard to get there. I had a job offer to become an Admin Assistant at a daycare. I wasn't overly thrilled but it was work. I tried to keep my head up and tell myself I could still look for 'real' work and that this wasn't the end of the world.

By March I had landed my 'dream job'. Regis Canada had offered me a position as a Store Designer. This job couldn't have been more perfect for me. While I was out of work I did some free-lancing for a local Interior Designer who specialized in Hair Salons... this came in handy being that Regis is the largest acquirer, owner, and franchiser of hair salons, beauty schools and beauty stores. I also spent a lot of time studying to become a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional. In the past Regis had worked on LEED projects that didn't go as smoothly as planned so they were impressed by my certification. On top of being a perfect fit, the office is about 5 minutes from home, there are fantastic company perks and the people I work with are wonderful! I started this position in May as my boss was on Mat Leave and they wanted me to start back at the same time as her.

August 2010 - On a whim I decided that I wanted to start running. I hated running, hated it! But, for some reason I was intrigued. I found a program online called 'Couch to 5k' and decided to give it a go. Turns out I LOVED running! I couldn't get enough of it... I was addicted. For 2011 I am planning to run in the Underwear Affair 10k run -- that is my resolution, or goal for this year. My mother in law moved and gave me her treadmill so I could keep up with the running over winter. Well I hate the treadmill, I still get on it 2-3 times a week but I'd rather be outside. I think I will have to start slow with my training, but I'll be back into it before I know it.

October 2010 - my boyfriend and I opened a reptile store together (www.squamata.ca). This was a scary yet exciting project to take on. It all started with one lonely chameleon, which snowballed into 6 chameleons, 6 leopard geckos, and 6 snakes. The original plan was just to breed the animals, and sell them out of our house but the house kept feeling smaller and smaller so we decided to open up a shop. Business is decent for only being open 3 months - I hope that with some advertising and as our name starts to spread through the reptile community our business will continue to grow in 2011.

I am ready to take on 2011 and find out what we have in store over the next year. As I previously mentioned, I intend on running the 10k Underwear Affair run in August so I will be focused on training for that in the beginning of the year. I can't wait to get back outside and doing some real running. I also want to work on changing our eating habits and start making healthier meals for us. I have fallen victim to Sam's anti-vegetable campaign and it's sad because I love vegetables. Just the other day I tried edamame and I am now OBSESSED with it. So I am slowly going to cut out fat, and ramp up the amount of fruits and vegetables that we are eating to make some positive changes in our diet.

Cheers!