A retrospective of 2010

2010 was a very full year for me. A lot of really great things happened and a number of really shitty things as well. I am very happy to say that I continue to feel like a better and more complete person, particularly post- college. DC has treated me well, and I feel my blessings keenly. Here is an incomplete view into the past year, (and if I get inspired I might do another one later, including pictures that didn't make it onto either of my blogs during the year).

I started the year with a trip to New Mexico. Holy goodness, New Mexico, you are stunning.

Also, my mama turned 50! Wowza.

February brought record snowfall in DC.

I was ill-equipped, having left most of my winter gear in Minnesota because I scoffed at what DC calls "winter." It came back to bite me when I was playing in 4 feet of snow wearing non-waterproof boots and jeans on rotation (Soak one pair through and hang it on the radiator to dry while wearing the other pair. Rinse, repeat.) Nevertheless, my dog's extreme joy about the snow was infectious, and helped me have a food time even though my housemates were both complete winter bums.

Obviously one of the best ways to deal with winter is by making and eating a whole lot of cake. This one is a boston cream pie (though it is actually a cake, I assure you).

Raleigh found a new buddy, and I found a new friend (of the extra special variety).

I made -- holy shit -- baklava:

I have to tell you: the crackle and amazing aroma that happens when you pour the syrup over the hot-from-the-oven baklava is pure magic.

Spring, probably the most miraculous of seasons, happened.

I also went through a mild cupcake obsession, complete with dinosaur sprinkles. I regret nothing.

Then the farmer's market happened and I discovered strawberries and cream. Strawberries and cream are such a simple, such an obvious, such a delicious pairing that they should probably be illegal. Luckily they're not.

My dog practiced his hand-eye coordination. Er, his TEETH-eye coordination.

My dear Elise graduated from Cornell, and I went to celebrate both her graduation and her move to DC! (And, you know, help drive her shit down.)

It got hot and I ate way too many freeze pops. All the time. If one is going to live in Washington DC, one must learn how to cope with summer. So what if my method involves consuming copious amounts of frozen sugar with alarming colors and artificial flavors?

This guy and I decided we would try to move in together after the FCNL internship:

The flicking-you-off is accidental! I promise!

My Costa Rica-sister Iliana had a beautiful baby boy, Kaleb Arroyo Mena.

Around the same time we also learned that both of these women (Patricia on the left and Alicia on the right) were struggling with uterine cancer, which seems to be linked to the atrocious things they endured during their capturas during the civil war.

Madre Alicia, the last surviving founder of COMADRES, passed away on August 11, 2011, due to complications from her cancer and the treatments. She was an incredible woman: brave, loving, devoted, faithful, and committed to her beliefs and the work of the organization she helped start. Her loss is nothing short of devastating.

I don't have pictures for these, but they must be mentioned:
One of my classmates from Haverford died, unexpectedly and far too soon: Dylan Ravenfox, on August 8.
Becca's grandfather passed away, in the fall.
Elise's dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, which has also spread to his brain.

Elise and I went to the Rally to Restore Sanity/Keep Fear Alive. A lot of people went to the Rally to Restore Sanity/Keep Fear Alive:

Oh yeah, I moved in with Stephen and Ranajoy (see the boston cream pie picture, above) and Elise, my friend since 7th grade and co-blogger on Beautiful/Delicious. We like our pets.

My family came to visit at the end of October, including Fernando, the SteigerBuss household's exchange student from Germany.

We took DC by storm.

Oh, and suddenly my sisters are both way too cool for school.

In November I crashed my bike.

My face came out of it okay, but I suffered a severe concussion accompanied by a minor brain contusion. I've said it before, but I need to say it again - thank you: to Colin, for going to the hospital with me and then taking sick leave to stay with me while I was so loopy I struggled to complete sentences without forgetting words; to Elise, for picking up where Colin left off; to my parents, for calling every day (if not more) to check on me and talk me down from my alarming levels of anxiety (caused in part, I think, by the anti-seizure medication I was on); and to Alex's dad, Larry, for giving me long-distance medical advice since I don't have a primary care provider at the moment and consequently had absolutely no way to receive follow-up care after being discharged from the hospital.

Another one of my classmates from Haverford, Scott Muller, died on (if I'm not mistaken) November 12. I'm a little fuzzy about the date because I found out after I'd beat up my brain, but that should not be seen in any way as diminishing the alarm and sadness I feel about his passing.

And once again it is winter. After cake, the best way to deal with winter is soup. Lots of soup.

I went to New York to ring in the new year with these lovely ladies:

They are, as you can see, serious about everything, all the time.

I feel kind of odd about not having a neat way to tie this up, but the fact is that life doesn't pause just because it's the end of a year. More to come in 2011.