A new decade...

Hey folks, as the year ends, I thought I would take a look back. I stole this from a friend's blog (only he used it in 2007, but who cares) and shortened it a lot so we wouldn't both be here forever. So, here's the year in review:

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Won the flag football league, volunteered at a homeless clinic, bought a car, snowshoed my first 5K and ran my first 7K, played DDR and Rock Band (SO fun), did 4 14er's in one day, ate a pizza with an egg on it (thanks, Jenni!), drank a boot at the Crescent Moon, went to a Cubs game, and a college football game, and a WPS game, went to Salt Lake, Sacramento, and Minneapolis, rented a car, got published in an academic journal, and all sorts of medical procedure/surgery things that might gross you out but were actually really cool (intubating kids, holding a beating heart during surgery, doing a circumcision, stitching people back up, getting an arterial line in).


2. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Well, I'll list a couple, since following directions has never been my strong suit. Passing Step II of my boards, orchestrating this whole residency interview thing, getting through my Sub-I's and my surgery rotation, and if I had to pick just one, I would say doing so many new things (see above) cause I'm pretty comfortable in my comfort zone and it's a big deal for me to step outside it.


3. What was your biggest failure?
That I still can't wink.
Just kidding.
I really can't, but if we're being serious, I would have to say that I wish I had kept up more on reading for school during all this down time. I know that I needed my elective time, and I've appreciated it, but I could have done much more with it and not stressed myself out too much. Epic failure.


4. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Chicago with Hilary. Everything about it made me really excited-riding the El, Cubs game, WPS game, Chicago dogs, Buckingham Fountain. Everything.


5. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Eating meals with friends. I ate a lot of meals alone. Also praying. Also riding my bike. And I wish I'd cooked more, like real food.


6. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sitting at my computer doing stupid things. And eating crap.


7. What was your favorite TV program?
If I had to pick only one, Firefly. Hands down. But also, I really like Castle and have gotten really into NCIS. And of course, Bones and The Office are returning favorites.


8. What was the best book you read?
Oh, that is indeed a tough one for me. I really liked Sherlock Holmes and The Book Thief and the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. I read a ton of other good things, but those would probably be my favorites.


9. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
I think one big thing I learned was that I regret not doing things much more than doing them, whether it's trying something new, stepping outside my comfort zone, doing those things I've always wanted, or even just calling up a friend--I need to just do it. You'd think it wouldn't have taken me so long.

That's it, kids. I'd love to hear your highlights/lessons learned/favorites of the year. May your 2010 be a year to remember!