2006, In Retrospect

To commemmorate the new year, I shall reflect on the happenings of the last year... or at least attempt to. ;)

In 2006, I:

1. Completed my second and third terms of my social work diploma. I have certainly learned a lot of theoretical knowledge.

2. Worked at the Source by Circuit City. I had a lot of fun working there. Some of my coworkers were a blast, and it was really nice having a job I could leave at work. I also learned that apparently I am attractive (to strangers at least; just not people I know) when I got hit on numerous times by a wide variety of people... but creepy people, all.

3. Stuggled with my professional confidence. By that I mean confidence in my skills as a social worker. Losing my field placement was difficualt, and school was harder in this second term than it had been last year. Even at my new field placement, I still struggle with that, because it is really better suited to Child and Youth workers, and while I do get along great with my supervisor, and there are lots of benifits, I feel as though I am not being challenged enough to prepare me for a job. Maybe I am just overly picky, or feeling overly vulnerable, but... well, God has it in His hands.

4. Lived independently. I have been cooking my own meals, paying my bills, having my own apartment, getting around the city by myself, and making my own decisions for over a year now.

5. I have been taking more of a leadership role with young people's. I have been a helper for the last two New Year's and camp, a leader in Edmonton until September, helped plan May Long and prepared a Bible study for the girls there. This is a very different role than I have previously had- which was pretty much to sit and wait until someone joined me, or to bemoan my lack of close friends at young people's. Now, it is different. This New Year's, for example, I spent a lot of time with the younger girls- the ones just coming into young people's who really don't know anyone. They were so much fun to hang out with, and I really think they appreciated it too. Well, at least they say they do. I know when I was their age, I really appreciated those girls that pretty much welcomed me into young people's, and now it appears I am doing it too.

6. I bought all ten seasons of Friends DVDs. The next series I would love to have is The Office. It is hilarious!

7. I stored up a lot of memories- like the time when Rebekah and I got taken out for Valentine's by a couple of our friends, or the times when Julie stayed over and we'd all stay up ridiculously late talking, or just cooking here with my neighbors, or running through the sprinklers in the park, or having long and intersting conversations on msn, or the time I used a fire extinguisher for the first time, or some of the great road trips we have taken, or just going out to eat with friends, or the time when a bunch of us walked all the way back from Steepes, or the crazy old man that I see on the bus occasionally, and you get the idea... I could go on and on.

It was a good year.