Reflections on 2009

It always seems that New Year’s Eve is a good time to reflect on the past year, re-evaluate what is important in life and think about what to prioritize in the coming months. As I look back on the last year of my life, I realize it’s been a whirlwind of changes, firsts and excitement. I’m sharing my year in photos, offering a glimpse into my life and what 2009 held for it.

I rang in the new year in East Lansing, celebrating with great friends, like Nick Lucido. Just a few days later, I left my job at The State News, a place I’d worked for about two and a half years. It was the first time I made the big decision to leave a job I loved to pursue the next big opportunity in my life. I began my final semester of college at Michigan State University, still feeling like graduation was in the distant future. For my final college spring break, I was able to go snowboarding in Sun Valley, Idaho and enjoyed a week in the mountains with a good friend and good boarding.

When spring rolled around, I watched my Spartans play their way into the Final Four, feeling excitement for my school’s basketball team during my senior year. I got to see the team play in Detroit at Ford Field in the National Championship game. Though the green and white fell to North Carolina that day, I witnessed the overwhelming sense of pride in the state of Michigan and rejuvenation of Detroit inside that building.

In May I graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Advertising and specialization in Public Relations. Finishing college in four years with a degree I’m proud of was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. Shortly after, I landed an internship with Delta Dental of Michigan, working in corporate communications and starting down my path to becoming the communications professional I prepared to be in school. My boss was Ari Adler and he’s become a tremendously great mentor and helped me get excited about my future in Lansing.

During the spring and summer I focused on my internship, but found a little play time, too. I got to spend quite a bit of time at my family’s cottage on Hubbard Lake in northern Michigan and was able to celebrate my 22nd birthday with friends and family during a visit to Chicago.

For the first time in years, most of my family was together for a family reunion. We all gathered at our cottage to celebrate Grandma’s 80th birthday and everyone having a chance to get together. In August, I traveled to San Francisco for my first consulting gig. An old friend of mine works for Clixtr, a Silicon Valley startup that created an iPhone app around the ultimate social camera. The idea is innovative and I believe in the vision of the company and what location-aware photo sharing can mean for social networks, businesses and marketers. I helped with creating a PR and social media strategy and was proud to use my knowledge and experience to help the company start off on the right foot after its TechCrunch 50 launch.

This fall I made a decision to have knee surgery, attempting to fix problems that have plagued my leg for years. The procedure had a fancy name (Tibial Tubercle Transfer) and with some luck and physical therapy, the outcome should be exactly what I hoped for. Despite the knee brace and difficulty of travel, I was able to visit my parents at their new home in Colorado this Thanksgiving. After my Dad’s retirement, my parents relocated to Castle Rock, CO and our family was able to gather to celebrate the new life they’ve started. My younger brother lives in Seattle, so it was a joy to see him since I get so few chances to do so.

I’m ready to start 2010 and embark on the exciting journey ahead of me. I will be starting my new job as Communications Coordinator at Delta Dental in January and look forward to the challenges of becoming a full-time professional. Here’s to a wonderful new year!