A year in review

It's been nearly a year since I last posted, sorry about that. I've been busy. Or lazy, depending on how you look at it. So I'm back. My challenge, is to get myself back into the habit of writing stories for anyone to read. I can't imagine that I still have followers, but if I still do: g'day mate! if not, then this is really just for me to enjoy and archive my activities.
So, 2011... a crazy year. Here are the Cole's notes, I'll get into details more slowly, but read on for the highlights.

In 2011, I got my first 'real' job. A job where I have a salary, rather than a wage or a lump sum, and where I have to show up everyday, 5 days a week. Talk about a life changing experience! Let's just say, it took me awhile to adjust to the grind. The job is with a well-known British smoothie company with a slightly unorthodox approach to business. The floors of our office are covered in AstroTurf, and there are bean bag chairs a plenty. There is a ping pong table in the middle of our break room and we dress up in power suits once a year, just for fun. I couldn't have fallen into a better job, and am I ever grateful that I did.

In 2011, I traveled. The year saw me visit Whales, where I jumped off waterfalls, Manchester, where I cheered on United for the win, Dorset, where I walked along 14km of beautiful beaches, Spain, where I learned to play checkers, Italy, where I found myself in the middle of a horse race, Switzerland, where I sang my heart out, and Canada (twice), where I became a sister-in-law and celebrated Christmas. I hope to travel even more this year, and I'm perfectly situated to do so. In the pipes already are Newcastle and Amsterdam. I will make sure to report on my travels for all to read.

In 2011, I became a German. Thanks to a small loophole in policy and a large amount of work done by my parents, I am now the proud owner of a German passport. I can now stay in London, or anywhere in Europe, for as long as I like. I celebrated my German citizenship day with bratwurst and sauerkraut at the office, along with oom-pa-pa music. It was a good day.

In 2011, I danced. I kept up the salsa that I'd started when I first moved here and also went out to a couple of clubs. I danced so hard one night, I rolled my ankle, and I'm still suffering from that accident now. Through dancing, I made some friends, even dated a couple people, and have had a lovely time. I'm sure there is more dancing to look forward to.

In 2011, I moved again. I have said goodbye to that naughty little girl and dropped myself into central London. It was definitely hard saying goodbye to my little family in Walthamstow, but now I'm in a lovely flat, walking distance from just about everything, even Hyde park. House hunting in London is arduous, and the cost of living is incredibly high. I looked at houses that didn't have floors in them yet, nor toilets that work. I looked at rooms smaller then the closet I left behind in Cochrane. The place I'm in now is up for sale, so I'll have to move again soon, and start the whole horrible house-hunting adventure again.

So there you have it; 2011 in a nutshell. It was a really good year, and I hope 2012 can be even better. Considering some of the things I'm looking forward to, I can imagine it will be great; the Olympics, a trip to Edinburgh, some opera auditions and maybe, just maybe, I'll meet a goat.