2010 Recap
12/30/2010 12:42 p.m. | Personal
Another year, another recap. I covered 2009 previously, and now another year has passed.
Change was once again a big factor. While some people fear change, I gladly embrace it in my life because I know it will happen with our without my influence. Here are some of the big changes in my life in 2010.
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I moved in with Meg
This was a pretty big step. I predicted last year that I would move out of my parents house, and it happened very early, in March of 2010. We live together in midtown in Houston and love our place. Wood floors, 2 bedrooms, and a short walk to some great places to eat. Aside from the long drive to work, we really love the new place and have really enjoyed living together.
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Promotion at Schipul
This was also predicted, though I really didn't comprehend how big of a step this would be. Leadership is much more than just navigating in a certain direction. My new position as product manager has me working with a great team to build a software product. I have loved the challenge thus far and am looking forward to more from this change in 2011.
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Took a solo vacation to MaxFunCon
This was a real treat. I am a big fan of the internet, and some of the most creative and thought-provoking people on the web were at this tiny "conference" in California. It was probably too expensive, and I doubt I'll get to go back in 2011, but it was a great experience that will not be forgotten anytime soon. One of the best takeaways was how much younger I was than most people there, which tells me I have plenty of time to keep up with the cool internet kids.
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I spent more than I made
My stocks went up, my paycheck went up, but my net worth went down. I've been running Mint for a few years so I've got some history on the data, and the big difference this year was moving into an apartment. In NYC I was making pretty good money, and in 2009 I was living at home, so the cut in pay I took moving back to Texas combined with a pretty big extra expense each month has put me more in the red this year than in the black. It's only a couple hundred bucks, but it's a big deal to me. Financial stability will be something I work on in 2011.
I also got to travel to San Francisco and Washington D.C (twice) from trainings through Schipul, so I got to fly on some airplanes as predicted. I've learned project management, some Drupal tricks, and a bit of Django as well. Work has been a challenge, but I have continued to learn and read as I hoped to do.
I had a goal from last year to be more active, but that didn't happen at all. Much like I lost money, I also gained weight. My brother has taken every opportunity he has to remind me of this. I quit my gym during the year because I didn't ever go, and I just got a spin bike for Christmas so I am hoping that will get me motivated to get fit in 2011.
While I focused more on the moving part than the in with Meg part, it really has been a great year living with her. We are learning how to cook, how to keep our place clean, and how to run a home. I am looking forward to even more time spent with Meg in 2011.