Or so I thought until I got to work today and found out that I was not the only one that preferred to stay in and do absolutely nothing in one of the craziest cities in the world on New Year's Eve.
Last year I did it up right. A bunch of my girlfriends and I got a hotel room at Caesar's, we hung out on the strip all night, counted down with thousands of people, watched the fireworks explode off the casinos, had an assortment of alcoholic beverages, and kissed a random boy standing next to me at midnight (no need to mention it was the worst kiss of my life -- it was midnight and I wasn't about to be picky)...
But this year.. I've just returned from eight days of vacation. Eight days that have entirely whiped me out. Eight days where I never consecutively slept in the same bed for more than two nights. And honestly, only had one really good night's sleep because I was totally exhausted from traveling the first day, bridesmaid dress shopping, and the calm of the winter blizzard that hit the second after I landed.
So I think instead of spending a lot of money at a nightclub I'm too tired to enjoy or going to the strip with some of my insane friends that plan to be there passed out on the curbs until the wee hours of the morning, I'm really excited to go with my roommate to our friend Brooke's for appetizers and then dinner with them and a few friends. Brooke is an amazing cook so even apps at her house will make me happy. And turning in early is A-ok with me.
I have such a big week ahead, and I'm already only operating on 50% steam. I don't need to go out, be out all night, and be operating at 35% for the rest of the week.
And yes, as I write this, I'm trying to convince myself that this is the right decision. Hence my having to reiterate it to my friend, my mom, my roommate, my blog readers, etc. Part of my brain is saying, "You idiot.. You live in LAS VEGAS. How can you not go to the strip?? You're not going to live here forever!!" But I'm just really trying to tell that part of my brain to go to sleep first and let me have a little R&R.
I hope everyone has an amazingly safe and wonderful New Year! And congrats to my beautiful cousin, Julia, and her now fiance' Tom, after just getting engaged a few hours ago!!! What an amazing way to end a great year :-)
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Sayonara 2007!
I just returned from a great 8 day vacation back in Iowa, and I am completely exhausted. However, I wanted to get some thoughts out for my memories before I fall into my bed, avoiding unpacking for a couple more days :-)
I really do love Christmas. It's just such an appreciative time. Iowa was so so very cold, but I will admit it was pretty to have a white holiday. I of course loved spending time with my family. A few highlights were definitely hanging out with my cousin Brett's two little girls who I absolutely adore. It was also great to play games at the Monaghan Xmas and bond with my girl cousins at the Andrew Xmas. I have an awesome family, and I am always so happy to get to spend more time with them.
On another note, I rarely leave Iowa without a swollen heart after spending amazing times with my friends back there. I am so truly blessed to be able to go home and see such wonderful people and know that no matter what, they will be there to support me. The first night I stayed at Jess and Steph's place, and we looked through Jessica's photo albums from when we were little. It was hilarious looking at pictures of all of us at birthday parties when we were 5 and 6.. To realize that we've been friends for that long, remained so close despite 1500 miles between us, it just makes me feel so incredibly lucky to have these people in my life.
So all that mushiness aside, this has been a pretty incredible year.. To recap, I found this survey I did back in 2003, and figured I would just update it. Hope you all have a fantastic New Year's and that 2008 is wonderful for you!
MOST ANTICIPATED MOMENT OF 2007: My summer trips.. I was so homesick, and to get to spend time with my dad in San Francisco, my mom in Kansas City and my best friend in Phoenix, it was enough to get me through a couple more months before getting to go home.
BEST PARTY OF 2007: This is a toss-up between my dad's 60th birthday party which was a lot of fun or Shaun & Julie Moylan's wedding.. I mean, you can't really beat an Irish wedding reception :) But it was great to plan such a big surprise for my dad as well.
BEST PURCHASE OF 2007: Hmm.. thats a tough one. Probably my new cell phone. I'm still a big fan especially since it has lasted many drops :)
BEST SUPPORT GROUP OF 2007: My mom has especially been a rockstar this year through all my troubles with work, being homesick, family issues.
BEST SUMMER HOUSE GUESTS OF 2007: It wasn't really summer, but I loved Jessica and Stephanie coming to visit in April. Mostly because Steph had never been here before and we got to do lots of fun things together.
BEST SPONTANEOUS VACATION OF 2007: The trip to LA for the Notre Dame vs. UCLA game with Brad and Tiff. We literally decided at 9:30 am on Friday that we would leave at 8 pm that night. We seriously had so much fun and Notre Dame actually won!!!
BEST MOMENT OF 2007: How can you pick one moment... Getting my new job offer, working my first big event, all my crazy travels this summer and fall, my birthday celebrations, San Francisco with dad, Kansas City with mom, visiting Kelly in Phoenix, finally getting to go back to Iowa to see Devan play after being away for 6 months and battling some bad homesickness, trips to the OG with my Vegas girls, college football Saturdays... seriously -- it's been a good year.
BEST TV SHOW OF 2007: Gossip Girls.. Penn Badgley, I heart you.
BEST JOB OF 2007: Working Rock for the Cure.. It was such an insane rush to get to work such a huge event for an amazing cause. Plus the celeb sightings wasn't bad at all either ;-)
BEST THRILL OF 2007: Working the Ocean's 13 movie premiere red carpet
BEST DECISION OF 2007: Taking my new job position. I am so excited by what I'm doing every day, and I am truly very happy.
I really do love Christmas. It's just such an appreciative time. Iowa was so so very cold, but I will admit it was pretty to have a white holiday. I of course loved spending time with my family. A few highlights were definitely hanging out with my cousin Brett's two little girls who I absolutely adore. It was also great to play games at the Monaghan Xmas and bond with my girl cousins at the Andrew Xmas. I have an awesome family, and I am always so happy to get to spend more time with them.
On another note, I rarely leave Iowa without a swollen heart after spending amazing times with my friends back there. I am so truly blessed to be able to go home and see such wonderful people and know that no matter what, they will be there to support me. The first night I stayed at Jess and Steph's place, and we looked through Jessica's photo albums from when we were little. It was hilarious looking at pictures of all of us at birthday parties when we were 5 and 6.. To realize that we've been friends for that long, remained so close despite 1500 miles between us, it just makes me feel so incredibly lucky to have these people in my life.
So all that mushiness aside, this has been a pretty incredible year.. To recap, I found this survey I did back in 2003, and figured I would just update it. Hope you all have a fantastic New Year's and that 2008 is wonderful for you!
MOST ANTICIPATED MOMENT OF 2007: My summer trips.. I was so homesick, and to get to spend time with my dad in San Francisco, my mom in Kansas City and my best friend in Phoenix, it was enough to get me through a couple more months before getting to go home.
BEST PARTY OF 2007: This is a toss-up between my dad's 60th birthday party which was a lot of fun or Shaun & Julie Moylan's wedding.. I mean, you can't really beat an Irish wedding reception :) But it was great to plan such a big surprise for my dad as well.
BEST PURCHASE OF 2007: Hmm.. thats a tough one. Probably my new cell phone. I'm still a big fan especially since it has lasted many drops :)
BEST SUPPORT GROUP OF 2007: My mom has especially been a rockstar this year through all my troubles with work, being homesick, family issues.
BEST SUMMER HOUSE GUESTS OF 2007: It wasn't really summer, but I loved Jessica and Stephanie coming to visit in April. Mostly because Steph had never been here before and we got to do lots of fun things together.
BEST SPONTANEOUS VACATION OF 2007: The trip to LA for the Notre Dame vs. UCLA game with Brad and Tiff. We literally decided at 9:30 am on Friday that we would leave at 8 pm that night. We seriously had so much fun and Notre Dame actually won!!!
BEST MOMENT OF 2007: How can you pick one moment... Getting my new job offer, working my first big event, all my crazy travels this summer and fall, my birthday celebrations, San Francisco with dad, Kansas City with mom, visiting Kelly in Phoenix, finally getting to go back to Iowa to see Devan play after being away for 6 months and battling some bad homesickness, trips to the OG with my Vegas girls, college football Saturdays... seriously -- it's been a good year.
BEST TV SHOW OF 2007: Gossip Girls.. Penn Badgley, I heart you.
BEST JOB OF 2007: Working Rock for the Cure.. It was such an insane rush to get to work such a huge event for an amazing cause. Plus the celeb sightings wasn't bad at all either ;-)
BEST THRILL OF 2007: Working the Ocean's 13 movie premiere red carpet
BEST DECISION OF 2007: Taking my new job position. I am so excited by what I'm doing every day, and I am truly very happy.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
I'll be home for Christmas...
When I look back on past holidays, I always remember my favorite Christmas as the year my dad got me my own little tree for my bedroom. In reality, I now know that the bank Christmas tree was too tall and they had to cut off the top. This little "Charlie Brown tree" as my mom called it, was brought to my room where I decorated it with lights and ornaments and I thought it was the most incredibly beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I loved it so much, even though now looking back on it, it was probably a pitiful little dead piece of evergreen. It's something I've never forgotten.
I love Christmas. I always have. Ever since I was ten, I took over putting the lights outside our house. I was the 'Clark Griswold' of the family. This year I decorated my own house as best I could on an extremely tight budget. I had envisioned a beautiful gorgeous tree, but that was not possible with the balance in my checking account. So as I was at the grocery store on Sunday, I saw this little two foot fake tree. It reminded me of the tree I had as a little girl, and at $3.97 it was right in my budget. I took it home, decorated it with a string of lights, and now it makes me smile every time I walk into our living room.
The holidays are tough. It's hard to be so far from my family. It's also hard to think of my parents divorced during this time of year. I went to church on Sunday, the first week of Advent. I always think churches are so incredibly beautiful during this time of year and was excited to go and hear Christmas hymns. At the beginning of the service, a young family with a beautiful little blonde girl in a red velvet dress got up to read and light the first candle of Advent. I couldn't help but fight back tears thinking back to all the years my family stood at the front of the Presbyterian Church in Guthrie Center doing this exact same thing. I'm so happy to have those memories but it almost makes the reality of our family status even harder to face during this time of year.
I keep thinking this will get easier. It has gotten easier. But it will never be 'easy.'
Either way, I'm lucky to have two wonderful parents who both love me, whether they are together or apart. They are both incredibly supportive in my life, and I love them and appreciate them more now than I probably would ever have if we hadn't gone through this together.
So this week starts the Christmas parties. Saturday is an ugly sweater party at a friend's house. Next Friday is our company party out at Lake Las Vegas. Then next Saturday is another ugly sweater party. Then the 22nd I will be heading home for a week. Hopefully this trip/holiday goes better than Thanksgiving did.
Happy Holidays!
I love Christmas. I always have. Ever since I was ten, I took over putting the lights outside our house. I was the 'Clark Griswold' of the family. This year I decorated my own house as best I could on an extremely tight budget. I had envisioned a beautiful gorgeous tree, but that was not possible with the balance in my checking account. So as I was at the grocery store on Sunday, I saw this little two foot fake tree. It reminded me of the tree I had as a little girl, and at $3.97 it was right in my budget. I took it home, decorated it with a string of lights, and now it makes me smile every time I walk into our living room.
The holidays are tough. It's hard to be so far from my family. It's also hard to think of my parents divorced during this time of year. I went to church on Sunday, the first week of Advent. I always think churches are so incredibly beautiful during this time of year and was excited to go and hear Christmas hymns. At the beginning of the service, a young family with a beautiful little blonde girl in a red velvet dress got up to read and light the first candle of Advent. I couldn't help but fight back tears thinking back to all the years my family stood at the front of the Presbyterian Church in Guthrie Center doing this exact same thing. I'm so happy to have those memories but it almost makes the reality of our family status even harder to face during this time of year.
I keep thinking this will get easier. It has gotten easier. But it will never be 'easy.'
Either way, I'm lucky to have two wonderful parents who both love me, whether they are together or apart. They are both incredibly supportive in my life, and I love them and appreciate them more now than I probably would ever have if we hadn't gone through this together.
So this week starts the Christmas parties. Saturday is an ugly sweater party at a friend's house. Next Friday is our company party out at Lake Las Vegas. Then next Saturday is another ugly sweater party. Then the 22nd I will be heading home for a week. Hopefully this trip/holiday goes better than Thanksgiving did.
Happy Holidays!
