2009 Year in Review
Around this time of the year, it’s customary to publish “best of…” articles. Inspired by my friend Cecilia, here’s a look back at big events in my life in 2009. Writing this post, it’s amazing how much happened in 2009. Will 2010 be as crazy? Only time will tell…
January: Caribbean cruise January: My parents and I spent New Year’s Eve in Florida and then took a Caribbean cruise on the Queen Mary 2. Returning to Waterloo, I celebrated my 30th birthday and submitted my thesis a few days later.
February: Waterloo in winter February: Relaxing from the stress of a cruise, I spent February wrapping things up in Waterloo and made a short visit to Calgary.
March: Brisbane March: I successfully defended my PhD thesis, completed my PhD, and celebrated my time in Waterloo with a great party at the Grad House. I spent a week in Windsor and then flew to Brisbane to start my new postdoc position at the Queensland University of Technology.
April: New apartment April: Getting settled in Brisbane, I moved into my new apartment. I started off the running season with my first 10km race in years.
May: Gold Coast May: Deciding to do run a half-marathon in August, I started my running training, and did some cycling around Brisbane with friends. I went to the beach on the Gold Coast as well.
June: Running along the Brisbane River June: My running training continued with a well-developed routine with lots of runs along the river. I started exploring the city more, visiting a number of art galleries and welcoming Devin to Brisbane.
July: Whale watching July: More running. I presented a paper at a conference in Brisbane and went whale watching off the Pacific coast.
August: Brisbane half marathon August: I ran in the Brisbane half marathon, taking more than 13 minutes off my previous time. It was a yummy month too: I discovered a great recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
September: Dust storm September: I stepped up the running training to prepare for the Toronto marathon in October. Brisbane was hit by a spectacular dust storm, and I saw a great fireworks show featuring jets lighting fuel on fire.
October: PhD graduation October: I flew back to Canada for a visit, having a graduation party in Windsor, running a marathon in Toronto, spending a week in Waterloo, and graduating from my PhD. Skipped another ocean to present at a conference in Italy and see the ruins in Pompeii.
November: Singapore November: On my way back to Australia, I stopped in steamy Singapore to give a talk and visit Lana and Bill. Enjoyed being home after a month of travelling.
December: Christmas in Australia December: I redesigned my website and published my first Internet standard. My parents flew down for Christmas and we spent some time around Brisbane, visiting a koala sanctuary and the beach. Decorated our palm tree for Christmas. We flew over to the south island of New Zealand on Boxing Day, where I bungy jumped, kayaked a fjord, and hiked a glacier.
Comment by Rebecka
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