So long 2010.

Goodbye 2010. You've been a good one.

2010: A Year in Review

JANUARY

-I rang in the New Year with 4,000 college students at the FOCUS National Conference in Orlando, FL.

-I began my last semester as a college student.

-I led the family group HOPE in my last Pan y Vino retreat.

Kelley and I had an awesome costume for the theme dinner. Do you see me?

FEBRUARY

-I was getting shredded with my sweet roommate Jennifer.

-I was obsessed with John Stone. (Not much has changed).

-I passed my exit HESI, finally!!!

-I interviewed in beautiful Annapolis, MD to be a FOCUS missionary. That Sunday I woke up at about 5:30a to finish the interview weekend, flew back to Atlanta, drove to Auburn, and that night I went to the hospital for my first 11p-7a shift of my 256-hour nursing preceptorship in the EAMC newborn nursery.

-A little while later, I was offered a position to work as a FOCUS missionary. A few days later, and after much prayer, I accepted the position.

MARCH

-I went to Nashville to visit Tim Rosko and see Jamie Cullum in concert at the TPAC.

-I continued my preceptorship, not sleeping a lot and trying to get ready for life as a missionary.

APRIL

-I sang in front of people. What? I completely forgot about this. The great Rob Muzyka and I sang a Dashboard Confessional cover of a Weezer song called Jamie.

-I finished my preceptorship. It was a lot of fun. Except at the end. Then there was a lot of crying-- with Natalie and Debbie (my preceptor).

The babies even cried.

MAY

-I turned 22. What the heck?!

-I graduated from Auburn.

-Jennifer McAleer became Jennifer McAleer Martin. Some little crabbes had a good time dancing.

JUNE

-The beautiful Katherine Jane Rhodes was born.

-I went to FOCUS summer training. I spent five weeks, the longest I'd ever been (up to that point), away from my family. I met some really amazing people that gave me so much hope for the future of our Church and our world. Here are my holy sisters from the college of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

-I found out I was going to be a missionary at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.

-My friends Katie and Gina, and I went to Chicago for a weekend away from Champaign, IL.

-Also, some Auburn friends came to visit us at training. So awesome!!

JULY

-I returned from FOCUS summer training and began fundraising my salary. Yikes! It turned out to be a lot of fun.

-One of the coolest people that I met when I was looking for mission partners taught me and my friends to make rosaries while giving us her awesome testimony!

AUGUST

-I packed up my life and moved to Nashville, TN.

-I had a great time getting to know the students I'd be working with at the Vandy Catholic leadership retreat at this beautiful lake house.

SEPTEMBER

-I got to hang out with my awesome roommates. Literally.

-I saw GRITS with sweet Grace at Vanderbilt.

-"Let's go 'dores," and, "It's good to be gold," became some of my favorite sayings despite Vanderbilt football's poor performance on the field.

OCTOBER

-I staffed my first Awakening Retreat. It was a joy to be a part of an amazing, life-changing weekend!

-I made my first trip home after being a Nashville resident. Vandy's Fall break gave me the opportunity to attend my only football game of Auburn's perfect season.

-Halloween was a crazy time. My team and I dressed up as characters from Peanuts.

NOVEMBER

-I celebrated the second anniversary of my blog.

-I had a great Thanksgiving with my family. If you haven't heard, I have the most beautiful sisters in the world.

DECEMBER

-"Yea Sewanee's Right," was added to my vocabulary after visiting the beautiful University of the South with Fr. Baker and my team.

-I finished my first semester as a FOCUS Missionary!

-I watched my sweetest little first-grade friend get married.

-I celebrated a beautiful (and white) Christmas with my family in Auburn.

-I got my camera, finally.

Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011!!!