2005: That was the year that was

With just under eleven hours left of 2005, I thought I'd share a few of my highlights (I've already forgotten my lowlights).

January

• 9HE, my lowest ability class giving me a hand made card. I was teaching my last class in Larne High and they managed to wangle themselves out of their own class to present it to me. Chancers. But it was very sweet to have them all standing there in the corridor.

February

• Emailing David R to say that if anyone dropped out of the Brazil team I’d like to go and twenty minutes later him emailing me back to say that somebody dropped out that morning. God is good.
• Being back at Queen’s and appreciating the student life once again.

March

• Nicky and Heidi’s wedding. Probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a wedding.
• Easter holidays. I was so so glad to get to Easter, I didn’t do anything exciting, I was just glad not to be going to school!

April

• Really can’t think of anything to put here, was I conscious during April? Oh no that’s right I was on my second placement!

May

• Finishing my second placement. It was hard, hard work and I was just relieved to get to the end.
• Getting nice little cards and presents from my classes. They alone nearly made it all worthwhile.

June

• Finishing the Moodle (strange computer part of PGCE) and getting it right first time round. Ya ho!
• Kirsty’s game night. Fun times!

July

• Ruth and Mark’s wedding. A lovely day made even better by London winning the Olympic bid. [I heard the news on the way to the church and excitedly went into the church where I met one of Ruth’s friends. I said ‘it’s so exciting’. She kind of cut me off and said ‘I know! Can you believe Ruth’s getting married?!’. Unfortunately I was too excited to stop myself from saying ‘No London won the Olympics!!’ Oops.]
• Brazil. I was the first in my family to South America but it was brilliant for so many more reasons than that. In fact some would say it was brazilliant!

August

• Castlewellan. Best CHW I’ve ever been at. I was a 15+ leader and I loved it! Despite having 16 girls in my ‘small’ group. I’m ashamed to say there were still a few names I didn’t know at the end of week. Sorry!
• Getting a job offer I couldn’t refuse. Watch out if Kathryn H ever tells you she wants a ‘wee word’!

September

• Spending my days watching cricket.
• Getting my visa quicker than I should have. Who said Americans are slow?

October

• Finally making to North Carolina and having some of the nicest people I’ve ever met to look after me
• NY.

November

• Going to stay with Jose and Davina. International friends do indeed equal good times.

December

• Surprising my parents. The moment now lives in family legend.
• Being back home.

Films – Million Dollar Baby, Meet the Fockers, Hotel Rwanda, Downfall, Walk the Line.
TV programmes – Desperate Housewives, Celebrity Fame Academy, Jamie’s School Dinners, The West Wing (as always!), One Tree Hill.
Sporting Events – Andrew Murray at Wimbledon, The Ashes (especially the Trent Bridge Test – I was actually nervous), Paula Radcliffe winning gold in the Athletics World Championships, NI beating England.
Songs – Suddenly I See (KT Tunstall), City of Blinding Lights (U2), Til Kingdom Come (Coldplay), Two More Years (Bloc Party), Rocket (Braund Reynolds).
Holy moments – CHW, Tre Sheppard doing the mobile thing at SM, YF praying for me before I left.
Times with friends – hanging out with Lynsey and Julie (loads of times), the surprise dinner with Kari et al, staying with the Duke and Duchess of Finaghy, going round to Karen Next Door's for wee chats.
Laughs – being with Jud, Spence and Beattie in Newtownards. Why we were there, we have no idea but after 10 nights of entertaining the masses we had to laugh! Chris B laughing til he cried and had to leave the room 4 times in Brazil, contra dancing in SC.

So I wonder what I’ll be saying about 2006?