Relections of 2010

Hey all,

I thought I should take a moment to reflect on 2010 and ponder what I have in store for myself in 2011.  It's that time of the year when a person looks at the old and wonders about the new.  

I actually enjoy doing that.  Reevaluating and looking at what I've done during the past year.  Even when there are things I would do a different way, it helps to know that since I can take the information and make changes in my life.

For me, parts of 2010 were awesomely great!  Other parts sucked big time.  But that's just a part of life, the ebb and the flow.  And I'll use the sucky parts to make my 2011 even better.  

So, here, in no particular order are the Highs and the Lows of CJ's 2010.

The Lows

1.  Starting out 2010 without my sweet baboo since he was working overseas.  It was the first time in our married life we didn't ring in the New Year together.  It really made me feel for those men and women who have their own darlings away from home serving in our military.  For me it was a one shot deal, but for them it's a painful way of life.  I send my prayers to both those in our armed forces and the loved ones they've left at home.

2. The hardest thing I've ever done in my life was to get on the plane and fly away from my children when we moved to Macau.  I'd never been away from them before.  Not like this.  Unlike a lot of kids they didn't move away from home when they turned 18.  It was easier and cheaper for them and  for us to stay at home.  Jonathon and I often joked if we wanted any time by ourselves we'd have to be the ones to move away .  And then we did.  LOL  But saying goodbye to my children was beyond a doubt the most painful thing I've ever had to do.

3.  Because of all the moving around we did, I didn't do a lot of writing.  Rather than six to eight books which is my normal yearly output, I only did two new stories.  I still had four published, but most were reprints.  But I did dream a lot and I've got tons of new ideas.  I'm hoping 2011 will be the year I can bring them all to life.

4.  When I got back from our time in Singapore, I got sick.  Not just a cold.  This illness put me flat on my back for almost two months.  It wound up being a virus that attacked my kidneys and they think I might have picked it up overseas, but they couldn't be sure.  All I knew was giving birth wasn't as painful as what I went through during a few of those weeks.  I couldn't write, read or even watch TV.  All I did was lay in bed.  Thank God for my dreams.  They were what kept me sane!

The Highs

1.  Moving to Singapore to be with my husband and getting to live there for several months.  It wasn't our first time living overseas, but this time we were put up in a residential hotel, and I didn't have to do any cleaning at all.  I did very little cooking or laundry and so I was able to spend all my time sightseeing (which I did mostly) and writing.  Not too shabby a time in my life.

2.  While I was in Singapore, Jonathon was sweet enough to send me on a week long writing retreat.  I went to this very quiet resort in Malaysia and wrote for a solid week.  It was wonderful and it was the only time all year I'd really had time to do nothing but write, write, write.  I can't wait to do it again.

3.  Going on a six week tour of different parts of Asia.  At the time we didn't know we'd be moving over here, so each moment we spent was so very special to us.  The people we met, the things we saw.  It made us realize how lucky we were to have the ability to see those things.  And how fortunate we were to be a part of a country (USA) that for all it's foibles and problems, I'm glad to be a citizen of.

4.  Moving to Macau and settling into a brand new life alone with my sweet baboo.  We took six suitcases and our dreams, left everything else at home and started out fresh.  It was fun to put together an apartment again, especially since the first time we did so, we were so poor all our furniture was either hand me down, Salvation Army or early American dumpster diving.  LOL  This time, since things are so inexpensive here (for the most part) we were able to furnish the whole apartment with things we really liked.  In fact, I'll be hard pressed not to take some of it with me.

So those are just some of the highs and lows of the last year for me.  There are actually a lot more, but there isn't room in this blog for all the wonders I've experienced in 2010.  Nor do you need to hear me whine about the things I wish I'd done differently.  Just know that each of of those good and bad moments make me the person I am today.  And I'm pretty happy about that!

And I'll bet whatever happened in your 2010 has made you a different person as well.  We are all marked by our experiences, but the trick is how to make them work for us.  So let me know what you did in 2010 and how it made you a better person.

And don't forget to check out my newest contest on my website.  It's all about reflecting on your past and dreaming of a bright new present!  http://cjengland.com/contests

Hugs to all,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/secondchances/lifesadance.htm
http://cjengland.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/