This Year Has Taught Me...

A lot.

With another year in the books, I look back at everything I learned in 2011. I can't say with much certainty whether it's been a good year or a bad year, but I'm still here and so are my loved ones. Well, most of them.

So while I ever-so daintily chug my bottle of champagne straight out of the bottle, read along with me at some of the things I learned, most of which, the extremely hard way.

This year has taught me that:

once again, Corporate America is not a fan of mine and vice versa.

online friendships and relationships should never replace the ones in real life.

my creativity is heightened when traveling. and watching or playing sports.

although Facebook is under the impression I have 1500+ friends, the reality is I only have a few. And I'm OK with that.

not having health insurance really puts extracurricular activities in perspective.

I'm too old to have friends with benefits.

college football is the key to most men's hearts. or maybe it's hockey?

grandpas don't live forever. even the most amazing ones.

although his paperwork may claim he's a teacup chihuahua, weighing in at an alarming 23lbs, Denali is no such thing.

I'd rather sit in a sport's bar wearing a baseball cap and flip flops than go clubbing in 4-inch heels.

your heart can be broken by someone you've never met.

dry shampoo can replace washing your hair, but not a shower.

some people are jealous of your life, but that doesn't mean they want in yours.

my skin has thickened by mass amounts simply because it's had to.

Pandora has no clue that Sting and Dave Matthews Band are not the same genre.

asking for forgiveness doesn't mean you'll get it.

knowing how to change a tire is not as overrated as I once thought.

tapping into savings to make your dreams come true isn't all that bad.

So with this post, I bid farewell to 2011. I don't know if I'll miss you or not, but I do know you were one hell of a year for me. A year I didn't know I was capable of having. Now on to the next -- 2012.

.jl.