2010 – Another year over and new one will begin!

For some reason I always like to do a year in review blog as the last blog of the year.  I guess I like to recap and remember all that I’ve done, seen or experienced throughout the year.

January started with a cold spell in Houston and a broken leg for my beautiful daughter. She had the cast on for three weeks but took another three weeks after the cast came off before she was happy to walk properly on her leg.  During that time I started to volunteer up at the school.

February came and with it my DH’s first trip away since October. It felt a bit weird but he was only gone for a week which was good. During that week I got my first rejection.  The full I’d sent to Desire in November had flaws and they were passing. Oh well at least I got ideas on where it was falling down and not just a form rejection!!  I still hadn’t sent off my medical but was working on the edits to improve it.  I was doing more and more at the school and starting to get very friendly with the girls in the office and the kids teachers. It was a great feeling.

In March I kind of hit the wall with my writing. It was a bit of a letdown from the rejection I think and another contest result. The thing with writing is you have to keep at it otherwise you don’t learn and you don’t achieve what you want.  We’d been in Houston for over six months and I think I was experiencing a relapse on cultural shock and homesickness.  All normal stuff when you change countries and when so much is happening that you aren’t a part of.

In April we made our first roadtrip.  DH completed in the MS150 bike ride from Houston to Austin and the kids and I travelled in the car to Austin.  I drove and was pleased that I took the challenge up and succeeded.  Also Zane started another season of soccer and I met some really great ladies who have become good friends.  Slowly everything was starting to fall into place.

May came and with it the end of the school year.  The kids were exhausted after starting school in Australia in Feb 09 and going through to May 10 before getting a decent break.  We were going to make the most of our summer break.  I’d also done a heap of edits on my medical and then my computer smashed and I lost all my edits and my motivation!  I had started some new work but wasn’t getting good vibes about it so pushed it to the wayside. I’d really hit the wall with my writing. On the upside I finally made a meeting of the West Houston RWA Chapter.  Another opportunity to connect with writers and what can I say, there is definitely something special about romance writers, they open their hearts and arms to new people. It was a wonderful feeling! I’d also booked our trip back home for July – so excited!!!!!

June was spent at the pool and enjoying the summer break with no school and no routines.  By the end of the school year I’d got to know a lot more of the staff at the school so I was looking forward to the new school year. I was also going to be on the PTO, all the things I couldn’t do when I was busy working. It’s a great feeling being able to be so much more involved at the kids school.

July was a dream come true I was back home for a month and it felt like I’d never left. The month went by way too quickly and there were people I wanted to catch up with but couldn’t. But spending a month with my mum and dad, well that was amazing. It was hard to leave but my life isn’t in Perth at the moment it’s in Houston. 

We arrive back to a flooded upstairs bathroom and an insurance claim. It all got completed fairly quickly and basically we got a new upstairs bathroom and kids bedrooms. It was a hassle but in the end it all worked out.  August also marked the return of the school year. Where did those 3 months go??  The time flew by. I had expected it to be difficult to keep the kids occupied but I managed. I guess a month back in Australia definitely broke it all up.  On the writing front, well what can I say, started something else again and still wasn’t getting good vibes!  Is it me or something else?  I’d decided to heck with it all I was just going to write and see what happens.  I still hadn’t sent of my medical.

September and October all melded together. I had my 40th birthday which was spent with a couple from Perth who live in Houston – small world, but it was a great evening out. DH was away for the second half of October and the first half of November. In October I attended a one day writing conference and again met some wonderful people and was inspired again by a wonderful speaker.  These meetings fill your soul.

As the end of the year approached so did our trip to Colorado.  I sent off my full Medical at the end of November, entered a first chapter in another contest and signed up for a workshop with editors at the beginning of 2011.  I also completed NANO for the first time.  It was a good month!!

December came screaming into view and one minute it was the beginning of the month, the next it was the day we flew out to Colorado.  We were going to experience a ‘white’ Christmas.  What an amazing time we’ve had here in Estes Park, Colorado.  The scenery is amazing, and although it didn’t snow on Christmas day, the ground was covered with the white stuff and on Christmas Eve we took the children sledding and they experienced all the magical wonder of snow.  It’s been an amazing week and I’ve achieved a lot of things I never imagined I would.  I’ve hiked in the snow in the Rockies, I’ve climbed a snowy mountain, I’ve snow shoed across frozen lakes and today, it snowed the whole day and it’s amazing. 

So what is 2011 going to bring?  Well it’s going to bring more on the writing front. I plan to set myself up with a routine of writing, working and editing, as well as looking after the kids and keeping up with my volunteer work at the school. Sounds a lot but I know I can manage it.  I’m also going to go to New York City for the RWA National conference in June/July.  I can’t wait and then the family will join me for yet another amazing holiday experience.  I’m going to help the kids succeed at school and I’m going to support my husband in whatever he does. It’s going to be a good year. I also hope that maybe we can go home for Christmas and spend it with the family.  I need a family Christmas.

So goodbye 2010 thank you for all the experiences – good and bad, you’ve given me and 2011I can’t wait to see what you have installed for me.

NF