The year of doing whatever I want to.

This is me at the age of 27.



My birthday was yesterday, and as it goes for me on birthdays, i spent a little bit of time reflecting on this past year. Last year, I stole Frances' idea and made it "The Year of Suvi". While there certainly moments when I was pretty convinced that this was most definately NOT my year, I have to say, when I think about it, this was the year that I did exactly what I wanted to do. A recap:

I spent birthday 26 in Moab for a work trip. Amazingly beautiful place in a canyon on the Colorado. Little did I know that a year later I would end up here



This year included the following:
- Having a great job
- Quitting my great job
- A very broken heart
- Rebounding from the broken heart and finally getting over it
- Feeling like a useless piece of paper and trying to fill it
- Applying to grad school
- Getting into grad school
- Learning to ski
- Watching loads of free, socially concious films all over salt lake
- Reaching a point where I don't want to kiss that many people ever again
- Spending lots of time in the mountains
- Spending lots of time in the temple
- Making my first audio doc and starting a number of others
- Traveling to: San Diego, Fresno, Toronto, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Finland, Estonia, and Poland
- Moving to New York City and starting the MPA program at NYU
- Being homeless for two months
- Putting lots of things into boxes and throwing things away
- Flying an airplane
- Discovering amazing new friends and reconnecting with amazing old friends
- Getting lost
- Learning about fine chocolates
- Going to a refugee camp
- Learning about Chechnya
- Visiting a concentration camp
- Buying a camera and taking lots of pictures

Now, this isn't a comprehensive list at all, but I think that it nicely sums up my life this last year. It was one of those years where at the end, i can look back and say, well, that was the year of me because I really became more of who i want to be and experienced so many things that make life really amazing. Yes, even the heart break.

On to more exciting things like Magnolia's cupcakes:


Yum! Come visit me an you will experience these and the banana pudding which is to die for. Just ask Damian, who happened to be in town this weekend.



And finally, since it is the week of September 11th, for my walking tour this week I went with helen, luis and Thomas to Battery Park and the WTC site.



That is one large American flag.