Top Ten Moments of 2010

Like any year, I had my fair share of ups and downs, but overall, 2010 was a fantastic year and one that I'll never forget.  Since I did a rubbish job of keeping up a blog for most of the year, I don't really have a record of everything that happened to me.  However, here's a list of the most memorable moments that made 2010 so great.

1. Defending My Thesis - This easily tops the list because I worked on my masters degree in history for two and a half years, and it was such a relief to be done.  I'm also really proud of my thesis, from the research I performed to the fact that I could answer every question my committee threw at me.

2. Haley and John's Wedding - I've been friends with these two for years, even before they started dating each other.  I've watched several friends get married in the past couple of years, but this was the first wedding where I was a bridesmaid.  It was an honor being part of such a beautiful wedding and sharing in their special day.

3. Meeting Alison Weir - Alison Weir has been one of my favorite authors for years, and her books have helped increase my knowledge and love for the Plantagenets and medieval England.  Since she lives in England, I never expected that I'd be able to meet her, but she did a short U.S. tour for her new book this summer.  One of the stops was Atlanta, and she was just as lovely as I knew she'd be.

4. Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Concert - Ever since I saw it on stage last summer in London, I've been completely obsessed with the musical, Les Mis.  This year was its 25th anniversary, and it celebrated with an extravaganza of a concert in London.  Obviously I couldn't hop on a plane just to catch a musical, but some movie theaters in the U.S. aired it the following month.  It was probably the better option for me personally, considering that I had a better view of all my actors!

5. Moving out of River Place - Moving is never fun, but after two years, I was thoroughly frustrated with my apartment complex in Carrollton.  After our air conditioner remained broken for two weeks in July (in the stifling Southern heat), all three of us were eager to leave it behind and move.  The night before our lease ended, my two roommates and I spent hours and hours moving stuff into a storage unit, and our celebratory meal at Waffle House at 3 AM will remain one of my favorite memories of those girls.

6. Last Day as a GRA - For two years, I was very grateful for the Graduate Research Assistant position I had, which waived all tuition fees and provided me with a small stipend.  However, I was more than a little glad when my two-year limit had reached its end.  In the seven months since I left, I haven't missed the endless construction in the library, the drama surrounding my boss, or the tedious work at all.

7. My Internship - A month after my GRA ended, I took a two-month internship/archives class, and I absolutely loved working there.  Three of us that took the class worked in the library, and we always talked about how different the two atmospheres were.  Whereas we dreaded our shifts at the library, we couldn't wait to drive to Atlanta for our internship; we were all sad to see it end.
8. Watching British TV on hulu.com - 2010 will forever be known as the year that I wrote my thesis while watching British television shows on hulu.com.  Not at the exact same time, obviously, but alternating throughout the day.  Many of the shows I found are not even available on DVD in the US, making each one I discovered that much more exciting. 

9. My First White Christmas - Here in Alabama, snow is always a big deal, and snow on Christmas Day is completely unheard of.  It's something everybody fantasizes about but knows will never happen, which makes it all the more magical that this year it did!  It frequently changed from snow to sleet and back again, and it never stuck to the ground, but I was happy just watching it fall for hours on end.

10.Watching Series 5 of Doctor Who - Last, but certainly not least, some of my favorite memories will be watching this year's series of Doctor Who.  Not only was I excited about new episodes because the show took last year off, but I always watched the new episode with my friend Laura.  Although we were in grad school in different towns, we managed to get together for several of the episodes, and for the others, we talked on the phone while we watched it.