Highlights of 2011

So here is that blog that looks back on the year...

2011 has been for me, and probably for my family also, the toughest year to date.

This time last year my parents, sister and I were celebrating Christmas in someone elses house whilst waiting for visas to the USA.

The visas eventually came - but not in time for my 21st birthday so I suddenly found myself in England wondering what to do.

The plan had been that all four of us would get visas and then I would enroll in college in the US upon our arrival.

So.....there I was....visa-less and wondering what to do.

I decided to cram for my SAT exams and see what scholarships I could get to attend a college near to where my parents would be living in the US.

The exams went well and I was offered a scholarship.

Whilst I was studying for my SAT exams I saw a documentary on the television about education in the Netherlands - cheaper and great teaching.

This led me to Google: "Best University in Holland".

Yeah.....I really did Google that and I really did apply to the school that came up at the top of the results page.

In fact, I got an offer from the Roosevelt Academy in the Nethelands before I even sat my SAT exams.

Surprise - I then moved to the Netherlands whilst my parents and sister moved stateside.

Yeah....didn't see that one coming this time last year.

Off to the Netherlands I went.

I have survived one semester.

It was very tough.

I am back in England with friends for the holidays before I fly back for school at the end of January.

2011 has been a year of practicing patience and trusting God with His plans.

Now my parents are settling in to their new US city and LOVEING it! They are in the process of improving a beautiful mountain-view house and hoping to learn to ski soon.

I have been away from my parents before but this time around it is tougher. Straight after high school I moved to the US for the best part of two years and I rarely missed them (sorry Mum and Dad!) But now, living in the Netherlands whilst they are over there, I really do miss them and I can not wait to see them in the summer.

I am still waiting to move back to the USA where I feel I left me heart.....

Highlights?!

I started running in 2011. This time last year I was so keen to run a marathon and I began to train.

My knees were not happy though and I was forced to take a break of a couple of months in the late Spring.

Practicing patience....again....

Although I was not able to run a full marathon I did complete a half marathon as well as a cross country race.

I spent a wonderful week in Spain with a friend where we lay by the pool and took a mental break from work, study and stress. 

There was a lot of eating and floating on the pool involved!

Then at the end of September I flew to the Netherlands - my new home.

I was pleasently suprised by the prettiness of my new town of living and I love going to school in ancient buildings - we call it Hogwarts.

School has been hard. Hard hard hard work.

I do take a pride in my work and sometimes I find that it is all a bit too much and I need to take a deep breath and remind myself that I am Sally and studying is something I "do" and it is not "who I am".

What am I studying to become?

No idea! Still waiting to figure that out.

Patience again.

I finally got a Mac Book Pro! That has been a year long search for the right one at the right price.

But it lives in the US and I shall not see it until the Summer.

See....patience again....

My running has slipped up majorly since starting University so I only just training again and, well, training is one large mess of practicing patience!

But don’t get me wrong – University has been great.

Although it breaks my heart that I miss important events in the lives of my friends in the US and the UK like weddings and birthdays, I have really enjoyed making new friends in the Netherlands.

I feel truly honoured to get to travel so much and experience new cultures but I do hope that 2012 will be a year of becoming a little more settled in one place.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

At home in beautiful Buckinghamshire

 

 

 

With my wonderful sister

Running achievements

Spain

 

 

Exploring Amsterdam

Hogwarts

 

University

Student Bar

Photo fun with Kay