Goodbye 2009, I had a blast.

"And so this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over. And a new one just begun"

Yes it's that time again: Christmas presents have not been bought yet, I still don't have winter gloves, the insane amount of relatives to visit/be visited by is soon approaching, and while my wallet has seem to have gone on some successful diet, i've gained an obscene amount of weight that I am attributing NOT to my love of junk food and general dislike of exercise but to an evolutionary mechanism for winter survival. As we approach the end of the year, I found myself reflecting back on 2009 and it didn't take long to realize that this was one of the most memorable years i've experienced in a long time.

If i was on a personalized version of Wheel of Fortune and the clue was "2009", I believe the seemingly immortal Vana White would have revealed the answer to the puzzle as two words: New Experiences. (Seriously though, why does she never get older? It's like every time someone buys a vowel, one month of her life is reversed).
2009 was definitely a year of change for me: unfortunately not all the changes were good but for the most part, I had an awesome year.

The year started like it usually does, my best friends and I up to drunken shenanigans on New Year's. It was a good time had by all even though my lips had either an allergic reaction to something or I unexplainably contracted Herpes (as michelle likes to tell strangers, I gonorrhea-bombed her pillow one night at the cottage so might as well spread the rumor of herpes as well). Nonetheless I looked like a cheap knockoff of Angelina Jolie the whole night haha. Not being in school at this point, life pretty much consisted of work and partying which isn't that bad of a deal but it got repetitive pretty quickly. I think I ended up getting stuck in a rut. There was nothing exciting in my life and I was getting bored.

Like always, I had an awesome birthday this year. I'm definitely not one of those people who don't like to celebrate or like to keep it low key. I am proud of being born, I earned it, and not only do I want to celebrate it but I want to do so on multiple occasions. Maybe I just like the attention lol. It was at this point when I started seriously thinking of taking a trip to Europe. This was my year off after all and I had been working a lot so it was economically feasible. I tried in vain for an entire month to get people to come with me but I was unsuccessful. The old Pasquale would have forgotten the idea because he would be terrified to go alone but for some reason I decided that I wasn't going to stand in my way anymore and in April, I bought my plane and train tickets and booked my hostels. I can't say I wasn't nervous. Me, the guy who gets lost in his own hometown, trusts strangers with his Pin number to take out money for him at the bar, and can't help a friend in a fight because i tripped over the curb, going to Europe by myself!!!

It was around this time that my grandma got really sick and one week before my trip, she passed away. It was obviously an extremely difficult time for me and my family and I was feeling overwhelmed with dealing with the loss as well as the craziness that ensues a week before taking a month-long trip. It was definitely the lowest point of the year but looking back now, I realized that having that trip right after was actually a blessing because it really took my mind off of everything that had happened.

May 7 to June 7 was one of the best experiences of my life. Europe was amazing! I can't even explain how much I loved that trip. I met so many amazing people, saw some incredible things, and had some new experiences. Highlights included getting lost in London and being introduced to the "Chuck Norris Roundouse to the face" shot, getting locked in a churchyard in Paris and impaling myself on a fence, experiencing the Amsterdam culture and being a member of a Scottish bachelor party, trying absinthe and eating till i couldn't walk in Prague, meeting some incredible friends in Munich as well as going on beer crawls and visiting a concentration camp, getting lost for 3 hours in Venice, visiting Pompeii in Naples, seeing my family again in Rome, seeing my bridge (Ponte Vecchio) in Florence, whitewater rafting and canyoning in Interlaken, going to the craziest clubs in Berlin and experiencing a real Belgian waffle in Brussels. The most important part of the trip thought was the change it brought out of me. Before then I never would have walked up to a group of strangers and introduced myself and hung out with them. I'm pretty shy and I tend to rely on my bubble of friends instead of talking to people I dont know. Going halfway across the world by myself forced me to gain the confidence i didn't know I had. I also proved to my friends and family that I can survive without their help lol. I hope to return someday. This trip was exactly what I needed to get out of the mundane and melancholy state my life had become.

June was a month of reuniting and recovery (both for my wallet and my liver). It was a terrible feeling going back to work everyday after spending a month with absolutely no responsibilities but that's life I suppose. I still think I should star in a reality show and strike it rich (too bad i'm not exciting or attractive enough). The summer was great, as it tends to be. Instead of the annual cottage trip, my friends and I went camping and it was great. Throw in the usual BBQs, beach days, and bar nights and I made for an excellent summer. This summer, we had a special treat as two of my friends got married. Even though it reminded me just how old I am getting, I have to say I felt pretty emotional seeing them up there. We're so close that when they got married I felt in a strange way that we all got married to them as well. Is that weird? I can honestly say that i was so proud of you two and so happy for you that day.

I also started a new chapter in my life in July when I accepted a grad position at uwo. Although i had no idea what to expect and I didn't even know where this would take me in my life in terms of a career, I was stoked to be doing something with my life. Working at a grocery store is not what I was meant to do. Not after the hell i went through after 4 years of university. Here I was, just off the trip of a lifetime, going to my best friends' wedding and starting a new program in school...things were changing and I liked it.

In August, my family and I went to Chicago for four days. What an awesome city. I really love it there and hope to go back soon and see some fantastic friends i met in Europe. It was nice for the family to do something together too. August was also a time to say goodbye to some friends that would be going away for a while. Even though I know they'll be back, I've realized we're approaching the age where people start drifting apart. We're not in elementary school or high school anymore and despite my lifelong fantasy of us buying the big blue cottage and living with each other for the rest of our lives, I know this isn't realistic (plus it only has one bathroom).

September arrived out of nowhere and I soon found myself back at school after a year of my brain being stuck in neutral. It was a rough few weeks back but I believe I'm in the zone now. Just like Stella, i seem to have gotten my groove back lol. Since then, I've been having a blast. I have met some amazing people in this department. We all just seem to click so well. It's only been 4 months but I feel connected to so many people and I am actually dreading the thought of having a lot of them leave next year. I've also gone through a lot of personal awareness over the last half a year or so that I dont feel like discussing here but I will say that things are going great, I'm finally starting to get out of my own way instead of being down on myself all the time and I'm just in a good place right now.

And it wouldn't be appropriate to write about 2009 without mentioning Michael Jackson lol. Those of you who truly know me understand my love and devotion to that man and his legendary music. Don't worry MJ, the music still pulses in my veins and I will never let you down on the dance floor.

So 2009 I want to thank you for being a most memorable year. Sure there were ups and downs but overall, I'll never forget the good times I had. I can only hope 2010 is as promising. I see another year of changes ahead so let's see what the future holds. If i had a drink I would make a toast but I think drinking at work might be frowned upon (yet again, i think blogging at work might also be frowned upon)