Again, I know this is self-indulgent, but it’s still relatively new in the year (I actually started writing this more than a month ago).  Here are some of my personal reflections for the year 2010:

Best Things About 2010:

1. Overall, this was a year of wonderful happenings, especially in the second half of this past year.  After a string of pretty depressing years, 2009 got better and 2010 was absolutely great.  I’m very thankful for so many wonderful sights, sounds, and happenings this past year.
2. I was surrounded by so many incredible people this year.  A big thank you goes to all these people.
3. Enjoyment of completely loving what I do on an everyday basis.  Actually looking forward to going into work and working with incredible people who have been so much fun to be around, both in the US and in France.  A year of amazing professional contacts and meetings and discussions.
4. So much wonderful travel this past year.  Many miracles in making connections and meeting great people while traveling.  Receiving help from numerous strangers while traveling.
5. Financial support and travel funding from numerous fellowships.
6. Made proud little steps towards betterment: saving money, diligent schedules of athletic workouts, research, and writing, got rid of some clutter in my life.  Lots of running and miles logged in this last year.
7. Having a really incredible family who is so much fun to be with.  Becoming an uncle again!
8. Becoming better at letting go of things that are out of my control.
9. Treasuring so much good healthy food in this past year.
10. I was able to see so much great music, movies, and art museums this past year.

Worst Things About 2010 (all minor things in the grand scope of wonderfulness that was 2010):

1. The frequent reminder that I have wasted my time and energy on people and projects not worth my time and energy.
2. Cracking a tooth on a tiny rock in a pizza crust.
3. Two incidents of my stuff getting stolen.
4. Annoying tea party propaganda and the over conservatism of the USA.  The hopelessness of the administration of hope.
5. Too many grant proposals rejected.
6. The ONLY bad things about living in France: Cigarette smoke in unavoidable public places, too much dog shit on the sidewalks, and no concept of waiting in lines.
7. Too much useless, worthless, and ego-driven online communication in cyberspace.  The ever increasing loss of digital privacy.  The prevalence of misinformation spread on the internet taken as fact and the people who refuse to research, question, and search for the truth.
8. Too little time for art and sleeping.
9. Too many people communicating who don’t know the difference between YOUR and YOU’RE; THERE, THEIR, and THEY’RE; and AFFECT & EFFECT, among others.

Well, there you have it.

UPDATE: I have been informed by a loving, respected, and faithful reader that the end of this post is a real downer, and I not only respect this person’s opinion very much, I agree with this sentiment, so I want to BOLDLY reiterate that the year of 2010 was incredible and wonderful.  The negative final points - this is me mainly just venting about certain frustrations - are not in any way, shape, or form, reflective of the whole of 2010.  Here’s to an even more incredible 2011!