Another year is over, and it is time for me to write my year-in-review retrospective. I’m sorry for not writing one last year. I didn’t think anyone actually read it until I starting receiving complaints about its absence.

2010 was a year filled with recreation, travel, good health, and lots of time spent with friends and family. The beginning of the year was dominated by the Winter Olympics. For weeks, Vancouver was transformed into an Olympic host city. I was lucky to get tickets to a women’s curling round robin draw and the gold medal wheelchair curling game. We also went to see lots of free concerts and enjoyed the festive atmosphere in the city. The highlight of the games was watching the gold medal men’s hockey game and then wandering the streets after Canada won. We almost got crushed in the red sea at the corner of Robson and Granville – it was exciting and scary.

Emily and I have started to do more travelling with our bikes. It’s cheaper then renting a car, and a lot of places are better experienced at a biking pace. In March, we took the train down to Portland with our bikes in tow and enjoyed the city’s unique vibe. Portland really is an alternate universe, where everyone rides bikes, you can drink in brewpub theatres, and sustainable food is the norm. This video for Portlandia might be a comedy series, but I think it’s pretty accurate.

Our summer vacation was spent visiting my family in Winnipeg and Emily’s mom on Manitoulin Island. While in Winnipeg, we checked out the Folk Festival, which was a lot crazier then the Vancouver version. After the festival, we took a 24 hours bus ride to Northern Ontario so we could spend a week relaxing at a cabin with Emily’s mom and her partner on Manitoulin Island.

In November, I travelled with my Dad to Mexico for a one-week resort vacation. I must be officially past the age where hanging out with your parents is uncool, because I had a good time. I ate refried beans and salsa with every meal, and I loved it. We went zip-lining, rode ATVs, snorkeled, and had a blast. I even managed to convince my Dad to try street tacos.

In the summer I ran my 2nd half marathon, in Victoria. I finished the course in 1:33:04 – a good time, but I was hoping to break 1:30 and I made a lot of mistakes like eating too much and running too fast for the first 10 km. I’m itching to give it another go in 2011.

In addition to running, I’ve been keeping fit by cycling to work every day, playing ultimate frisbee, going on lots of hikes, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and curling (for the first time in 4 years, and I’ve loving it). Luckily, my body is tolerating the punishment I put it through – I only had one dislocated shoulder and a few tweaked ankles this year.

When we weren’t out getting fresh air, Emily and I were watching plenty of concerts and theatre shows. This year we saw Lion King, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Singin’ in the Rain, Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza, and many Fringe Festival plays. Vancouver isn’t exactly known for its theatre scene, but we make the most of what is here.

For only the second time in my short existence, I spent Christmas outside of Manitoba. In an attempt to bring some of my favourite Christmas traditions to Vancouver, Emily and I hosted a Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner with loads of good food, carolling, and games. It wasn’t the same as spending time with my family at Baba’s farm (there were a lot less bonfires, jokes, and flatulence), but it was a different kind of fun.

I’m still working at Pulse Energy, and enjoying my job. It’s amazing how the company continues to grow, and how my job continues to challenge me. Emily spent 2010 working at Vancity Credit Union, but as of today she’s the new General Manager at Street Youth Job Action. 2011 should bring new challenges for both of us career-wise.

Happy New Year everyone. I’m looking forward to an exciting 2011 and hope to see many of you this year.