Show & Tell: Change aka 2008 Recap

Today is Show & Tell day aka Friday theme and Strandmamman is in charge of the themes this month (you can see the themes in the left-hand column).

Today's theme is change and what better way to illustrate change than to give you a recap of my 2008 together with my thoughts for 2009. In the same way a birthday does not mean you turn a whole year older from one day to another, moving from 31 December to 1 January does not mean much actual, immediate change. Instead change, not all but most, is gradual. Yet, a new year does feel a little bit special. It signals fresh, new start and relief and can be that event that pushes you to do or change something. Even if it's just a frame of mind, making you think in a different way or encouraging you to dream or plan something.

So, to my 2008. This year's...

Happening
Peter's 30th birthday party. Lots of hard work before and after but such a success!

Project
(Excluding various work projects) Peter's party and planning our US trip

Song
I usually don't have favourite songs - I move on quickly - but perhaps Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" or Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love" (which happens to be a Coldplay produced song). I also discovered "Dancing in the Dark" by Jessy this year but I think it's from 2007?

Trip
Our US roadtrip along the east coast of the US - New York, Washington DC, Delaware/Maryland and New England (from Connecticut to Maine)

YES!
I will have to say Obama's victory as well as some of the progress made at least in the EU to combat climate change. We're far from there but some important steps have been taken.

Person
Peter is the most important person in my life of course but if we talk globally or generally I guess I will have to be boring and say Barack Obama.

Slavery
At least two high-profile official visits at work where we were given abour 4 days notice that the person was coming. Chaos, stress and long hours, but fun!

Garment
All the summer clothes we bought for cheap dollars in the US and couldn't wear once back in Sweden as the summer was already over. Good thing summer comes back every year! And of course any shoes as I'm a shoe-o-holic.

Book
As I mentioned in my previous post I didn't read very much in 2008 and I don't want to pick a book I didn't read, so I will have to go for "The Big House" as it's very much associated with our US trip (it takes place in Cape Cod, one of the places we visited).

Purchase
Technically Peter paid for it, but our D-SLR camera (a Canon EOS 450). I have had so much fun playing with it and learned a lot about photography.

Happiness
Many little moments with Peter

Hardest
Seeing friends struggle with serious illness as well as infertility (luckily not in the same family). And something more mundane, frustration at some of the archaic practices at work.

TV moment
At least not watching the Olympics with a 10-hour delay in the US

Gadget
I'm still waiting for my Kitchen Aid! In the meantime I will say Spotify. It's not an actual thing but I think it qualifies as a gadget.

Blog
Lullun in Greenland. Unfortunately she has stopped blogging now but for most of this year she taught me so much about Greenland, made me long to go there and in some mysterious way ;) got me an interview for a job there (which I didn't get but still, a fun coincidence)!

Community
Facebook and my blogging family

Change
Nothing dramatic. Only thing I can think of right now is starting to work with climate and energy issues (i.e. still with the same employer, just new policy areas)

Film
I don't know, "Batman" perhaps, especially since the late Heath Ledger was so good in it.

Personal greatest success
Various achievements at work

Memories
Our travels, especially the US roadtrip but also our trip to Italy with my parents and the long weekend in beautiful Gotland after Almedalen.

Forgot to do (deviance from normal behaviour)
As I mentioned in my previous post I didn't read as much as I normally do and would have liked to. I also feel like I didn't stay as healthy as previous years, especially when it comes to food (I gained a couple of kilos).

Mistake
As Anne said, no big regrets but lots of small ones

Greatest lesson
Living 3 minutes from the gym is not a guarantee for frequent visit. Need a proper schedule and no deviations and distractions!

Spending
Travelling

New people
Fellow bloggers and new nice and fun colleagues. New babies in my circle of friend, especially H's little Heidi.

Best weekend
The weekend between Christmas and New Year that Peter and I spent at the country house, just the two of us. The weekend in Tällberg with Céline and Diego was also very fun and relaxing. Probably we had fun evenings in the spring of 2008 as well but that feels like ages ago! :)

Most romantic of the year
A photo of a ring of pebbles shaped as a heart Peter made for me when he was in Prague with the lads and sent me in an MMS

Thoughts and wishes for 2009
I hope 2009 will be an important year, not just in terms of work (which is a given, considering Sweden will host the EU Presidency in the autumn and the world is scheduled to take some key decisions on the climate change front), but also for me personally. But I won't go into any details; if you say your wishes out loud they won't come true!