Thursday thanks

To find inspiration for this week's Thursday thanks, I looked back at my Thanks posts from earlier in the year. (After all, isn't that what year-end is all about -- reflecting on what has passed and planning what is to come?)

Photo courtesy of digitalart
and Freedigitalphotos.net

2011 was a year of new challenges adventures for me:

• I packed up my life and moved across the country (Moved out of California after a decade there. The transition was not entirely easy.)
• Hubby and I got married.
• I started teaching college courses.
• I ran through my first Florida summer, and survived. (Unfortunately so did the "palmetto bugs." I will never be OK with Florida's fauna...)
• I discovered that small races mean age group award potential.
• I completed a month-long running streak.
• I started a running blog...
• My laptop died while I was working on a conference paper.
• I found out that I did not win an award I was seeking for that conference paper (laptop issues are not to blame). Total bummer.
• I checked three more states and several more cities off of my "places I've been to (not counting airport layovers)" and "places I've run" lists.
• I spent lots of time with my far-away family.

There were some ups and downs, but all in all, 2011 was a decent vintage.
Cheers, friends!

What are you thankful for this year?