it's ok if you get jealous...

I have really high expectations for 2012.

Or at least, I'd like 2012 to be awesome, because 2011 was HUGE.

Re-cap of 2011:

January- still living in Tel Aviv, Shep doing the whole corporate lawyer thing and me working at Bar Lehem

(I found this article about Bar Lehem...mmm, I do miss those Parmesan Truffle Croissants)

Also in January we heard that Shep got into Darden

(and that I did NOT get into UVA. So much bitterness. Still)

Then we started packing our things and eagerly awaited "the big move".
We also started to train for 'Le Tour de Friedman' by doing mini-tours in the Golan heights

(we definitely needed a map to navigate the ONE road in the golan heights)

(testing all the equipment = camping)

(one cool thing about israel: coming across random ruins in the middle of nowhere)

In May, we said goodbye to Israel: we ate at all of our favorite restaurants, and spent as much time as possible with family and friends.

We weren't sad for long, because we flew out of Israel and straight in to Barcelona!

(yes, i'm building a bike in the middle of the airport terminal, doesn't everyone do that? oh...no?)

We celebrated my birthday in BCN by eating in tons of restaurants, it was a several day celebration.

(Cal Pep - oh bringer of happiness)

(Don't worry Dad, the jamon and calamari are kosher...ish)

 We also went to see Pep Guardiola. And his team, FCB. Ok, fine, I also wanted to see Valdez...and Messi... and Puyol) Fine, you caught me: I like watching soccer.

(Championes of the Leagua!)

Then we got on our bikes and rode our butts off to Paris. Literally. Might be too much info, but owwww.
(The tour itself is clearly a post/several posts of its own)

Eventually ( a month later...) we made it to Paris, and from there flew to London to spend time with my brother, and then I flew onwards to c'ville to catch a very important date: SFR's wedding.

(SFR is SOOO beautiful, yay best friends' weddings!)

Right after the wedding, I started to put together a home. Which is clearly still an ongoing project.
Then Shep joined me from London, and we went to another very important date: Turkey's wedding.

(no really, how did I get such good looking friends?!)

Add to that a few small trips to NYC, Tampa, and Washington D.C., plus a few visitors from the holy land:

( Yes, this hero neurosurgeon flew all the way from Israel, just to make me dinner!)

Not to mention several crucial reunions with this girl:

(Sisters? Teammates? Soulmates! So thankful she crossed the Atlantic -moved to the US- when I did!)

Luckily, she was around when I needed a companion for Twilight...and Black Friday shopping...

2011 was chock-full of adventures.

Oh, and I started undergrad. I had to give in eventually. And I'm working as Youth Advisor at CBI, and teaching!

So yea, 2012- you better be bloody awesome, or include the end of the world, and then I won't care how great of a year it is...

alina