Travels!

I may have an opportunity coming my way in the next few months... so I ask all of you, my loyal reader(s)....

If you could pick ONE country to live in for a year, would you choose:

Australia
New Zealand
Ireland
or England?

Or, rather than ONE country, would you pick a combo of:

both Ireland and England

or

both Australia and NZ?

(Japan was a choice too, but I'd like to become a more seasoned traveller first!)

Your answer is appreciated, especially if you've been to any of these places :) I'm thinking I'll pick one of the double-Visas, but I can't decide which!!

40 Questions About 2005

I've seen this floating around... so I thought I'd give it a try...

1. What did you do in 2005 that you’d never done before?
   Umm... well.. that is... there's gotta be something! *ponders*
   
   • Travelled out of town to meet someone I've never met before.
   • Bought naughty undies off the internet ;)
   • Wore shoes with more than 3 inch heels
   • Cooked a roast
   • Lived with my boyfriend
   • Shaved my head
     
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
   I didn't seem to make any! I will for this year though, because I'd really like to look back and see that I accomplished something.
   
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
   Nope, no babies!
   
4. Did anyone close to you die?
   No *knock on wood*
   
5. What countries did you visit?
   Countries? Visit..? Canada :/
   
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
   
   • A closer bond with those that I love.
   • Good grades (and study habits lol)
     
   • Money!
   • A job that I love can stand.
     
7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory?
   This year, there wasn't a specific one!
   
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
   Having the courage to pack up and leave an unhealthy situation (living w/ Jenn.) Making friends with my brother.
   
9. What was your biggest failure?
   This year was a year of setback and challenges, but nothing I'd call a huge failure. Failure is so negative. I didn't really accomplish anything I set out to do though, which saddens me.
   
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
    Not majorly, but I did gain 30 pounds (ugh) and I've been feeling really draggy for the latter half of the year.
    
11. What was the best thing you bought?
    No major purchases this year.
    
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
    My brother, who has apparently finally cleaned up his act.
    
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
    A certain nameless guy :/ And most certainly, my own!
    
14. Where did most of your money go?
    New clothes! Food/clothing/shelter/utils. Entertainment. It was mostly a waste.
    
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
    
    • The chance to continue on with school.
      
    • A couple new friendships I formed this year.
      
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2005?
    I can't think of anything specific, but I did discover a lot of new music this year.
    
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
    
    1. happier or sadder? sadder
    2. thinner or fatter? fatter
    3. richer or poorer? poorer (ugh, 3 strikes!)
       
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
    Had crazy adventures.
    
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
    Worrying.
    
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
    Spending time with assorted family and friends, no concrete plans yet! I do plan on buying a little tree from Ikea with some wicked blue lights though!
    
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
    Definitely BJ
    
22. Did you fall in love in 2005?
    Love? No. Adoration and fascination? Yes. :)
    
23. How many one night stands in this last year?
    Zero.
    
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
    This year was, as usual, mostly TV-free. I'm happy hockey's back though!
    
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
    I don't hate anyone. I definitely dislike one person who I thought was a friend this time last year, but I'm over that! I'm disappointed that my friendship with another is over, but I don't hate him at all.
    
26. What was the best book(s) you read?
    I didn't read nearly enough this year! Probably the best books were Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (yeah, I'm a crazed fangirl, I know..) South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami, and, for my own growth and self-discovery The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (Thanx Basil)
    
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
    Markus Schulz (thx nexxai), Muse (thx Mark), The Spill Canvas (thx Heather) and Sugababes (as per usual my music taste is a little varied!!)
    
28. What did you want and get?
    The house where I'm currently living. An iPod :)
    
29. What did you want and not get?
    Oh boy... lol. Good grades, an enjoyable job, a Macintosh Laptop, and the continued friendship with someone.
    
30. What were your favourite films of this year?
    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 40 Year Old Virgin, Wedding Crashers, Batman Begins.
    
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
    I turned the big 2-4. I didn't do much. I had a crazy dream the night before, I worked from 2pm to 10pm, I updated my Livejournal about six times, and I got a call from my best friend saying he was moving back from Winterpeg to Edmonton.
    
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
    Actually sticking to my plans when I make them.
    
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
    I actually tried to move a little beyond my favorite uniform of jeans and t-shirts a little!
    
34. What kept you sane?
    Am I sane? Chats with BJ. Writing longwinded LJ entries. Lots and lots of caffinated beverages!
    
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
    Hmm.. Johnny Depp is all tha comes to mind.
    
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
    The whole Iraq... situation. >:|
    
37. Who did you miss?
    The peeps from Playdium, my Dad, and some friends I've regretfully been terrible at keeping in touch with.
    
38. Who was the best new person you met?
    Not so much a good year for meeting awesome new people, but I got to know a few friends on a lot deeper level. But other than that, if I had to choose... Joyce on LJ, Sarah at work, and nexxai on myspace.
    
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
    Pretty much the same one I thought I learned in 2004: You never really realize you love something until it's gone. I'm hoping next year I don't take so many things (and people) for granted :(
    
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
    Hmm.. sadly I can't really think of one right now....

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current beats:
Love Comes Again - Tiesto & BT
Flying to the Moon - Emjay
Case of the Ex - Mya
Bye - Soularis
Alone [Ian Van Dahl Mix] - Lasgo