My 7 2011 new years goals!

I am pretty proud to look back on my 2010 year and realize that the five goals I made for myself back a year ago today were all accomplished! So I am continuing the trend of picking 5-7 new goals for 2011 that I want to accomplish for this new years. Like last years, I have decided to keep things simple because it is the simple goals that get accomplished.

1. Visit 5 new places this year....have at least one new visit be outside the U.S.
2. Participate and complete in an athletic competition, race or event at least once this year.
3. Get hired as an elementary special education teacher in a school and a place that I like.
          - Along with this I want to at least apply to teach aboard for the Department of Defense
4. Live somewhere random for at least a month or so
5. Learn and engage in at least one new hobby, or experience.
         - Possible experiences that I could engage in: learn to shoot a gun and then go hunting, or go on a fishing trip with Luke this summer on his boat, or finally learn how to ski effectively
6. Continue to embrace, enhance, work on and improve the creative, and artsy side of myself and then bring in creative arts into my classroom!
7. Continue to cherish, enjoy, and improve the relationships in my life that are very important to me!

May 2011 be a wonderful year for everyone and may we all accomplish our goals for the year.
HAPPY 2011 :)

My poem...

So I had this awful teacher in fourth grade whom told me that I could never get my poem that I created then published, and it stopped me from writing another poem until NOW! I wrote this poem for my creative arts class about art and diversity.

Colorful thoughts

By Jenna Santelli

When children wonder and think,

Thunder of thoughts light up their minds

They can find different signs

And work with different minds

Where blunders do not exist.

They turn to a place where diversity rests

As it tests the normal boundaries

It does not need to be done in a formal setting

Art just needs to be fun!

Their imaginations can run wild

And they can develop their own styles

Art even allows them to create smiles

They can learn and grow

So their imagination flows

And they can show their true expressions.

With a dash of imagination

Where clashes do not exist

And diversity persists

A drop of paint

Ain’t the only form

There are drawings of kings

Sculptures of things

Bundles of songs

And images of cultures that certainly belong

Arts brings us together

Through different forms

And helps us reform our current world

Art knows no races

But rather colorful faces

And without it— our world would be a useless case

Thank goodness

10 Things I am thankful for during the holidays:
10. Mornings where I do not have to set an alarm clock
 9. Wool socks to help keep my feet warm
 8. Getting recommendations from all my hard work in the classroom
 7. Home cooked meals during the holidays
 6. Long walks in the snow
 5. College football rivalries
 4. Blue bird, powder snowboarding days
 3. Snowboarding with good friends
 2. Getting help and wisdom from my father
 1. Spending Thanksgiving with my friends and family

the single sister has a crush!

So most of you know that I have been single for a long time now and it has been a great thing for myself. I have learned so much about myself, what I want, what I need and what is important to me and really all of this could not happened as much if I was in a relationship all this time. While I continue to feel the pressure of finding someone from many people in my life, I feel that it cannot be this thing that I go looking for. I can't search around for the perfect guy that I want to date...as one of my closest friends has always said "it must come naturally."

I totally believe that is the case. For a few months I completely stopped thinking that when I went out with friends or really involved myself in any social situation, I needed to meet guys. I also quit going on dates for a bit until recently. Well I recently went on a mellow coffee date with this guy that I actually met last May, but have been too shy to ever pursue anything with. I finally decided that I wanted to contact him, say hello and see what would happen next. When we first met, there was this mutual attraction to each other and I never forgot this. So I decided to finally pursue and see if the attraction was still there after running into him last week. I had him number so gave him a friendly text. Texting felt a lot more safe to me than calling him, although I do prefer to call. Well to make a long story short, we went out for coffee/tea last Saturday night and it went so well! Seriously I was shocked how well the date went. I am glad that I asked him to coffee because it mellow and a great way to just get to know each other. Date number 2 is happening tonight, where he invited me to dinner at his place tonight!

I am excited, I haven't had a serious crush in so long. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes tonight. I was nervous before our first date, and even when I stopped by to say hi to him when he was working at his campus job at the the Health and Wellness center, but I do not feel nervous for tonight! I feel a bit impulsive, and quite excited about it. Gosh I love having a new crush. It is helping me stay less stressed right now.

YIPEE :)

Have a good day everyone!

Birthday Horoscopes

Every year around my birthday (Oct. 15th) I always check my horoscope because I have found them to make me smile and make me feel good about turning older. Anyways...the horoscope that I read during my birthday was totally fabulous, and really made me smile. While I do not read my horoscope daily, weekly or even monthly to be honest, I do find them really interesting and fun when I do spend the time reading them. Anyways my birthday horoscope for this year read:

"Everything is dreamed first," wrote French poet Gilbert Trolliet. French philospher Gaston Bachelard agreed, adding "Creative reverie animates the nerves of the future. Your task in the coming weeks, Libra, is to act on those clue: Conjure up pictures in your mind that foreshadow the life you want to be living next year. Proceed on the assumption that you now have extraordinary power to generate self-fulfilling prophecies.

This horoscope really impacted me because I have been trying to start to decide what I want my life to look like next year. I graduate with my Masters in Art of Teaching in May and this question of where do I want to teach? Where do I want to live? has really been lingering with me. I know I want to be an elementary special education teacher, but other than that I don't really know what my future holds. As I always say "I am going to go where the wind takes me." One thing that I can picture and foreshadow in my life is first getting a teaching job in Salt Lake because that is where I currently live and do have the most connections. I also want to picture myself getting this internship that I want working with the education department of the Baseball Hall of Fame. So I guess since I cannot answer where I will living next year, or even where I want to be living...I can answer that I want to make sure my future year involves being a special education teacher and working and living in Cooperstown, N.Y. next summer.

Cheers to great horoscopes and positive vibes!