I Took the One less Traveled By: A Look Back on 2010

Sunrise
November at Green Lake, WI

I must say, this year went by so fast! I can't remember every event that has happened throughout this year, but the one that really stuck out to me was the bp oil spill. It was the only time this past year that I was truly angry. How the government and the company handled the situation was terrible, the economy and the ecosystems of the Gulf Coast were devastated, and locals felt like nobody cared about them as the weeks went by. Despite how the situation was handled, I did forgive them once they plugged the hole (with a crappy design) and I have moved on. Hopefully, the wetlands of the Gulf Coast will recover from this ordeal. Also, 2010 was the 2nd warmest the planet has ever been since we started to keep records (as I'm currently writing this, the temperature for my town of Lombard, IL it is currently 51 degrees outside. But it's for one day only and then winter will return). A very warm spring jumpstarted many spring wildflowers to blooming a few weeks ahead of schedule, and a hot and wet summer made working outside difficult for me. Hopefully we'll get a break this coming year.
As for me, I did quite the bit of traveling. I went to North Carolina in March, Texas in June, and Washington state in August. In between I did my excursions throughout my homestate of Illinois and Wisconsin. So many cool birds and unique plant life were abound in these regions but I can write a book on everything I saw. I also worked at the Morton Arboretum for the summer. This living tree museum has many gardens within the park and I had to tend them for my internship. I had an awesome bird feeder setup in my college town of Platteville, WI, and I'll never forget all the birds that visited it during my last semester as a sophomore.
As for my hike with God, It was better then previous years. Sure I went through time of growth and dormancy like a tree through the seasons, but He is always there waiting for you to talk to Him and He will guide you through the good times and the bad times. What I love about God is that He will never change. Years come and go with their events, but God has stood through all of these and still has His love, judgement, and His gift to the earth. I pray that I can read His word more often and understand what He wants for me in 2011. he has shown me so many great things and has provided for me throughout the year, and I can't wait to see what He has in store for 2011!
I do want to thank my Platteville family for being there and being awesome friends, my friends at home, and my wonderful girlfriend. Thank you for making 2010 a great year!
Here are some of my favorite photos from 2010: