Reverb10 :: One Word

Sunset on a felucca on the Nile during Iftar. (Sept, 2010)

I've decided to be a part of Reverb10. It's a 31-day blogging challenge where you reply to the daily writing prompts that are designed to get you to reflect on this past year as well as provide some insight for the upcoming year.

I'm going to give myself 5-7 minutes for each post.

I wasn't crazy about today's prompt: Let Go, so I'm going back to Day 1 :: December 1, 2010 :: One Word

• Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word.

The one word that will encapsulate 2010 for me is challenging.

As I look back on how mentally challenging the past year has been, I'm trying to figure out ways to make sure the upcoming year is not a duplicate (it certainly has the potential to be the same). This year has been challenging for me at work or the environment at work: my students are constant whiners, my colleagues are not always collegial. Add to that living in the Middle East city that never sleeps: Cairo. I do like living in Cairo because it's inexpensive, it has character and there is always something to do. But it's a hard city to live in. There's pollution, filth, traffic, noise and lots of people. I still haven't purchased my bike to bring some calm to my life. Soon.

The one word that I hope 2011 will be is productive. I have to get to the business of doing something for me. I do a lot for work and as a result I postpone the things the I like to do and that could further my career. Things like producing audio projects and writing. That's what 2011 will be for me and earmarking time to work on my projects.