2006 made me a new, happier person
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before? I grew up and did a lot of real things: I got my first real job, fell in love for real for the first time, lived in my own real place for the first time, and committed my first real screw up.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? My two resolutions were to be nicer to people and to be more independent, which I think I've been pretty good about. This summer has really made me more independent, and I've been more thoughtful about the things I say, which has made me nicer. For this year, my resolutions are to put more effort into the things I do and keep my priorities in line.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? I don't think so.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Does Milton Friedman count?
5. What countries did you visit? I didn't go anywhere this year. Next year I'd like to go backpacking, but I'm pretty sure this isn't going to happen.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? Courage and self-assurance. And money.
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? January 23 was the day shit hit the fan with my screw up. July 10 was the day I started working at my first big girl job. May was the month I fell in love. November 29 is a good day to remember and will hopefully be a day to celebrate for awhile.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finally getting to know myself and taking responsibility for my shortcomings. And making up with Emily.
9. What was your biggest failure? Not embracing my youth and having as much fun as possible.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? No, nothing serious.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Tickets to the Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens. Rent for my apartment. My first real suit from Express.
14. Where did most of your money go? Rent money and stuff for my apartment.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The promise of second year. My apartment. Luke. My apartmentmates, Sam and Rachel. Mikel and Sam coming to visit Chicago. Working for Senator Durbin. Eric. Going out with friends. Dinner parties. Not sleeping alone. Liz and Laura coming back home. Billy. Being friends with Emily. Finding new depth to life.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2006? Rhett Miller songs. "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens. Anything off "The Crane Wife" by the Decemberists. "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake. "Crazy" by Gnarles Barkley. Anything off the A&F summer soundtrack.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
A)Happier or sadder - Happier. For sure.
B)Older or wiser - Wiser.
C)Thinner or fatter- About the same.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? I wish I would have been stronger and not let my opinions of myself get clouded by people who didn't care about me.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? I wish I had gotten less hung up on being friends with people in the dorm and their opinions of me. Maybe this sounds like the same thing in the last question, but it's not. This question I mean everyone in my dorm. The previous question I mean one person.
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Doing the same old thing we do every year.
22. Did you fall in love in 2006? Yes. Completely. It was unrequited, but it showed me what love is supposed to be like.
24. What was your favorite TV program? Nip/Tuck, Desperate Housewives, and Degrassi.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Um...perhaps. Liars, mostly.
26. What was the best book you read? Empire Falls, the confessions of St. Augustine, Slaugherhouse Five, and I'm working on finishing the Series of Unfourtunate Events books.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? The Decemberists, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sufjan Stevens, and rediscovering Rhett Miller.
28. What did you want and get? Clarity.
29. What did you want and not get? More friends. I like the friends I have and I like the connections I've made with these people, but I don't really have a best friend or many girlfriends.
30. What was your favorite film of this year? Little Miss Sunshine. No contest.
31. What did you do on your birthday? Ate out with my family and hated that I couldn't get drunk since I was at home.
32. What was the best part of your summer? Throwing myself into work and being able to focus on myself and not worry about anyone else.
33. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Mock Trial not sucking so hard.
34. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005? Ashley Grown Up Style. I finally have clothes that I can wear to work and feel professional and all that. Still lots of Abercrombie, which won't be easily eradicated, but I'm working on it.
35. What kept you sane? My friends.
36. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Various members of the Decemberists, who I may or may not have written love e-mails to.
37. What political issue stirred you the most? Tammy Duckworth. Campaign for governor of the state of Florida. Mark Foley scandal. Tancredo calling Miami a "third world country." Hating the idea of both Hilary and Barack running for president.
38. Who did you miss? Right now at this very moment, Billy. Like whoa. And Sam and Rachel.
39. Who was the best new person you met? The first years of Mock Trial. Michael and the other various characters that hang out in our apartment. The boys of A&F. John B. and the not-bitchy people at my job.
40. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006: There's a certain depth to realizing that you don't have to be deep and introspective and contemplative all the time.
41. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'm so alive
I'm so enlightened
I can barely survive
A night in my mind
I've got a plan
I'm gonna find out just how boring I am
And have a good time
Cause ever since I tried
Trying not to find
Every little meaning in my life
It's been fine
I've been cool
With my new golden rule
Numb is the new deep
Done with the old me
And talk is the same cheap it's been
Is there a God?
Why is he waiting?
Don't you think of it odd
When he knows my inner dwellings?
And look at the stars
Don't it remind you just how feeble we are?
Well it used to, I guess
Cause ever since I tried
Trying not to find
Every little meaning in my life
It's been fine
I've been cool
With my new golden rule
Numb is the new deep
Done with the old me
I'm over the analyzing
Tonight
Stop trying to figure it out
Deep will only bring you down
You know, I used to be the back porch poet with a book of rhymes
Always open knowing all the time I'm probably
Never gonna find the perfect rhyme
For 'heavier things'