(no subject)
1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
i got a diagnosis for my crazy early in the year (GAD & recurring major depressive disorder); i had brunch with lee weatherly; i broke my phone TWICE; i became friends with a big group of girls; i left a classroom crying; i was published in an education journal; i started getting boxes upon boxes of ARCs from my friends sam & rachael; i had zero dates; i made plants grow; i volunteered at an animal shelter; i got poison ivy; i saw nicki minaj in a store; i reconnected with my cousins; i learned about being an HSP; i am leading a yearlong professional development workshop.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
somehow i kid myself every year that i'm going to cook more and exercise more. my resolutions for the past several years have been about living a more fulfilling life, and i'm doing that. i care about my health without caring about how i look, as long as i reflect the joy and fullness inside of me.
i think i'd also like to start writing more here. or order some kind of print archive of it.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
jenny & lindsay adopted their twin daughters; amber had her girl; krista & blake had their beautiful boy.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
my sweet penny died; we held her and showered her in love all day. some of my friends lost esme in the wee hours of 2012, a murder that made national news.
5. What countries did you visit?
none, although i anticipate moving to a european country by the end of the year. it gives me butterflies to know that, in january 2014, i will read this and already know what happened.
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
the ability to experience solitude
7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
a) that day i was looking at apartments and crying, and cohen came over and mixed us amazing cocktails and made me feel better
b) downton abbey finale at KUT studios
c) the day my anxiety was officially diagnosed
d) lisa's visit
e) the day i started talking with my students about language and equity
f) the day my brother went to the hospital
g) when rebekah stuck sweet notes in all of these secret places around my house
h) taking the bus to ohio with my brother
i) my amazing student's poetry reading at an important gala, where she met the head of creative writing at harvard, where she got told by rich people that she is beautiful
j) holding my first dying kitten
k) a talk with laura one morning that changed everything
l) the olympics
m) that night on the damen brown line platform that i decided to teach abroad
n) that afternoon in my classroom when i read some nasty words someone else had written about me
o) the day linda's mom collapsed
p) the fight with my mother on thanksgiving
q) the day we put penny to sleep
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
movement, growth
9. What was your biggest failure?
not cooking, feeling needy
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
other than my stomach ailments, i was fine until december--two colds and a stomach virus? or maybe allergies.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
a plane ticket to see penny for the last time
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
my brother's--he is growing a lot professionally. my friend laura took a brave step and started her own business. i have so many friends growing in marvelous ways.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
my parents didn't behave particularly well, nor did many people who freaked out about the election. i was very disappointed politically by other people. i don't have sympathy for apathetic teachers, either.
14. Where did most of your money go?
debt, rent, my car
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
the possibility of trying out something new in 2013.
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
"call me maybe," "we are never ever getting back together," "mountain sound" by of monsters and men, "somebody that i used to know" by gotye, anything by fun., "no light no light" by florence
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier
ii. thinner or fatter? the same
iii. richer or poorer? the same
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
gotten outside, eaten healthier
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
smoking
20. How did you spend Christmas?
in jersey village with my brother, my mom, and her boyfriend paul. we ate, slept, opened gifts, and at night we saw les miserables.
21. What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in 2012?
i'm simultaneously easily and not easily embarrassed. i get embarrassed everyday, but i embrace most of it. being an open book is kind of embarrassing, but i do it anyway.
22. Did you fall in love in 2012?
no
23. How many one-night stands?
not even a date
24. What was your favorite TV program?
parenthood, the secret circle (rip), mad men, girls
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
no, just more wary of a few people
26. What was the best book you read?
probably the scorpio races
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
i sure do enjoy of monsters and men. i went through an 80s revival late in the year.
28. What did you want and get?
lots of growth & confidence, a sense of community, some contentment & resolve
29. What did you want and not get?
a partner in crime, debt relief
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
i didn't see many current films, but hunger games was awesome. no hate here. and i loved melancholia.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i turned 32 and took the day off. some friends came over, and we decorated my house for christmas and watched scrooged.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
having no debt and and having a smoother transition out of my old apartment
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
jeans and my orange cardigan
34. What kept you sane?
spending time with myself and refusing to feel guilty about how i spend my time
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
ryan gosling, duh
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
obamacare, education, the election
37. Who did you miss?
my brother, kate in qatar, my houston friends
38. Who was the best new person you met?
all my small group ladies, and i'm getting to know my cousins better. they are fabulous.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
i matter.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"and as i looked around, i began to notice we were nothing like the rest"