Missy's Year in Review
Man, did 2008 kick ass! In no particular order:
NEA Fellowship: This will definitely go down as one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I learned SO much about theater criticism, made some friends to last, and felt truly inspired to make a career for myself out of arts journalism (though turns out I'm taking a bit of a detour...)
DCist: Though sometimes I think I'm growing out of DCist a little (it's the only venue where I don't get paid to write; sometimes plays can feel like a chore when I'm doing too many at once), I can't deny that this is the year I really felt like my writing took off, and there were many moments (local "Les Miz", "Next To Normal", "Rooms") where I felt truly privileged to see the caliber of theater I got to experience in D.C.
Engaged!: I'm just about to celebrate two years (this time around) with the love of my life, who proposed to me this September. I can't imagine the year without him and have seen our love grow and develop so much over the past 12 months. Our relationship, which is goofy and affectionate and invigorating, makes me feel incredibly lucky.
Leaving the Excrutiator: I started 2008 in an emotionally devastating job, and while I tried once to quit early on, it didn't quite take. I was SO pleased (and fortunate) to find a new, kick-ass job just before the economy tanked and journalism jobs became scarcer than Jumpin Jack Doritos (ok, no one's going to appreciate that analogy but me). Which segues nicely into...
WBJ Job!: I'm just about 6 months into my job as a restaurant, retail and tourism reporter and it's nice to, for once, not be already thinking about where I will move on next. I've gotten the chance to break many exciting scoops (particularly in the restaurant world), learn a lot more about food, hone my business writing, and finally work under some editors I truly respect. It's done wonders for my self-esteem and general mental health, and has truly been exciting and professionally rewarding. I adore writing about restaurants, and retail has proven to be an important challenge.
New Hobbies! This year, it was belly dancing and ballroom dancing. The former didn't last as long as I'd like (after one season, my teacher moved to a day that didn't fit with my schedule, and I never got back into it), but it was so fun to get into dancing again. And the latter was my birthday present from John, and proved a great way to spend time together - and I love cha-cha! We'll see what I pick for 2009...tango? I also continued my love of herb gardening and cooking, which leads into...
Recipe Web Site! Per usual, it was a year of great cooking (coq a vin, French Onion soup, whole rockfish...), and I got to see the results of my efforts by developing my own recipe Web site! It's made cooking feel like more of an accomplishment (sure, I only have about 100 followers, but the blog keeps me motivated), and it feels great to be experimental in the kitchen again.
Milestones! This is the year that really felt like I was getting older, but the bonus part of that was getting to see so many friends witness important milestones. Whether it be college friends getting married, Kevin and Jess having Natty, or Mandy getting engaged, it seemed like there was constant excitement in this arena!
Weight Loss! I didn't make much progress in 2008 in the weight loss arena (in fact, it was the reverse) until about a month ago. But I decided to join Weight Watchers, and so far, it's been an incredibly positive experience. I'm down 10 lbs already, despite the holidays, and I really feel in control of what I'm eating and how healthy my body is. I've learned much more about portion control, balanced diet and general good habits. I've still got much more work to do, but I feel very energized in this area going into 2009.
Out of Debt! This was a huge accomplishment for the year. I've been plagued by debt ever since I was living in the Hamptons on a $27K per year journalist's salary, and have never made much progress escaping it. After seeing it climb to its highest amount ever (between buying a computer and taking unpaid professional leave), I decided early in the year to get it under control - and I did! As of November or so, I am debt free (to my parents as well!). I even started a 401k account! It feels particularly good going into a year when I'm planning a wedding and buying a house.
Adventures! The year held plenty of them, chief among them minibar, John's and my unforgettable restaurant experience, a motorcycle ride to Gettysburg, a mini-vacay to Charlottesville, a sisters' weekend in VA beach, multiple treks to Annapolis, etc.
Family! Two lucky breaks - I got the chance to attend 2nd Frederick Xmas AND the Fourth of July celebration, two events I've never had the chance to experience before which are important to my dad's side of the family. Also feel like I generally got home a lot, between those visits, Abbey's wedding, etc.
Traditions! Despite all the change, it was nice to see some things stay the same, such as little DC traditions that have sprung up with my friends - pumpkin carving at Audrey's, National Book Festival, Becky's Danish Xmas, etc.
So in general, what a great year. And 2009 has much more to come - possibly developing my own column, seeing my sister and best friend from college each get married, buying a house (would have been nice to have this happen in '08, but such are banks), losing more weight, planning our wedding, and...going to Hawaii!
NEA Fellowship: This will definitely go down as one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I learned SO much about theater criticism, made some friends to last, and felt truly inspired to make a career for myself out of arts journalism (though turns out I'm taking a bit of a detour...)
DCist: Though sometimes I think I'm growing out of DCist a little (it's the only venue where I don't get paid to write; sometimes plays can feel like a chore when I'm doing too many at once), I can't deny that this is the year I really felt like my writing took off, and there were many moments (local "Les Miz", "Next To Normal", "Rooms") where I felt truly privileged to see the caliber of theater I got to experience in D.C.
Engaged!: I'm just about to celebrate two years (this time around) with the love of my life, who proposed to me this September. I can't imagine the year without him and have seen our love grow and develop so much over the past 12 months. Our relationship, which is goofy and affectionate and invigorating, makes me feel incredibly lucky.
Leaving the Excrutiator: I started 2008 in an emotionally devastating job, and while I tried once to quit early on, it didn't quite take. I was SO pleased (and fortunate) to find a new, kick-ass job just before the economy tanked and journalism jobs became scarcer than Jumpin Jack Doritos (ok, no one's going to appreciate that analogy but me). Which segues nicely into...
WBJ Job!: I'm just about 6 months into my job as a restaurant, retail and tourism reporter and it's nice to, for once, not be already thinking about where I will move on next. I've gotten the chance to break many exciting scoops (particularly in the restaurant world), learn a lot more about food, hone my business writing, and finally work under some editors I truly respect. It's done wonders for my self-esteem and general mental health, and has truly been exciting and professionally rewarding. I adore writing about restaurants, and retail has proven to be an important challenge.
New Hobbies! This year, it was belly dancing and ballroom dancing. The former didn't last as long as I'd like (after one season, my teacher moved to a day that didn't fit with my schedule, and I never got back into it), but it was so fun to get into dancing again. And the latter was my birthday present from John, and proved a great way to spend time together - and I love cha-cha! We'll see what I pick for 2009...tango? I also continued my love of herb gardening and cooking, which leads into...
Recipe Web Site! Per usual, it was a year of great cooking (coq a vin, French Onion soup, whole rockfish...), and I got to see the results of my efforts by developing my own recipe Web site! It's made cooking feel like more of an accomplishment (sure, I only have about 100 followers, but the blog keeps me motivated), and it feels great to be experimental in the kitchen again.
Milestones! This is the year that really felt like I was getting older, but the bonus part of that was getting to see so many friends witness important milestones. Whether it be college friends getting married, Kevin and Jess having Natty, or Mandy getting engaged, it seemed like there was constant excitement in this arena!
Weight Loss! I didn't make much progress in 2008 in the weight loss arena (in fact, it was the reverse) until about a month ago. But I decided to join Weight Watchers, and so far, it's been an incredibly positive experience. I'm down 10 lbs already, despite the holidays, and I really feel in control of what I'm eating and how healthy my body is. I've learned much more about portion control, balanced diet and general good habits. I've still got much more work to do, but I feel very energized in this area going into 2009.
Out of Debt! This was a huge accomplishment for the year. I've been plagued by debt ever since I was living in the Hamptons on a $27K per year journalist's salary, and have never made much progress escaping it. After seeing it climb to its highest amount ever (between buying a computer and taking unpaid professional leave), I decided early in the year to get it under control - and I did! As of November or so, I am debt free (to my parents as well!). I even started a 401k account! It feels particularly good going into a year when I'm planning a wedding and buying a house.
Adventures! The year held plenty of them, chief among them minibar, John's and my unforgettable restaurant experience, a motorcycle ride to Gettysburg, a mini-vacay to Charlottesville, a sisters' weekend in VA beach, multiple treks to Annapolis, etc.
Family! Two lucky breaks - I got the chance to attend 2nd Frederick Xmas AND the Fourth of July celebration, two events I've never had the chance to experience before which are important to my dad's side of the family. Also feel like I generally got home a lot, between those visits, Abbey's wedding, etc.
Traditions! Despite all the change, it was nice to see some things stay the same, such as little DC traditions that have sprung up with my friends - pumpkin carving at Audrey's, National Book Festival, Becky's Danish Xmas, etc.
So in general, what a great year. And 2009 has much more to come - possibly developing my own column, seeing my sister and best friend from college each get married, buying a house (would have been nice to have this happen in '08, but such are banks), losing more weight, planning our wedding, and...going to Hawaii!