"in 2008, i..."
I am taking this idea from a video that Lizz made, only I'm doing it in blog-form because I don't have cool things like a video camera or video-editing knowledge. I tend to get kind of depressed around the new year, and because it's so close to my birthday, which also depresses me, I tend to feel sad through most of December and January. I thought that maybe having a nice list of the good parts of the last year, and maybe even some of the not-so-good parts or the silly parts, would help me feel better about things. So here is a list of things, not in chronological order because that would involve too much thinking, that were memorable for me in 2008.
In 2008, I...
-Applied to graduate MFA playwriting programs (although that overlaps with late-2007).
-Took the GRE.
-Got rejected from two ivy league institutions. woo.
-Turned 26 way back in January '08.
-Saw my 8th Foo Fighters concert [EDIT, 1/14/09, 10:41am: I realized that this was 2008 rather than 2007 as I'd originally thought.]
-Went inside the Somerville courthouse for the first time.
-For the first time since college graduation in 2004, did not attend at least one wedding.
-Helped my youngest brother go to France.
-Saw one brother graduate high school and another brother graduate college.
-Saw Brian get accepted into a PhD program.
-Went on a Disney cruise to the Bahamas, which encompassed several "firsts" and important events:
-Left the US for only the second time in my life.
-First time on a boat that holds more than 10 people.
-First vacation Brian and I took alone.
-First time in the Bahamas--learned that Nassau, at least around the port, is kind of a dump.
-Tried (very basic) snorkeling for the first time.
-Swam in clear water where you can see the bottom.
-Got waitlisted at Boston University; learned that being proactive and contacting the program helps and was offered a space in the program.
-Deferred the BU acceptance.
-Became more confident in my writing (even if I don't always feel that way).
-Moved to Sunderland.
-Lived both within the city limits of Boston and in probably one of the smaller towns in the state. Learned that I can appreciate both of them.
-Went to a gay club called Paradise with some coworkers... it is one of the seediest clubs in existence and is probably a five-minute walk from our office. hehe.
-Stayed up till 6:30 in the morning with the high school friends during our yearly gathering.
-Not counting the month I spent in Europe in college, lived more than an hour away from my parents for the first time.
-Was interviewed by ABC News for an online story about the possible relation between stress and illness.
-Wrote a 75-page play in less than a month for NaPlWriMo.
-Took my first graduate-level course.
-Got my learner's permit for the first time mere weeks before my 27th birthday. Name is misspelled on it.
-Went to a few Red Sox games, including a game in the bleacher seats, where I hadn't sat since maybe 2003. It was Brian's first bleachers experience.
-Saw the Celtics win the NBA finals, the Red Sox fall short in the ALCS, the Patriots just miss a perfect season, and the Bruins just generally suck.
-Voted in the presidential election; for the first time voted via absentee ballot.
-Finally got my headaches looked at by both a regular doctor and a headache specialist.
-Began working from home.
-Learned that living in a completely different environment from your hometown doesn't change who you are, and for the first time felt confident that I could live someplace far away from where I grew up and be happy.
I think that's all I can come up with for now. A nice balance of the important and the silly. Worst months of the year were definitely February and December. Best month was May, especially the Disney cruise week. If I could go back to one point in the year it would be the cruise, specifically the afternoon on the private beach. It is definitely a time I will never forget.... I think making this list did help me feel a little better.
In 2008, I...
-Applied to graduate MFA playwriting programs (although that overlaps with late-2007).
-Took the GRE.
-Got rejected from two ivy league institutions. woo.
-Turned 26 way back in January '08.
-Saw my 8th Foo Fighters concert [EDIT, 1/14/09, 10:41am: I realized that this was 2008 rather than 2007 as I'd originally thought.]
-Went inside the Somerville courthouse for the first time.
-For the first time since college graduation in 2004, did not attend at least one wedding.
-Helped my youngest brother go to France.
-Saw one brother graduate high school and another brother graduate college.
-Saw Brian get accepted into a PhD program.
-Went on a Disney cruise to the Bahamas, which encompassed several "firsts" and important events:
-Left the US for only the second time in my life.
-First time on a boat that holds more than 10 people.
-First vacation Brian and I took alone.
-First time in the Bahamas--learned that Nassau, at least around the port, is kind of a dump.
-Tried (very basic) snorkeling for the first time.
-Swam in clear water where you can see the bottom.
-Got waitlisted at Boston University; learned that being proactive and contacting the program helps and was offered a space in the program.
-Deferred the BU acceptance.
-Became more confident in my writing (even if I don't always feel that way).
-Moved to Sunderland.
-Lived both within the city limits of Boston and in probably one of the smaller towns in the state. Learned that I can appreciate both of them.
-Went to a gay club called Paradise with some coworkers... it is one of the seediest clubs in existence and is probably a five-minute walk from our office. hehe.
-Stayed up till 6:30 in the morning with the high school friends during our yearly gathering.
-Not counting the month I spent in Europe in college, lived more than an hour away from my parents for the first time.
-Was interviewed by ABC News for an online story about the possible relation between stress and illness.
-Wrote a 75-page play in less than a month for NaPlWriMo.
-Took my first graduate-level course.
-Got my learner's permit for the first time mere weeks before my 27th birthday. Name is misspelled on it.
-Went to a few Red Sox games, including a game in the bleacher seats, where I hadn't sat since maybe 2003. It was Brian's first bleachers experience.
-Saw the Celtics win the NBA finals, the Red Sox fall short in the ALCS, the Patriots just miss a perfect season, and the Bruins just generally suck.
-Voted in the presidential election; for the first time voted via absentee ballot.
-Finally got my headaches looked at by both a regular doctor and a headache specialist.
-Began working from home.
-Learned that living in a completely different environment from your hometown doesn't change who you are, and for the first time felt confident that I could live someplace far away from where I grew up and be happy.
I think that's all I can come up with for now. A nice balance of the important and the silly. Worst months of the year were definitely February and December. Best month was May, especially the Disney cruise week. If I could go back to one point in the year it would be the cruise, specifically the afternoon on the private beach. It is definitely a time I will never forget.... I think making this list did help me feel a little better.