1999 to 2009
stolen from yampowered! i'm feeling introspective this new year's eve, and i think this particular meme will be illuminating.
The 2000s: A Decade in Review (sort of)
* Think back to ten years ago this month.
* Write truthful answers and ELABORATE. This makes it more interesting!
* It's about personal changes. Have fun with it!
Then: December 1999
1. Age: a ripe old 18.
2. Location: living on my own (well, with a roommate) in clifton (a university neighborhood in cincinnati ohio).
3. Romantic Status: oh christ. i was in love with The Ex. you know the one. i'm fairly certain he wasn't seeing anyone else at this particular time, but i could be wrong. despite our rather complicated relationship, i was officially single. i may have been seeing that weirdo that was six (or was it eight?) years older than me at this time, but that wasn't really a relationship.
4. Occupation: blockbuster video, baby! i bussed my ass across town because i lived in clifton but my store was in price hill. i can't believe i did that shit.
5. Fun Night Out: i had a lot of fun nights that year. first year out of my parents' house, what what? but i've never been a huge party person. i'm pretty sure that was the time, before i moved, that i got grounded for staying out all night. it may have been 1998 but who's counting? anyway i went to a party which was very rare for me and i spent the whole time making out with this ridiculously hot guy that i barely spoke to before or after.
i also rang in 2000 in new york city! that was a crazy whirlwind time!
but the best time i had in 1999 was undoubtably woodstock '99. yeah there was a riot, and yeah everything was overpriced, but i still had the greatest time of my life. maybe even to this day.
6. BFFs: my bestie sara, who was my roommate at the time. alonso. katie fresh. emily. my beloved crew: ethan, tyrell, stuart, adrian, sean (remember those times, dadadavida?), and rachel (she was still pretty cool in 1999! 2000 was her crazy year). i don't talk to any of those people any more, which makes me very sad. i actually cut sara off forever in 2005. alonso got weird and mean. rachel got crazy. ethan started smoking too much pot. everybody else sort of drifted away. i miss those people.
7. I Spent Too Much Time: trying to get the attention of certain boys. sigh.
8. I Spent Too Little Time: uh...i don't know about this one. maybe cleaning. i never did the dishes and my roommate probably would have killed me if i hadn't been her best friend.
9. When I Grew Up I Wanted To Be: a writer of course!
10. What Concerned Me: oh man i was a fucking spazmotron back in those days. i mean i'm a bit on edge now but i was totally out of control in those days. what DIDN'T concern me? i worried about paying rent. buying groceries. if i was ever going to have enough money to go to college. but mostly i worried about my love life. i was eighteen, what can i say.
11. What Should Have Concerned Me: if i had been any more concerned about any more aspects of my life, i would have died of a heart attack. i guess i could have eaten better. but shit, i had an 18-year-old's metabolism!
12. Dumbest Thing I Did: i've always been a pretty cautious person. i can't remember anything particularly cringe-worthy from 1999 specifically. i do sort of wish i never made out with stan, because it gave him power to hurt me, but i don't really regret it or think it was gigantically stupid.
13. If I Could Go Back In Time I Would Tell Myself: everything's going to be okay, and one day it will actually be beautiful. don't feel ashamed for crying and don't be afraid to be proud of yourself. success is different than your idea of it.
14. Picture Of Me Then: placeholder! i'll scan some pics in later.
Now: December 2009
1. Age: 28. late twenties aaagh
2. Location: i am writing this in norwood (a suburb of cincinnati ohio), in the home i share with my boyfriend and four cats. but for the past three months and for the next year and a half, i live in astoria, queens, new york city, in a fantastic little basement studio.
3. Romantic Status: i just celebrated my nine-year anniversary with my lovely, sweet, supportive, wonderful boyfriend nathan (aka the_hiddenlevel). we're long-distance for the second time in our relationship but we can totally handle it.
4. Occupation: full-time graduate student at tisch school of the arts at NYU. i'm also a massage therapist although i'm not working at the moment. hopefully i'll be able to work one day a week doing massage next year.
5. Fun Night Out: my friend nic and i got lottery tickets to see ragtime! we were right in the front row and let me tell you, it was one hell of a show.
i will also throw in opening night of my play in may, and closing night of the fringe fest when the same play won pick of the fringe. good times!
6. BFFs: it's lame to say your significant other is your best friend, because obviously they are, but he really is. i also spend a great deal of time either hanging out with or texting nic, who is in my grad program. and even though i hardly ever see or talk to her, i still consider caityface to be my bestie.
7. I Spend Too Much Time: oh internet. you eat my time like so many pringles. lately i spend too much time trying to structure lyrics. i need to just chill out!
8. I Spend Too Little Time: sleeping. i average about three hours a night. grad school is rough, y'all! fortunately i am on vacation at this exact moment so i've been sleeping until i wake up! it's amazing!
9. When I Grow Up I Want To Be: a writer of course! and an acupuncturist.
10. What Concerns Me: i'm not the spaz of ten years ago, but i still worry way too much. i have more confidence than ever in my writing, but i still ask if i'm good enough. i worry about where i'll end up after this program is over. if i'll be able to pay off my student loans. if i'll be able to afford acupuncture school. if i'll be able to get a massage job next year. if i'll have enough money to keep me in my apartment through the summer. if my grandmother's health is okay. if my cat will ever get used to the two new cats. if i'll have to take my former crazy roommate to court for my security deposit. and more than anything, i worry about my weight. there's more but this is getting kind of long.
11. What Should Concern Me: i should probably be concerned that i gossip so much, but i kind of love that about me. i swear it's going to come around and bite me sooner or later.
12. Dumbest Thing I've Done Recently: i didn't take pictures of the apartment i got kicked out of before i left. dumb dumb dumb!
13. When The Me From 10 Years Later Comes Back To Talk To Me She Will Say: everything's going to be okay, and one day it will actually be beautiful. don't feel ashamed for crying and don't be afraid to be proud of yourself. success is different than your idea of it.
14. Picture Of Me Now: coming soon!
Summary:
1. What I Miss Most From 1999: my friends, as mentioned above. i miss hanging out in my loft, drinking sobe, listening to radiohead and beck with my friends.
2. What I Miss Least From 1999: that shitty blockbuster job
3. What I've Accomplished In 10 Years That I'm Most Proud Of: i always stayed true to my dreams and my goals, even when it seemed like it was totally pointless. i maintained a happy, healthy relationship. when i said i was going to do something, i fucking did it and usually excelled. i wouldn't have said this last year, but i am pretty pleased with how my life is unfolding and the things i am accomplishing. not to be cheesy and cliché but, being proud of myself is the thing i'm most proud of.
4. What I Haven't Accomplished In 10 Years, But Wish I Had: if 18 year old skizzy knew that 28 year old skizzy still hadn't been published, she would have died of shame. so uh, i'd like to get on that sometime soon.
illuminating indeed. i haven't changed much yet i've changed dramatically. i'd really love to go back in time and just watch myself. just to observe, from a ten-years-older perspective, what i believed and how i behaved. i don't know if i'd laugh or cry.
The 2000s: A Decade in Review (sort of)
* Think back to ten years ago this month.
* Write truthful answers and ELABORATE. This makes it more interesting!
* It's about personal changes. Have fun with it!
Then: December 1999
1. Age: a ripe old 18.
2. Location: living on my own (well, with a roommate) in clifton (a university neighborhood in cincinnati ohio).
3. Romantic Status: oh christ. i was in love with The Ex. you know the one. i'm fairly certain he wasn't seeing anyone else at this particular time, but i could be wrong. despite our rather complicated relationship, i was officially single. i may have been seeing that weirdo that was six (or was it eight?) years older than me at this time, but that wasn't really a relationship.
4. Occupation: blockbuster video, baby! i bussed my ass across town because i lived in clifton but my store was in price hill. i can't believe i did that shit.
5. Fun Night Out: i had a lot of fun nights that year. first year out of my parents' house, what what? but i've never been a huge party person. i'm pretty sure that was the time, before i moved, that i got grounded for staying out all night. it may have been 1998 but who's counting? anyway i went to a party which was very rare for me and i spent the whole time making out with this ridiculously hot guy that i barely spoke to before or after.
i also rang in 2000 in new york city! that was a crazy whirlwind time!
but the best time i had in 1999 was undoubtably woodstock '99. yeah there was a riot, and yeah everything was overpriced, but i still had the greatest time of my life. maybe even to this day.
6. BFFs: my bestie sara, who was my roommate at the time. alonso. katie fresh. emily. my beloved crew: ethan, tyrell, stuart, adrian, sean (remember those times, dadadavida?), and rachel (she was still pretty cool in 1999! 2000 was her crazy year). i don't talk to any of those people any more, which makes me very sad. i actually cut sara off forever in 2005. alonso got weird and mean. rachel got crazy. ethan started smoking too much pot. everybody else sort of drifted away. i miss those people.
7. I Spent Too Much Time: trying to get the attention of certain boys. sigh.
8. I Spent Too Little Time: uh...i don't know about this one. maybe cleaning. i never did the dishes and my roommate probably would have killed me if i hadn't been her best friend.
9. When I Grew Up I Wanted To Be: a writer of course!
10. What Concerned Me: oh man i was a fucking spazmotron back in those days. i mean i'm a bit on edge now but i was totally out of control in those days. what DIDN'T concern me? i worried about paying rent. buying groceries. if i was ever going to have enough money to go to college. but mostly i worried about my love life. i was eighteen, what can i say.
11. What Should Have Concerned Me: if i had been any more concerned about any more aspects of my life, i would have died of a heart attack. i guess i could have eaten better. but shit, i had an 18-year-old's metabolism!
12. Dumbest Thing I Did: i've always been a pretty cautious person. i can't remember anything particularly cringe-worthy from 1999 specifically. i do sort of wish i never made out with stan, because it gave him power to hurt me, but i don't really regret it or think it was gigantically stupid.
13. If I Could Go Back In Time I Would Tell Myself: everything's going to be okay, and one day it will actually be beautiful. don't feel ashamed for crying and don't be afraid to be proud of yourself. success is different than your idea of it.
14. Picture Of Me Then: placeholder! i'll scan some pics in later.
Now: December 2009
1. Age: 28. late twenties aaagh
2. Location: i am writing this in norwood (a suburb of cincinnati ohio), in the home i share with my boyfriend and four cats. but for the past three months and for the next year and a half, i live in astoria, queens, new york city, in a fantastic little basement studio.
3. Romantic Status: i just celebrated my nine-year anniversary with my lovely, sweet, supportive, wonderful boyfriend nathan (aka the_hiddenlevel). we're long-distance for the second time in our relationship but we can totally handle it.
4. Occupation: full-time graduate student at tisch school of the arts at NYU. i'm also a massage therapist although i'm not working at the moment. hopefully i'll be able to work one day a week doing massage next year.
5. Fun Night Out: my friend nic and i got lottery tickets to see ragtime! we were right in the front row and let me tell you, it was one hell of a show.
i will also throw in opening night of my play in may, and closing night of the fringe fest when the same play won pick of the fringe. good times!
6. BFFs: it's lame to say your significant other is your best friend, because obviously they are, but he really is. i also spend a great deal of time either hanging out with or texting nic, who is in my grad program. and even though i hardly ever see or talk to her, i still consider caityface to be my bestie.
7. I Spend Too Much Time: oh internet. you eat my time like so many pringles. lately i spend too much time trying to structure lyrics. i need to just chill out!
8. I Spend Too Little Time: sleeping. i average about three hours a night. grad school is rough, y'all! fortunately i am on vacation at this exact moment so i've been sleeping until i wake up! it's amazing!
9. When I Grow Up I Want To Be: a writer of course! and an acupuncturist.
10. What Concerns Me: i'm not the spaz of ten years ago, but i still worry way too much. i have more confidence than ever in my writing, but i still ask if i'm good enough. i worry about where i'll end up after this program is over. if i'll be able to pay off my student loans. if i'll be able to afford acupuncture school. if i'll be able to get a massage job next year. if i'll have enough money to keep me in my apartment through the summer. if my grandmother's health is okay. if my cat will ever get used to the two new cats. if i'll have to take my former crazy roommate to court for my security deposit. and more than anything, i worry about my weight. there's more but this is getting kind of long.
11. What Should Concern Me: i should probably be concerned that i gossip so much, but i kind of love that about me. i swear it's going to come around and bite me sooner or later.
12. Dumbest Thing I've Done Recently: i didn't take pictures of the apartment i got kicked out of before i left. dumb dumb dumb!
13. When The Me From 10 Years Later Comes Back To Talk To Me She Will Say: everything's going to be okay, and one day it will actually be beautiful. don't feel ashamed for crying and don't be afraid to be proud of yourself. success is different than your idea of it.
14. Picture Of Me Now: coming soon!
Summary:
1. What I Miss Most From 1999: my friends, as mentioned above. i miss hanging out in my loft, drinking sobe, listening to radiohead and beck with my friends.
2. What I Miss Least From 1999: that shitty blockbuster job
3. What I've Accomplished In 10 Years That I'm Most Proud Of: i always stayed true to my dreams and my goals, even when it seemed like it was totally pointless. i maintained a happy, healthy relationship. when i said i was going to do something, i fucking did it and usually excelled. i wouldn't have said this last year, but i am pretty pleased with how my life is unfolding and the things i am accomplishing. not to be cheesy and cliché but, being proud of myself is the thing i'm most proud of.
4. What I Haven't Accomplished In 10 Years, But Wish I Had: if 18 year old skizzy knew that 28 year old skizzy still hadn't been published, she would have died of shame. so uh, i'd like to get on that sometime soon.
illuminating indeed. i haven't changed much yet i've changed dramatically. i'd really love to go back in time and just watch myself. just to observe, from a ten-years-older perspective, what i believed and how i behaved. i don't know if i'd laugh or cry.