2010: A Year In Review
{ 2007 }{ 2008 }{ 2009 }
I called this my throw-away year, but a better term is foundation. This was a year for laying foundation. Little happened, but everything changed. Next year's the year for ka-boom.
Creative/Career
I put out a 6-song EP. I bought a ukulele. I took piano lessons. I bought a fancy camera and started making videos again. My blog went public with over 700 subscribers, I started freelancing for Isthmus, and I opened an online shop. I sang in the first public reading of a musical about zombies, and I liked it.
For next year: I want to lessen my attachment to instant gratification. Instead of spending 3 hours on a short-term project I can share the next day, I'd rather spend those hours on a longer-term project with more meat on its bones, something no one will see for months. That's going to be a challenge for me, but I know it's an important hill to climb.
I also want to reorient myself to the idea of performance. I'm not sure what I mean by that yet.
Health
This was not a great year for health. I gained forty pounds, and lost some of it. I was prescribed medication for allergies and migraines. I experienced my first running injury. I had more colds and ear aches than my entire adult life combined.
I had a ruptured ovarian cyst in June. I collapsed on a trip to Florida and spent a day in the hospital, missing a wedding and leaving a puddle of blood on the floor. I had a concussion for a week and I still have a dent in my forehead. I was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, which I think is Latin for “drink more water, dumb ass."
{ my bruising at day 15 }
For next year: Find homeopathic solutions to my allergies and migraines. Drop some weight. Drink less. Start running again.
Friends
I’ve lived in this city for almost six years, and my life feels more anchored than ever before. My connections have broadened and deepened and it feels good to call this place home.
On a harder note, I lost more friends this year than I can recall losing at once. My community feels fractured and disconnected, like far-flung points in a constellation. I need a tight-knit, family-like group of friends to feel whole, and my life has lacked that this year.
For next year: I want to create space in my life for community, whether that means hosting more events, joining a new organization, or reconnecting with old friends.
Travel
I didn't travel much this year. I went home to Florida twice, and I visited my ex-boyfriend in Berkeley. I haven't left town since June. This was a year for hunkering down, not venturing out.
For next year: I want to go on a road trip. I want to visit friends in New York. I want to see my family. There's a conference I'm attending in Philly, and I'll be in Austin at least once, to be a bridesmaid in my dear Lauren's wedding. Those are my travel goals for 2011.
Money
After spending almost a year unemployed and uninsured, I landed my dream job with benefits, a 3-minute walk from my apartment. I didn't use a credit card a single time all year. I lived without a car. I paid off all my personal debts, and nearly $8,000 toward my credit cards and student loan. I started buying gifts again. I started buying coffee again. I am finally able to breathe.
For next year: I'd like to pay $10,000 toward my debt. I'd like to get a raise at work, start freelancing more often, and budget well enough that I'm not checking couch cushions the three days before pay day.
Giving Back
I started the Love Harder fund, which raised nearly $3,700 for multiple myeloma research. I got a job at a non-profit-- my third in a row. For the first time in my life, I can afford to give to charity, and I gave more than I thought I was able. I started working with a group of high school kids who want to be writers, and who are cooler than I was at their age. I helped moderate a community engagement session on public education, and have become passionate on the topic.
For next year: In January, I hope to begin weekly tutoring at a neighborhood elementary school. I'll continue giving to United Way, which does amazing work in our community, and also to exciting classroom projects.
Love
My heart was broken this year. I went on 20 first dates, 9 second dates, and 5 thirds. I dated one person for three weeks straight. I slept with five people, only one of whom I loved. I led an online discussion group on love and relationships and it predictably failed to thrive. I wrote a break-up survival guide that is one of the most popular posts I've ever written. I read in a dear friend's wedding, and became a bridesmaid for the first time in my life.
It was a hard year.
For next year: I really don't know. I have a feeling it's almost time.
