Friday, December 26, 2008

2008: A year in review

It is my usual tradition to sit by the Christmas tree on Christmas Day and write in my journal about my year and my goals for the year ahead.

I couldn't find my journal and so instead I read through my blog until I grew bored (how do I have so many faithful readers?). While I have been feeling a little blue and unaccomplished the last few weeks, I have to say, I didn't do too bad:

My resolutions for 2008 were:

My life should focus on people, not work.
For once, it really did.

Find a job that interests me, pays the bills, but doesn't take over my life.
I somehow managed to launch a successful freelance marketing career which doesn't interest me very much, but DOES pay the bills and doesn't take over my life.

Keep on traveling.
Took some wonderful trips to Buenos Aires and New Orleans--plus some weekenders to Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston.

Practice my Polish.
Yeah, didn't do that at all.

Nurture my artistic spirit.
I tried to write my book but failed miserably. I wonder if I really have it in me. But to give me credit, I wrote more this year than I have since high school. I took my photography class. I didn't become great overnight, but who cares?

Don't forget to be FUN.

Sometimes I forgot. But sometimes I was fun.

2008: The Good
Dan and I got engaged in New Orleans.
Turning 30.
Moved to a better apartment on the Upper East Side.
Meeting my new friend, Heather Prince.
My freelance career takes off.
The balloon ride with Dan, Annette and Kent.
A successful March (and April and May and June) Madness.
Sister Cooking School.
Seeing Argentina with Dan's family.

Reuniting with my high school friend Stacy.
New Orleans with Dan and Mom.
Audrey's birth.
Chicago Cupcake Crawl.
Weddings: Dan & Zoe, Dan & Jacey, Julian & Liz.
One hell of a sandwich with Matt Apice.
Four day work-weeks.
Summer classics. I did it!
Shakespeare in the Park. Finally!
Jackstock.
The Danes Visit NYC.
My Pierogi party.
My Sibling party.
The white dress dinner.
Photo class.
I get an iphone.
Barack Obama gets elected president
Facebook.
Annie.

2008: The bad
The death of the polar bear pants.
The death of the yellow gloves.
My horrible winter wardrobe.
To Dan's "I-told-you-so" amusement, I never made these dolls.
My permanent writer's block.
I STILL haven't figured out what I want to do with my life...and I am still complaining about it at least once a month and not doing anything about it.

2008: The ugly
The dead mouse in my apartment.
The sty.

Favorite books read in 2008 (not necessarily written in 2008):
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life
The War of Art
The Invisible Wall

Favorite movies seen in 2008 (not necessarily made in 2008):
Juno, No Country for Old Men, The Apartment, 2 Days in Paris, All that Jazz, Slumdog Millionaire, While the Widow is Away.

3 comments:

Willy The Prince said...

Thanks for the shout out. So glad I met you too. You were one of the good things that came out of my wretched stint in the pit. As for your year in review, the way it's laid out, your good outweigh the bad and ugly by a long shot.
You are an impressive gal, don't beat yourself up.

Can't wait for dinner in a few weeks and to see what adventures await us in 2009.

p.s. I believe there is a conspiracy and finding out what you "want to be when you grow-up" isn't real.

Brian said...

Facebook in the good column? Questionable.

I am reading Encyclopedia...on your rec and laughing out loud at places: "I mean, literally, if someone said, Find that glove or we will kill you, would I be able to find it?"

Yvonne said...

I was going to put Facebook on the good and the bad list...because it is the biggest time sucker ever, but I did have a fun time this year connecting with so many old friends...so I decided it was more good than bad.