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The year’s ending in a few hours and I’m still not sure how to feel about it. New years have become a personal ritual of looking back and analyzing my life and what has become of it for the past year and everything still feels like a blur.
2011 has been a rough ride. I admit that I haven’t been very contemplative about my life thus far but ups and downs included , this year has become one of my most memorable ever. I’ve made a lot of new friends, and opened up to and became closer with the old ones. Towards the end of the year, I’ve started to explore past the little bubble I’ve been living in for so long, step out of my comfort zone, enjoy, and most importantly, feel things I wouldn’t have dared to.
2011 has presented many opportunities for me to learn how to go with the flow ever more gracefully and in the midst of unexpected mishaps and awful misadventures, how to just hold tight and pretend it’s all a plan*.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
I feel like there were a number of things that I did for the first time this year. Off the top of my head: slept at a hospital, moved to a new home away from relatives, paint walls and fences, snorkel!, visited three levels of a waterfall, stayed at a really fancy hotel, owned a kindle keyboard, sold my kindle keyboard, bought a kindle touch, tabletop rpg, etc etcc
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I wanted to have more patience and tolerance for other people this year, and I think I did. I’m far from being a saint though so this is a work in progress. New year’s resolutions for next year would have to be learning how to be more independent, better time and money management, spend more time with family and friends and read more books!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No one really close, just a few acquaintances.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. Thank heavens.
5. What countries did you visit?
None this year. I am a little slow on the travelling in 2011.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Self-control when it comes to spending, a healthy body and a sound mind.
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 9, 2011.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
A Promotion!
9. What was your biggest failure?
I don’t really dwell on failures which probably explains why I can’t think of any colossal failure right now.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious.
Sprained ankle sometime in July? September? I can’t remember but it still hurts to this day. :(
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My iPod touch. I don’t want to live without it. Also, my Kindle touch and my ukulele.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Food, coffee, make-up (ugh, a 2011 vice), and electronics.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My annual November trip to Manila. We stayed at a fancy hotel and it was really nice.
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
last.fm/user/dardarness
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder - same
Older or wiser - Definitely wiser!
Thinner or fatter - FATTER. godammit.
Richer or poorer? - Both? I’m earning more but also spending way, way more than I ever did my whole life.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Read more. Discover myself more (so pretentious but yeah). Sleep? Meet more people.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Be on the internet too much. Worrying about my face.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I already spent it with my dog (mom was asleep), a bottle of Belgian beer and glasses of wine while on videocall with a friend.
22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
lol. I’m always in love, all things considered.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
TV was amazing this year. I think I watched too many shows in 2011 but no regrets! Game of Thrones was crazy and so was the latest season of Breaking Bad. I also finally caught up with Fringe which is mind-blowingly good. Also, BBC’s Sherlock and uhm, what else? Doctor Who! Argh, there are just so many.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No one! Whew, isn’t that a relief.
26. What was the best book you read?
Bossypants? man, I don’t know.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Cold War Kids and Laura Marling. Also, a lot of ambient and post-rock artists that I listen to a lot at work.
28. What did you want and get?
iPod touch and Kindle.
29. What did you want and not get?
Peace of mind? Massive weight loss? Haha. I don’t know.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I don’t know. I watched Black Swan this year and really liked it. Hmm. I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve watched that many movies to decide. I’m too lazy to think about it right now. Thor was pretty fun tho!
31. What was your least favorite film of this year?
Transformers 3. :(
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
It was a laidback kind of day. Went out with my mom and had a massage. :)
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting my own room?
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
My personal style since college has always been “What’s Least Wrinkled”; it didn’t change in 2011 but I did discover eyebrow threading, filling in brows and lipstick!
34. What kept you sane?
The internet, music and books.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
David Tennant, Eric Northman/Alexander Skarsgard (ugh).
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
RH Bill
37. Who did you miss?
People from school!
38. Who was the best new person you met?
People from the office, definitely. It always takes me around a year to break in to new places and I feel like I really got to know people from the office more this year and a lot of them are surprisingly stellar. Also, the tabletop RPG guys who are always a hoot to be with.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
Being grateful and not stressing out over every little thing. Looking at the big picture and realizing that, while some areas in my life may go apeshit, I still have a lot of things to be thankful for. I am doing so much better than I want to realize. Also, love of love makes people delusional; so be careful, self!
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I feel like I should leave this post on a high note but I’m tired and I’m sleepy so here’s something beautiful written by Neil Gaiman for New Year (this one and for the ones to come after):
* Eleventh Doctor, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2011
