The Annual Survey

I skipped out on this last year, but decided not to skip it again. I have revamped it a bit for this year though. Here's my year in review: 

1.What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before? Flew across the Atlantic Ocean; spent a month in a foreign country; studied abroad! Also, worked three jobs (four if you count the campus newspaper).

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions and will you make more for next year? I never remember my resolutions. I have a few vague ideas for this year but none that I've pinned down or committed to.

3. What countries did you visit? Ireland! The republic and the north.

4. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? There is one thing which I wasn't ready for in 2012, but am ready for now. I don't wish to spell out in detail yet, but rumor has it that I'll get it "soon."

5. What was the most memorable moment of 2012? I have to say most of my month in Ireland, but particularly the weekends in Belfast, Derry, and Dublin. A less happy moment was the shudder of Jake's car's engine breaking down on the Pennsylvania freeway on NYE, which forced us to spend the night in Mars while waiting for repairs (there will be a separate post about this).

6. What were your biggest achievements of the year? I had a few: Paying off all my credit cards, acquiring an assistantship at OTS and then the theater; studying abroad in Ireland. Also, publication of my poems in Welter, on monologging.org and upcoming in The Light Ekphrastic.

7. What was your biggest failure? Not making my 60-book reading goal on Goodreads or my 25,000-word goal for NaNoWriMo.

8. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nope, nothing serious. I've been blessed with a fantastic immune system (and at least a little bit of grace).

9. Whose behavior merited celebration? Jacob's, for taking the leap and moving to Baltimore with me (finally!)

10. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The people who used assault weapons in movie theaters and elementary schools. Also, most of the politicians on the national stage. No one I know personally.

11. Where did most of your money go? To my Ireland trip.

12. What song will always remind you of 2012? There are a few. Alex Clare's "Too Close," Jack White's "Freedom at 21," and Ellie Goulding's "Lights" among others.

13. Compared to last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier. I was in a weird place last year, emotionally speaking. The stress of a long-distance relationship was taking its toll. Thankfully, that's not something I have to worry about anymore.
ii. thinner or fatter? I've gained a few pounds that have managed to stick around since my Ireland trip.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer (it's great when hard work pays off).

14. What do you wish you'd done more of?  Spending time with my Baltimore friends and keeping in touch with my Michigan friends.

15. What do you wish you'd done less of? Playing games on facebook or wasting time online. It's amazing how much time you can pass doing nothing.

16. How did you spend Christmas? in Michigan with family -- Jake's and mine. Saw a couple friends that night and in the days after as well.

17.  What was your favorite TV program? Glee. I'm still hooked. It's the only TV show I follow, since I don't actually get any TV channels.

18. What was the best book you read? Hm, that's tough. "Imagine" by Jonah Lehrer was really thought-provoking and inspiring (though I'm really disappointed to hear that the author made up the Bob Dylan quotes and thus the book has since been pulled by the publisher). I read "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury for the first time, too, and the more I reflect on it, the more I realize how good its philosophy (if that's the right word) was.

19. What was your greatest musical discovery of 2012? Possibly dub-step, much as I hate to admit it. Or maybe not straight dub-step, but songs which feature elements of dub-step. Also, Song Pop on facebook -- does that count? (I'm in need of some new music.)

20. What did you want and get? Jake moving to MD, my job at OTS, a trip to Ireland, and tickets to the Black Keys concert at the Merriweather Pavillion.

21. What did you want and not get? Dance classes, and a yard/balcony (I probably won't get the latter this year either, as we have no real plans to move from our current apartment).

22. What was your favorite film of this year? Hm... I really liked the ballet documentary First Position. I'm having a hard time recalling many of the other movies I saw this year. The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Argo, Breaking Dawn part II, Anna Karenina. I don't know that those would all be "favorites."

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 26; spent the day with my friend Jon in D.C. exploring the Crime and Punishment Museum and a couple bookstores before coming back to Baltimore, meeting a couple more friends for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, then a few more friends to go dancing at the 13th Floor.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A quick, dependable form of public transit in Baltimore City/County.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012? More professional, maybe (or at least business casual). I'm trying to update my wardrobe slowly from my undergrad/Old Navy concept to something a little more sophisticated/mature. I also bought a lot of boots.

26. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I didn't really follow any celebrities or public figures this year, unless you count the election candidates, but I certainly didn't "fancy" any of those people. 

27. Who was the best new person you met? Oh, I have a few: my OTS boss Stacey, my Ireland classmates and mentors, my friend Mike from my fall fiction workshop, etc.

28. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012: That it's possible to go through life at a pace too fast for others to keep up with, and that sometimes you do have to say "no" to certain opportunities in order to take advantage of others (in other words: you can't do it all).