What with winter upon us, and a long, busy trip home for Christmas, I couldn't help feeling a little melancholy yesterday morning. Where had the year gone?! Time always seems to fly faster the older you get.
But as I stood on the rooftop of my new apartment building, toasting with some out-of-town friends and waving to our neighbors on their roof, as fireworks from at least 3 burroughs exploded all around us, I thought back on everything that happened in 2012 with a smile.
Because when I think about it a month at a time, instead of just remembering how recently it feels like I was just toasting a welcome to this year, 2012 was a pretty damn eventful one. Since a year ago today, I:
Visited Italy (Florence, Rome and Venice)
Visited long beach, California
Visited Portland Oregon
Visited Charlotte, NC
Revisited San Francisco... Twice! (and Oakland and Berkeley for the first times)
Revisited Harry Potter World, magic kingdom, and drank (and ate) around the world at Epcot
Made new friends, made closer friends with coworkers, met loads of new and awesome people
Sang sweet Caroline a capella in a dive bar at 3am
Learned the basics of tango
Started kickboxing
Injured myself, took PT, recovered, learned to deal with bad back
Moved to New York City proper
Lived in a sitcom briefly
Tried lots of new food (fried pickles! seaweed salad! weirder sushi than I've ever dared to eat before!)
Tried lots of new drinks (Israeli chocolate liquor! Mint vodka with people squirting Hershey's chocolate syrup into my mouth first :|)
Went to an Oktoberfest party on a mountain
Wrote an exclusive R&R for an agent which, even if it doesn't go anywhere, taught me loads about my revising capabilities
Rediscovered an old manuscript worth reworking
Read a ton of great books
Started writing serious reviews
Got promoted
Went on my first writers retreat to the poconos and loved it/got tons done
Almost got cast on a TV show (flown around/driven in limo like a big shot! But didn't make final cast)
Made the amazon breakthrough novel content semifinals
Got a kickass publishers weekly review
Tried a cigar (blech)
Tried voodoo donuts (nom)
Watched a documentary premiere about an Africa steamship, while aboard a steamship at port
Went to a comedy show. Had Italian purse made fun of by some guy on TV
Spotted famous person at an art gallery opening (check one off the typical-NY-experience list)
Visited quite a lot of awesome art gallery openings actually!
Attended a lot more publishing parties, spied on Random House's fancy digs, and found some literary bars in the city to lurk around.
So maybe the year went fast, but I sure packed a lot in. Here's to another year of exciting new experiences for everyone! And hey. Lucky number 13, right? ;)
You had such an awesome year! 2013 is going to be lucky for us both, I just know it. :)
ReplyDeleteYou kind of made me want to live in NYC with this post! :) Sounds like you had a brilliant year. May 2013 be equally or more awesome!
ReplyDeleteWow!!! You had an amazing year!!! I know the feeling, though, about that hollow pit in your stomach at the end of a year. I felt that same way for a moment and I had to realize that even though my overall goals weren't met, I'm well on my way to getting them met. Maybe 2013 will be my year! Have a good one!
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