Wow, things have changed a bit since my last post back in November. The short version is: I have a JOB, am moving to DC, and will be living in a great apartment with a good friend I've known for years. Suffice it to say I'm super excited. The long version of the story will appear here at some point, but for now, it's End of the Year Nostalgia! (Subtitle: 2009 - the year that does not deserve nostalgia.)
01 What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? Phone interviews, in-person job interviews, supervised student teachers, wrote letters of recommendation for aforementioned student teachers.
02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Does abandoning resolutions for 11 months and then finally achieving them at the end of the year count? Because after an on-again, off-again relationship with the gym during the summer and early fall, I finally got into an exercise routine around October or November and have been working out almost daily since then. And the job/adult life goal is just now materializing, after months of stagnation. Let's say I have achieved these goals, since that happens so rarely!
In terms of new resolutions, they will sound very familiar, and they are:
(a) Keep at it with the exercising.
(b) Find activities and make friends in DC so as to get out of the house. (i.e., don't get lazy)
(c) Learn something from each new experience, whether good or bad.
03 Did anyone close to you give birth? My college student teaching buddy had twins, and my cousin just had her second child. A few high school friends also had kids this year. Seriously, my Facebook page is now filled with pictures of everyone's kids.
04 Did anyone close to you die? My grandfather. That was not a good spring.
05 What countries did you visit? The UK, only because my uncle decided to send me there. I didn't even make it to Canada, sadly. I'll miss you, Canada!
06 What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Permanence. I'm also hoping for a sense of working towards a goal (finding the ideal job) rather than just treading water.
07 What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? My grandfather's funeral. (Sorry to be a downer, but it's true.) Also, the day I flew down to MD and got offered the job!
08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Still going to have to go with the job. I guess also being persistent and not giving up on the job search, although it was very tempting.
09 What was your biggest failure? Uh, not getting hired until a few weeks ago? To be fair, it's not entirely my fault; I did as well as I could. I suppose I failed at doing anything productive in this past year really, because I spent a lot of time mired in self-pity.
10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.
11 What was the best thing you bought? Anything during my short time in the UK. Also, my new laptop, which I haven't used much yet, but I'm looking forward to finding all its new features!
12 Whose behavior merited celebration? Müs passed candidacy! Hooray! My friends are also awesome, as they posted happy thoughts on my Facebook page and helped keep me going through this tough year.
13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Oh, Buffalo politicians. I am so glad to be leaving this place. Also, Republicans, Iran, and anyone caught in an infidelity scandal.
14 Where did most of your money go? I... didn't spend much this year. When you're living with your parents and not earning any income, it's easy to not have any expenditures. I guess I spent some money in Britain, traveling a bit for job interviews, and most recently on plane tickets to DC for apartment hunting. I'll also be paying off that laptop for a few months to come, if that counts.
15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? Not to get repetitive, but the job. Huge sense of relief. And when I found out that Jamie needed a roommate... I admit that's selfish, but I don't care!
16 What song will always remind you of 2009? Songs from 'Glee'... which I am about to purchase in the next few days.
17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier, yay!
b) thinner or fatter? Not sure... possibly thinner, due to the aforementioned working out, but I can't really see a difference.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer, and more in debt. Those student loans don't pay themselves.
18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Been more consistent with the job searching; maybe I would have found something sooner. Also, stayed a bit more positive.
19 What do you wish you'd done less of? Self-doubt and feeling stupid.
20 How did you spend Christmas? With the fam in B-lo. Of course.
21 "There is no question 21" This does not get any funnier.
22 Did you fall in love in 2009? Nope. Maybe this year.
23 How many one-night stands? Yeah, okay.
24 What was your favorite TV show? Shockingly (or perhaps not), no longer 'The Office'. It's a tie between 'Glee' and 'Community'. And if you haven't seen 'Community', please start watching; help keep it on the air!
25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't generally hate people. It's hard to muster up that level of dislike.
26 What was the best book you read? I read a lot this year, but nothing super-memorable. David Sedaris' When You Are Engulfed in Flames is funny, as are all his books. Cambridge Blue, a murder mystery set in Cambridge, is pretty engaging, though having actually lived in Cambridge helps.
27 What was your greatest musical discovery? Well, I'm teaching myself the mandolin now, so that's fun. In terms of new music, I guess I'd have to say the music from 'Glee'. If you broaden this category out to podcasts, I'll add NPR's 'Wait Wait.. Don't Tell Me!' to things that are a great listen. I'm looking for new podcasts and other things to pass the time on my soon-to-be-epic commute, so if you have any ideas, send them along!
28 What did you want and get? A JOB. Should I say it again?
29 What did you want and not get? A million dollars. Someday...
30 What was your favourite film of this year? 'Up' was amazing. 'Slumdog Millionaire' as well; though it's technically from 2008, I saw it last January, so I'll have to say that counts. I'm looking forward to seeing 'Up in the Air' soon; maybe it'll make next year's list.
31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 28, and I was at my grandma's house. Some other relatives came over, and we had strawberry shortcake for dinner, which was pretty awesome.
32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Employment. Barring that, a sense of getting somewhere with the job search.
33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Jobless = no money = no occasion to buy/wear new clothes. Essentially, wearing the same things I've had since MN/college/high school. Mostly jeans and fleece, as always.
34 What kept you sane? Contact with friends. The Internet. Travel, and any excuse to leave the house. Also, the brief period I had a part-time job and a minimal schedule.
35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I'm a new fan of Joel McHale, mostly due to 'Community'. Did I mention that you should be watching that show?
36 What political issue stirred you the most? Health care madness. Will the bill actually go through? Who knows. Also, gay marriage; how some people can be so bigoted and insist on impinging on others' happiness for the sake of 'tradition' and some misguided sense of morals is beyond me.
37 Whom did you miss? Everyone, really. Did you notice that I lived with my parents?
38 Who was the best new person you met? Jamie's housemates in London were very nice. My boss for the student teacher supervising is also a lovely person and has been very supportive in terms of writing me recommendation letters.
39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. I'm going to drop some knowledge on the job seekers out there, brace yourselves:
(a) Write a new cover letter for each job application. It's a huge pain, but they do actually notice.
(b) Apply as soon as you can. Don't wait around until the application deadline, tweaking and retweaking your resume. The important thing is getting your application in fast, not spending hours perfecting it.
(c) Try to take something away from each rejection, whether it's writing a better cover letter or improving your interview technique.
(d) Rejection does not equal failure. Don't take it personally. (This was especially hard for me.)
40 Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Damnit, I hate this question. I am not a teenager and my life does not revolve around (angsty, emo) music; therefore, I refuse to answer this question.
Happy New Decade, everyone! I don't know about you, but I am psyched for 2010. Let's get it started already.
Showing posts with label happy new year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happy new year. Show all posts
31 December 2009
10 January 2009
2008: Year in Review
01 What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Earned a masters, wrote 16000 words within two weeks (yeah, exams were fun), designed and went through with a research project, visited a few new countries, toured my parents around the UK and Ireland.
02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Heh, apart from a fit of exercising in between semesters, I didn't keep the 2008 resolutions at all. To be fair, I should have kept up with that, since that was about the best few weeks of this entire year. So I'm going to get back into that, except let's not call it a resolution, since I have an apparent tendency to fail at those. Also, finding a JOB and achieving a real, adult, grown-up life is in the process. I hope.
03 Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope.
04 Did anyone close to you die? Janice, my family's crazy, psychotic, clueless, adorable dog. Who liked bagels. And sneezing on your face as you were laying on the couch. And howling along with you. There's no other greyhound like her.
05 What countries did you visit? The UK, Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Canada. And France if you count the train ride on the way to Belgium.
06 What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? An idea of what I want to do with my life. (This answer from last year still applies.) Though at this point, I'd also accept a job.
07 What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 17, graduation day!
08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Graduating with a master's from Cambridge... cross one thing off my to-do list! (see #35)
09 What was your biggest failure? I guess the inability to get hired could be counted as a failure, though there are a number of other factors that contribute to this. Example A: recession.
10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.
11 What was the best thing you bought? Anything involving travel: plane tickets, train tickets, any food in Belgium: fries, waffles and chocolate!
12 Whose behavior merited celebration? A few of my friends got married, so yay for them!
13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Apart from the usual politicians (Blagojevich, Spitzer)... hmm. There are certain people who seem to exist in my life purely to ruin my self-esteem and make me feel bad about myself, and the plan is to get them out of my life, and/or get myself away from their influence. (If you are reading this, it is not you.) (Also, this is NOT a resolution, since I generally fail at those; it's merely a goal. Not expressly for New Year's. Yeah.)
14 Where did most of your money go? I know exactly where: student loans. Also, the pound --> dollar exchange rate. Also, plane tickets. (Last year's, but still true.)
15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? When I found out my parents were actually going to visit me in Europe! I figured that was one of those things that they'd talk about ad nauseam but never follow through on, but it happened!
16 What song will always remind you of 2008? Uh... I didn't listen to the radio all year. I did buy some songs by Colin Meloy and the Decemberists this year, although only the former album actually came out in 2008.
17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Less stressed in terms of being on a schedule, but sadder due to a lack of purpose/independence. Funny how that works.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. Hopefully you can't tell.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer, big time. If anyone steals my credit cards or identity, they have definitely chosen the wrong person.
18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Made more friends and gone out more. Two years in a row; let's go for three!
19 What do you wish you'd done less of? Self-doubt and feeling stupid.
20 How did you spend Christmas? With the fam in B-lo. Of course.
21 "There is no question 21" I have got to find a better New Year's meme that doesn't include this 'question'.
22 Did you fall in love in 2008? No. There was a slight infatuation, though. But it didn't involve stalking, I promise.
23 How many one-night stands? Yeah, okay.
24 What was your favorite TV show? Still 'The Office', though it's really starting to slide. Let's hope the writers pick it up a little for the rest of the season.
25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? There were some professors at Cambridge that I rather extremely dislike, but I wouldn't say I hate them.
26 What was the best book you read? I'd say Vienna Blood by Frank Tallis. Rather a lame title, but very well-written, uses an impressively varied vocabulary, and set in 1902 Vienna. And it involves cake. That's basically a formula for a winning book, I feel.
27 What was your greatest musical discovery? The Decemberists are pretty great, I think. Their music gets better upon each relisten. Also, I'm suddenly into Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, which is funny and twisted and catchy and fantastic, but it's now 2009, so I'm not sure if that counts. Although it came out in 2008, so let's say it does. Only one year behind the pop culture trends is quite good, considering my track record.
28 What did you want and get? I've been talking about visiting Belgium since 2003, and I finally got around to it this year. It was not quite as awesome as everyone's talked it up, but the food and beer definitely made it worthwhile.
29 What did you want and not get? A freaking JOB.
30 What was your favourite film of this year? I might have to be a lemming on this one and say 'The Dark Knight'. 'Atonement' was also amazing.
31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 27, and I had people over to our house and fabulous garden for a grill fest. It was a good time, especially since it was after the academic year had ended for most people.
32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Lasting friendships with folks from Cambridge.
33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? I was in grad school, what do you think? Jeans and fleece and funny, random t-shirts. I've tried to get out of that rut to some extent, but it's a bit tough when you don't have any money. H&M helped me out a bit when I was in Cambridge.
34 What kept you sane? Phone calls to and from friends. Also, travel: getting away from the routine is always good.
35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Heh, British phrasing. I continue to be a big fan of John Krasinski. Also, I'm suddenly enamored of Neil Patrick Harris: he's hilarious, seems to be a down-to-earth guy, and he can sing!
36 What political issue stirred you the most? Oh, the 2008 election! Absolute madness. I loved it, as much as the infighting and twisting of words drove me crazy.
37 Whom did you miss? Oddly enough, I missed folks from Cambridge after returning to the US... I guess the grass is always greener, eh? Thank goodness for Facebook.
38 Who was the best new person you met? I met some interesting people while traveling...
39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Asking for help is not a bad thing.
40 Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. 'Es tut so schlau, um nicht unangenehm aufzufallen/Und nicht schön genug, um damit durchzukommen/ Weisst du genau wie es ist, immer rauszufallen /Nur nicht weit genug, woanders anzukommen.' - Wir sind Helden, 'The Geek (Shall Inherit)' One day, the answer to this question won't be a song lyric that can also be applied to an angsty, geeky, misfit high-schooler. Today is not that day.
Happy 2009, and let's hope that it's better than 2008. It's got to be. Right?
02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Heh, apart from a fit of exercising in between semesters, I didn't keep the 2008 resolutions at all. To be fair, I should have kept up with that, since that was about the best few weeks of this entire year. So I'm going to get back into that, except let's not call it a resolution, since I have an apparent tendency to fail at those. Also, finding a JOB and achieving a real, adult, grown-up life is in the process. I hope.
03 Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope.
04 Did anyone close to you die? Janice, my family's crazy, psychotic, clueless, adorable dog. Who liked bagels. And sneezing on your face as you were laying on the couch. And howling along with you. There's no other greyhound like her.
05 What countries did you visit? The UK, Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Canada. And France if you count the train ride on the way to Belgium.
06 What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? An idea of what I want to do with my life. (This answer from last year still applies.) Though at this point, I'd also accept a job.
07 What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 17, graduation day!
08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Graduating with a master's from Cambridge... cross one thing off my to-do list! (see #35)
09 What was your biggest failure? I guess the inability to get hired could be counted as a failure, though there are a number of other factors that contribute to this. Example A: recession.
10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.
11 What was the best thing you bought? Anything involving travel: plane tickets, train tickets, any food in Belgium: fries, waffles and chocolate!
12 Whose behavior merited celebration? A few of my friends got married, so yay for them!
13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Apart from the usual politicians (Blagojevich, Spitzer)... hmm. There are certain people who seem to exist in my life purely to ruin my self-esteem and make me feel bad about myself, and the plan is to get them out of my life, and/or get myself away from their influence. (If you are reading this, it is not you.) (Also, this is NOT a resolution, since I generally fail at those; it's merely a goal. Not expressly for New Year's. Yeah.)
14 Where did most of your money go? I know exactly where: student loans. Also, the pound --> dollar exchange rate. Also, plane tickets. (Last year's, but still true.)
15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? When I found out my parents were actually going to visit me in Europe! I figured that was one of those things that they'd talk about ad nauseam but never follow through on, but it happened!
16 What song will always remind you of 2008? Uh... I didn't listen to the radio all year. I did buy some songs by Colin Meloy and the Decemberists this year, although only the former album actually came out in 2008.
17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Less stressed in terms of being on a schedule, but sadder due to a lack of purpose/independence. Funny how that works.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. Hopefully you can't tell.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer, big time. If anyone steals my credit cards or identity, they have definitely chosen the wrong person.
18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Made more friends and gone out more. Two years in a row; let's go for three!
19 What do you wish you'd done less of? Self-doubt and feeling stupid.
20 How did you spend Christmas? With the fam in B-lo. Of course.
21 "There is no question 21" I have got to find a better New Year's meme that doesn't include this 'question'.
22 Did you fall in love in 2008? No. There was a slight infatuation, though. But it didn't involve stalking, I promise.
23 How many one-night stands? Yeah, okay.
24 What was your favorite TV show? Still 'The Office', though it's really starting to slide. Let's hope the writers pick it up a little for the rest of the season.
25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? There were some professors at Cambridge that I rather extremely dislike, but I wouldn't say I hate them.
26 What was the best book you read? I'd say Vienna Blood by Frank Tallis. Rather a lame title, but very well-written, uses an impressively varied vocabulary, and set in 1902 Vienna. And it involves cake. That's basically a formula for a winning book, I feel.
27 What was your greatest musical discovery? The Decemberists are pretty great, I think. Their music gets better upon each relisten. Also, I'm suddenly into Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, which is funny and twisted and catchy and fantastic, but it's now 2009, so I'm not sure if that counts. Although it came out in 2008, so let's say it does. Only one year behind the pop culture trends is quite good, considering my track record.
28 What did you want and get? I've been talking about visiting Belgium since 2003, and I finally got around to it this year. It was not quite as awesome as everyone's talked it up, but the food and beer definitely made it worthwhile.
29 What did you want and not get? A freaking JOB.
30 What was your favourite film of this year? I might have to be a lemming on this one and say 'The Dark Knight'. 'Atonement' was also amazing.
31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 27, and I had people over to our house and fabulous garden for a grill fest. It was a good time, especially since it was after the academic year had ended for most people.
32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Lasting friendships with folks from Cambridge.
33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? I was in grad school, what do you think? Jeans and fleece and funny, random t-shirts. I've tried to get out of that rut to some extent, but it's a bit tough when you don't have any money. H&M helped me out a bit when I was in Cambridge.
34 What kept you sane? Phone calls to and from friends. Also, travel: getting away from the routine is always good.
35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Heh, British phrasing. I continue to be a big fan of John Krasinski. Also, I'm suddenly enamored of Neil Patrick Harris: he's hilarious, seems to be a down-to-earth guy, and he can sing!
36 What political issue stirred you the most? Oh, the 2008 election! Absolute madness. I loved it, as much as the infighting and twisting of words drove me crazy.
37 Whom did you miss? Oddly enough, I missed folks from Cambridge after returning to the US... I guess the grass is always greener, eh? Thank goodness for Facebook.
38 Who was the best new person you met? I met some interesting people while traveling...
39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Asking for help is not a bad thing.
40 Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. 'Es tut so schlau, um nicht unangenehm aufzufallen/Und nicht schön genug, um damit durchzukommen/ Weisst du genau wie es ist, immer rauszufallen /Nur nicht weit genug, woanders anzukommen.' - Wir sind Helden, 'The Geek (Shall Inherit)' One day, the answer to this question won't be a song lyric that can also be applied to an angsty, geeky, misfit high-schooler. Today is not that day.
Happy 2009, and let's hope that it's better than 2008. It's got to be. Right?
01 January 2008
2007: Year In Review
It's that time again: time to look back on the year and think about what you've done, what you wished you'd done, and what you're glad you haven't done. And now, I humbly present to you: 2007: The Year That Sucked For The Most Part, But Had Some Good Moments In It!
01 What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Taught first grade, chaperoned high schoolers in Europe, visited Budapest, moved to England for grad school… is that enough?
02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Looking back on last year’s ‘resolutions’, it appears I didn’t keep the ones I made. Or, at the very most, I sporadically kept them. I think I need to treat myself like a 6-year-old: set small goals that are easily measurable. As such, here are the tentative resolutions for 2008:
(a) Drink more water.
(b) Get some form of exercise at least 3 times a week. (Biking to class does not count.)
(c) Get out of the house more. (carried over from last year, but still needs to be done)
03 Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my younger cousin. This made me feel very old.
04 Did anyone close to you die? No.
05 What countries did you visit? Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, the UK.
06 What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? An idea of what I want to do with my life. Yep, I’m 26 and still have no idea!
07 What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? September 27, when I moved to Cambridge. Also, that day in October when I found out my dad had broken his leg. Don’t know the exact date, but that was pretty awful.
08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting into grad school at the University of Cambridge… one of my long-held ambitions!
09 What was your biggest failure? One really awful dinner party/night out in October… huge blow to my self-esteem. Let’s try to repress those memories, shall we?
10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.
11 What was the best thing you bought? Do student loans count? Not necessarily the best, at this moment in time, but paying for this Master’s will be a pretty good investment.
12 Whose behavior merited celebration? Müs graduated from college! Nice job, my friend.
13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My parents win this one. Not telling me about my dad’s injury until 2 weeks after it had happened was really a low point.
14 Where did most of your money go? I know exactly where: student loans. Also, the pound --> dollar exchange rate. Also, plane tickets.
15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? Getting into Cambridge! Also, when I got back my first assignment for the course and found out that I wasn’t as stupid as I thought I was.
16 What song will always remind you of 2007? Any of the songs I taught the first-graders toward the end of the year: the ‘Guten Morgen’ song, ‘YMCA’ (it’s not what you think) and ‘Alle Kinder lernen lesen’.
17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? In terms of my current professional/educational status: happier. At least I’m doing what I want to be doing, even though I’m not earning any money. Not very happy about the state of my personal life, though.
b) thinner or fatter? I have definitely put on some pounds. Hence the resolution about getting more exercise.
c) richer or poorer? Definitely poorer. Though richer in knowledge. (commence groaning at cheesy pun)
18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Made more friends and gone out more. This answer from last year still stands; some things never change.
19 What do you wish you'd done less of? Self-doubt and feeling stupid.
20 How did you spend Christmas? With the fam in B-lo. Of course.
21 "There is no question 21" Uh, what? This still isn’t funny.
22 Did you fall in love in 2007? Nope. Surprise, surprise.
23 How many one-night stands? Ha! Bets now being taken on this question.
24 What was your favorite TV show? Still 'The Office'. And may I just say, thank goodness for the writers’ strike; do you have any idea how many episodes I’d be missing otherwise?
25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, it takes a lot to make me hate someone.
26 What was the best book you read? I just finished The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) and The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), both of which were amazing.
27 What was your greatest musical discovery? I became a new listener of Death Cab for Cutie and Enter the Haggis this year. Also, I’m a big fan of the newest Wir sind Helden CD.
28 What did you want and get? To attend this master’s program.
29 What did you want and not get? Full (or any) funding for this master’s program.
30 What was your favourite film of this year? ‘Once’ is pretty much the only movie I can remember seeing in the cinema this year.
31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 26, and I went out to lunch with friends, went mini-golfing (or Putt Putting, whichever you prefer) at the Science Museum, and went out to dinner. It was like the perfect 8-year-old birthday.
32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? From last year, but still accurate: Being appreciated by colleagues and parents of students.
33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Working: Khakis and nice shirts that generally didn’t require ironing. Currently: Lots of jeans and fleece. Or jeans and sweaters.
34 What kept you sane? Phone calls to and from friends. Also, those times when I wasn’t working: some of the summer, certain weekends during term, certain weeks when term ended.
35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Heh, British phrasing. I continue to be a big fan of John Krasinski.
36 What political issue stirred you the most? Stupidity in general annoys the crap out of me. (Still true!)
37 Whom did you miss? Pretty much everyone, since I came to England by myself.
38 Who was the best new person you met? My classmates are pretty cool, for the most part.
39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. People BS a lot, especially in academia. I am capable of more than I think I am… at least in a classroom setting.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. ‘I feel like a quote out of context, withholding the rest, so I can be for you what you want to see.’ – Ben Folds, ‘Best Imitation of Myself’ I played a lot of roles this year, and still do… maybe this year, I’ll figure out which one of them is actually me.
Happy 2008! Let's all hope it's a step up from 2007, eh?
01 What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Taught first grade, chaperoned high schoolers in Europe, visited Budapest, moved to England for grad school… is that enough?
02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Looking back on last year’s ‘resolutions’, it appears I didn’t keep the ones I made. Or, at the very most, I sporadically kept them. I think I need to treat myself like a 6-year-old: set small goals that are easily measurable. As such, here are the tentative resolutions for 2008:
(a) Drink more water.
(b) Get some form of exercise at least 3 times a week. (Biking to class does not count.)
(c) Get out of the house more. (carried over from last year, but still needs to be done)
03 Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my younger cousin. This made me feel very old.
04 Did anyone close to you die? No.
05 What countries did you visit? Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, the UK.
06 What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? An idea of what I want to do with my life. Yep, I’m 26 and still have no idea!
07 What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? September 27, when I moved to Cambridge. Also, that day in October when I found out my dad had broken his leg. Don’t know the exact date, but that was pretty awful.
08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting into grad school at the University of Cambridge… one of my long-held ambitions!
09 What was your biggest failure? One really awful dinner party/night out in October… huge blow to my self-esteem. Let’s try to repress those memories, shall we?
10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.
11 What was the best thing you bought? Do student loans count? Not necessarily the best, at this moment in time, but paying for this Master’s will be a pretty good investment.
12 Whose behavior merited celebration? Müs graduated from college! Nice job, my friend.
13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My parents win this one. Not telling me about my dad’s injury until 2 weeks after it had happened was really a low point.
14 Where did most of your money go? I know exactly where: student loans. Also, the pound --> dollar exchange rate. Also, plane tickets.
15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? Getting into Cambridge! Also, when I got back my first assignment for the course and found out that I wasn’t as stupid as I thought I was.
16 What song will always remind you of 2007? Any of the songs I taught the first-graders toward the end of the year: the ‘Guten Morgen’ song, ‘YMCA’ (it’s not what you think) and ‘Alle Kinder lernen lesen’.
17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? In terms of my current professional/educational status: happier. At least I’m doing what I want to be doing, even though I’m not earning any money. Not very happy about the state of my personal life, though.
b) thinner or fatter? I have definitely put on some pounds. Hence the resolution about getting more exercise.
c) richer or poorer? Definitely poorer. Though richer in knowledge. (commence groaning at cheesy pun)
18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Made more friends and gone out more. This answer from last year still stands; some things never change.
19 What do you wish you'd done less of? Self-doubt and feeling stupid.
20 How did you spend Christmas? With the fam in B-lo. Of course.
21 "There is no question 21" Uh, what? This still isn’t funny.
22 Did you fall in love in 2007? Nope. Surprise, surprise.
23 How many one-night stands? Ha! Bets now being taken on this question.
24 What was your favorite TV show? Still 'The Office'. And may I just say, thank goodness for the writers’ strike; do you have any idea how many episodes I’d be missing otherwise?
25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, it takes a lot to make me hate someone.
26 What was the best book you read? I just finished The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) and The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), both of which were amazing.
27 What was your greatest musical discovery? I became a new listener of Death Cab for Cutie and Enter the Haggis this year. Also, I’m a big fan of the newest Wir sind Helden CD.
28 What did you want and get? To attend this master’s program.
29 What did you want and not get? Full (or any) funding for this master’s program.
30 What was your favourite film of this year? ‘Once’ is pretty much the only movie I can remember seeing in the cinema this year.
31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 26, and I went out to lunch with friends, went mini-golfing (or Putt Putting, whichever you prefer) at the Science Museum, and went out to dinner. It was like the perfect 8-year-old birthday.
32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? From last year, but still accurate: Being appreciated by colleagues and parents of students.
33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Working: Khakis and nice shirts that generally didn’t require ironing. Currently: Lots of jeans and fleece. Or jeans and sweaters.
34 What kept you sane? Phone calls to and from friends. Also, those times when I wasn’t working: some of the summer, certain weekends during term, certain weeks when term ended.
35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Heh, British phrasing. I continue to be a big fan of John Krasinski.
36 What political issue stirred you the most? Stupidity in general annoys the crap out of me. (Still true!)
37 Whom did you miss? Pretty much everyone, since I came to England by myself.
38 Who was the best new person you met? My classmates are pretty cool, for the most part.
39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. People BS a lot, especially in academia. I am capable of more than I think I am… at least in a classroom setting.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. ‘I feel like a quote out of context, withholding the rest, so I can be for you what you want to see.’ – Ben Folds, ‘Best Imitation of Myself’ I played a lot of roles this year, and still do… maybe this year, I’ll figure out which one of them is actually me.
Happy 2008! Let's all hope it's a step up from 2007, eh?
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