2012 Year in Review

I'm stealing this idea from Laura. Thank you! I feel like I've done so much more when I see it on paper. Many thanks to my Google Calendar records to remind me of everything!

Work
Did some cool pieces at work, including getting to go backstage at the Met Opera, some pieces on new startups and tech stuff that gets me excited, and interviewed some really interested indie directors and the director of one of my favorite franchises, The Hunger Games. I did a couple pieces that I not only pitched, but required 4+ interviews, which challenged me. There was one that I thought I completely blew, where post-Sandy our phones weren’t working properly and I let that distract me and wasn’t properly prepared, but I think that was an aberration that reminded me just how far I’ve come as a reporter.

This was a year of amazing weekend visitors and weekend trips:

My mom visited twice, in March and in November

Laura visited me for the weekend and we had a great time exploring New York together. And we ran and I was sore for three days after.

My friend Norah visited for a weekend, and Eric’s photographer friend. Both showed me different sides of the city.

Went to Vermont in September for a weekend of hiking and fresh air

Went to Hudson, New York, in October, where I fell in love with the charming architecture, croissants, and the totally different modernist antique stores run by gay men and rich women

Went to my five-year college reunion and had a complete blast. I also drank too much, in memory of my life as a college student, and when I tried to get back into my extremely tall dorm bed on tippy-toe in the middle of the night I set off this excruciating calf cramp that lasted through the end of the next day. I have stocked up on bananas (for potassium!) in anticipation of any drinking tonight. I was also so proud of everything my classmates accomplished—not jealous, which actually seems like the more natural reaction. It just seemed like everyone had a lot of great things going on in their life, had changed and grown and were doing things that sounded really exciting. I think  that, at least for those that attended, a lot of those post-college hiccups had already been figured out. I felt inspired being around everyone.

Went to the beach a lot! Eric and I took a weekend trip to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and another time took the ferry up just for the day. We also went to Long Beach in New Jersey, and the Rockaways. Swimming makes me so happy and I’m glad I got to go so much. Especially because who knows what swimming will be like next year.

Cooked lots of amazing dinners with my boyfriend, and threw lots of dinner parties. My favorite I think was Cinco de Mayo, where we did easy Mexican stuff that didn’t stress me out and made awesome margaritas.

Flying here and there

Went to London in February, where I had great food, learned what it was like to travel in the off-season (it gets dark so early!), stayed at the poshest hotel of my life, where our room was cleaned twice a day, and was completely charmed by British cabbies. I also did sightseeing by myself and enjoyed it, though I think I like traveling with someone else best.

Went to Paris, Amsterdam, and Prague. Saw so much, ate so well, and got to visit the place of my ancestors (I’m half Dutch). Amsterdam was my favorite.

Went to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in September for a work trip and spent the weekend in Chicago with my grandparents and dad. Had some great family time.

Attended my friend Jess’ wedding outside Detroit and got to visit the city, in all its half-demolished and resurgent glory. I got to explore abandoned buildings and had time to go to a corn maze and petting zoo, where I held Polish chickens.

Flew home for Christmas, where I reconnected with an old friend and spent time with my oldest one, Laura. I also got my nature fix via a bald eagle rafting trip.

Health, Fitness, and Friendships

Did an o-k amount of yoga. Did some intense, focused pilates that made me want to explore that more. Next year: more exercise!

Lost 7.5 lbs of my 10-lb goal that I made in May, as of this writing. 

Got a tennis permit and played regularly, including with people I met on craigslist (something scary!)

Participated in our CSA for the third year in a row. I finally conquered a few new ways to make kale, made some acquaintances with neighbors, and ate more veggies without really feeling like I did.

Met some cool people and kept up a commitment with the book club

Saw great concerts, including David Byrne, Foster the People, Neil Young, a jazz place in Prague, a couple hole-in-the-wall places in NYC I need to go back to

Saw over fifty movies for my job. I think 65?

Read a few dozen books, I’d hazard

My New Year’s Resolutions for 2013
Change my job situation. Freelance more.

Make an exercise schedule and stick to it. There is too much randomness in the way I exercise.
Eat more vegetables.

Do things that scare me more. I shy away from risk, but whenever I take them, I feel so rewarded. This year that was sightseeing alone, meeting tennis partners on Craigslist, and going to some scary exercise classes. And maybe reaching out to one person for lunch. I can do so much better! I think risk and variety is what is going to make me grow, so I need to put myself in uncomfortable situations. I also need to make sure I follow through on commitments, pursuing things even if the further I go into something, the worse it will be if I am rejected.