This new year questionaire meme has been around the internet for ages, and yet it seems I've never actually answered it. Now that I'm on my first real winter break since 2001-2*, I finally have the time.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Traveled to another country with Paddington. Moved apartments with no outside help. Ate raw oysters. Interviewed for jobs in New York.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I made any resolutions last year, at least not that I can find. I will make a few for this year, though: to cook at home more, to take more photos, to work on outlining my classes a little bit each week, to run a 5k, and to go to the dentist.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! To the cutest Joshie Pants in the world.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.
5. What countries did you visit?
France, Red Sox Nation.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More sleep. A trip to the beach.
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 7 - our first wedding anniversary. We went to Morimoto and had an awesome night.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Figuring out how to do well in school without it affecting my personal life too much. Putting on a very successful spur-of-the-moment fundraiser for No On 8. Helping people vote on Election Day.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Waiting too long to find a summer job. Totally abandoning my workout routine in November.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just my usual end-of-the-year virus/asthma combo of doom, but at least this year I caught it early and didn't have to delay any exams or go to the ER.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I'd say my iPhone, but I think technically Afsheen bought it for me. So I'll have to go with the awesome sheepskin slippers I bought on sale at J. Crew. So warm! So fuzzy! How did I not own slippers before now?
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Barack Obama (mostly). Afsheen.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The Yes On 8 campaign. John Edwards.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Tuition.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
REM's summer tour, moving to New York, the election.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Walcott - Vampire Weekend. American Boy - Estelle and Kanye West.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? The same
c) richer or poorer? Both
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleep, stay on top of my classwork consistently.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Procrastinate, panic about school/jobs.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
In New Mexico with my family and a lot of cats.
21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes, with my slippers.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Lost, How I Met Your Mother, Gossip Girl, Chuck.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.
24. What was the best book you read?
Paper Towns by John Green. It would have been Netherland by Joseph O'Neil, but I didn't finish it before the end of the year. Same with the Death and Life of American Cities by Jane Jacobs.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Yelle.
26. What did you want and get?
A visit to LA, a relaxed summer.
27. What did you want and not get?
Law review (which I'm now quite happy to have not gotten), a paying summer job, a poffertje pan.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Wall-E.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 28, and I spent the day working on my essays for the law journal writing competition. Not at all fun. I did take a break to have a tasty sushi dinner, though.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A giant pile of money so I wouldn't have to worry about how much I'm borrowing for school.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Lazy student.
32. What kept you sane?
Afsheen, Paddington, my non-law-school friends, the Tivo.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmm... Barack Obama, Robert Downey Jr., Kristen Wiig.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Presidential election; Proposition 8.
35. Who did you miss?
My friends in LA.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Joshie Pants.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
To stay focused on what's actually important to me rather than getting caught up in what everyone else thinks I should care about -- something that can be very hard to do in law school.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I couldn't possibly think of one. However, my favorite one to sing this year was: "And if I see Van Helsing, I swear to the Lord I will slay him! Ah ha ha ha!" (Dracula's Lament, from Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
