Happy 5th of January!

Because my talent for procrastination knows no bounds, I have managed to postpone my New Year's post until January 5th. Let's all just take a moment to appreciate that.

Ok, moving on. I have recently been reading through all of the archives at Sundry Mourning, and I highly recommend that you do the same. Linda, who writes at Sundry, is an excellent writer who has just the right mix of sincerity and sarcasm that speaks to the heart of my own hateful, idealistic soul. I say all this not just for the sake of kissing the ass of a blogger I've never met, but because I plan to rip off Linda's long-running New Year's tradition of filling out a survey about the details of the previous year. Because that's what this blog has come to now. Surveys. Are you ready? Here we go!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

I started graduate school, and started thinking seriously about what I want my adult life to look like. I met and befriended the next generation of rock star social workers. I proved to myself that I can set personal boundaries and stick with them, even when its unbelievably hard. I did my first client interview as a social worker-in-training, and did it well, if I do say so myself. I also started training for a(n imaginary) 10k, and even though I only made it through 4 of the 8 weeks of training, it's not because I couldn't do it, but because I got derailed by graduate school.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

My resolution for 2009 was not to make anymore grand, year-long resolutions, and instead stick with small, short-term, measurable monthly goals. I did pretty well with that, I think, until I started grad school and my goal became to simply survive. That mindset pretty much persisted from August through December. So I guess my goal for 2010 is to get back into the habit of making goals. I learned some valuable lessons about grad school survival during my first semester, so now rather than just trying to stay afloat, I can start swimming toward a specific destination. That being said, my goals for the month of January are as follows:
a. get some form of exercise at least 3 times per week, and
b. work on some school work for at least 30 min each weekday.
They're not very exciting goals, I know, but they're my goals, dammit.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I'm not particularly close to them, but two of my classmates had babies this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

A close friend of my dad's died, but I'm not sure if that was in 2008 or 2009. Other than that, no.

5. What countries did you visit?

I didn't leave the country in 2009, but I did visit 2 new states: Texas and California!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

I'd like to have more confidence in myself and my abilities, and to question myself less. I'd like to be better at accepting life the way it is instead of struggling against it when things don't go exactly the way I'd like. I'd also like to treat my loved ones with love, even when I want to kill them, and I guess in order to do that I'll need some more patience. Also, a big bag of money.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched on your memory, and why?

I think I'll always remember... the first few days of graduate school, the days I spent in Houston and San Francisco, the day Lee and I broke up, and the first day I saw him again after that.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Although I hate to sound like a broken record, I think my biggest achievement was probably getting into (and committing to) graduate school. And not having a nervous breakdown. Yet. Also, continually working on being a happier and more loving person.

9. What was your biggest failure?

All of the times when I gave in to frustration or fear or insecurity or anger and let myself get bogged down into an unhappy altercation with a loved one.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No, thank goodness!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I'm going to have to say my new laptop. It was necessary for learning, but has also brought me many hours of non-academic entertainment as well.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

I was really blown away this year by all of the people that care about me and the sweet things they did to support me when I was having hard times. I have a lot of really great, talented, loving friends in my life, and I can never thank them enough.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I am continually appalled by the many narrow-minded people who treat the spread of hate as a cherished hobby, in spite of the fact that they are largely uninformed about the topics that are apparently so important to them.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Tuition and fees, school books, and food. I can't seem to turn down a dinner invitation.

15. What did you get really excited about?

Starting school, traveling, and making new friends! It's also pretty exhilarating to feel like I'm on the path to fulfilling my dreams.

16. What song will always remind you 2009?

Sadly, I think it's going to be "Forever" by Chris Brown, because my roommate showed me the wedding dance video shortly after we moved in, and then The Office wedding episode, which parodied it, came at just the right time in my life to make me cry like a stupid baby.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you...

Happier or sadder? Definitely happier.
Thinner or fatter? A smidge fatter, because I haven't been going to the gym since I started school, and I think I've done nothing but eat since winter break started.
Richer or poorer? Poorer, since I no longer have a real job and I have to pay for school.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

I wish I'd spend more time enjoying the moment.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Obsessing about the future.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Opening presents and enjoying a meal with my parents and brother.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

You could say that. There are a lot of great people in my life, and I'm constantly finding new depths to my love for them.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Community! Don't make me tell you again.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Well, there are a few people at school that are not my favorite, but hate's such a strong word, you know?

24. What was the best book you read?

I can't remember everything I read this year, so I'm just going to go with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Somehow the addition of zombies took a book I had no interest in reading and made it meaningful to my life.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I didn't really buy a lot of music this year. I did buy the new Kings of Leon album, and The Ting Tings, which wasn't new but was new to me, and a lot of fun to run to.

26. What did you want and get?

To go back to school, to find a good apartment and and a great roommate, and to learn lots of new and exciting things.

27. What did you want and not get?

Easy answers to tough life questions, and for everyone to just do what I tell them to do.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Definitely the new Star Trek. When I left that movie, I had that feeling you get when you've just gotten off a great roller coaster and you just want to run around the building and ride it again immediately. Good times.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 24, and I spent the weekend at the beach catching up with old friends.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I think if I'd spent less time stressing out about worst case scenarios, I would have gotten more out of all the great things happening around me.

31. How would describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

In a word: Target.

32. What kept you sane?

Strangely, I think cleaning kept me sane. There were several instances in 2009 when I thought I was going to lose my mind, but the crisis was averted by a flurry of focused cleaning. Also, driving.

33. Which celebrity / public figure did you have a crush on?

Robert Downey, Jr. I have a feeling that he would be both a good conversationalist and attentive to my needs.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Health care reform. And I'll leave it at that lest this turn into a rant.

35. Who do you miss?

All the friends that I'm not the best at keeping in touch with.

36. Who was the best new person that you met?

I can't narrow it down to just one. All my new friends at school have probably saved my life several times already.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

Here's another variation on the theme: If you don't focus on enjoying and making the most of what you have, you cheat yourself and run the risk of creating regrets rather than memories.