A year is a good, neat and tidy way to measure time and distance in your life. And in the spirit of 'best of' countdown shows I have started thinking about my life this past year. I didn't swim with sharks in the Philippines or dance in the streets of Madrid this year. I didn't even skydive. Heck, I didn't even get married or have a baby. But I did do some things that I'm proud of and thought it would be an interesting exercise to recount some of them (food-related and otherwise). It'll set me up for the end of 2010 and ring in 2011 with a positive note.
I encourage you to make a similar list of your accomplishments, big and small, to help propel you into the new year.
So, this year I:
- bellydanced in a crowded park
- learned the basics of driving a stick shift car
- moved me and the cat (3 times in the past 14mos.)
- got back into Toastmasters and became a better public speaker
- was a vegetarian for a month a (Aug.)
- volunteered with five groups
- helped cook brunch for 50 people as a volunteer
- became a member of a board/executive, twice
- lived on my own
- dated
- celebrated one year of blogging with DesktopGourmet
- embraced social media, especially after getting a Blackberry phone
- had a red bedroom (and red phone and red netbook computer)
- had my Facebook and email hacked and everything deleted, incl. photos
- also had my hard drive crash on my personal laptop
- lived without cable
- reached over 1,400 tweets
- drove across the Confederation Bridge myself
- shopped in Montreal's Chinatown
- made Guinness chocolate cupcakes 4 times
- perfected my punch recipe
- mastered cooking a full turkey dinner from scratch (at least I think so!)
- lost and replaced 3 pairs of earbuds
- read 15 novels
- did my job without a manager for 8 months
- traveled to Nain, Labrador (the most North I've ever been)
- traveled to NS, NB and PEI on a camping vacation
- bought and wore heels higher than 2 1/2 inches (bringing me to over 6 feet tall)
- went to a personal trainer (thanks Erin!)
- did basic swimming lessons to conquer my fear of drowning
- turned 28
- got a new car
- lost some friends, but re-connected with others...and made new ones too!
- made pedicures a regular thing
- gained perspective
- (almost) kicked my finger nail-biting habit
- had bronchitis, a chest infection, and a sinus infection, all at the same time
- mastered pretzel-making (though not pretzel-shaping)
- played the tin whistle (even if only in my friend's living room...there was an audience!)
- purged my belongings and had a yard sale
- drank a lot of wine
- remembered all the words to all the songs on Counting Crows' Across the Wires CD
- sang along with the entire CD mentioned above while driving from Gander to St. John's, twice
- got bangs again
- found out I like the following foods I used to dislike: shrimp, chai tea, ginger, ginger ale, dill pickle chips, omelets, seaweed (sushi), cranberry sauce, mussels (in sauce only), and olives
- drive over 20,000 kms...and that's without owning a car for 8 months
- took a photo of my food every day for a month (Oct.) and posted them on my blog
- helped organize a major fundraiser diner for a charity
- went to a hockey game
- got a clean bill of health at my annual check-up
- took the Halifax harbour ferry 10 times
- made some big financial strides (like paying off my student loans)
- got pre-approved for a mortgage and have started looking for a new house!
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"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
-T.S. Eliot
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