A year in review

Despite how tired the idea that a year has flown by, I must admit that I subscribe to this cliche once again. Last night I finished a most delish meal (at Northern Sky in the East Village, you should all go, it is my new favorite place, especially since my old favorite place, Corner Shop Cafe, has yet to reopen) and a very good glass of wine. During dinner the conversation was mostly about travel, about the best places like Barcelona and New York, and the places I cannot wait to go to, like Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Greece, and the travels I am about to embark on in just a few days- Paris and Berlin! With a full stomach, a sleepy head, and good company I repeated a sentiment that has been happily coming out of my mouth more and more often.

"Life is good."

The same feeling when I'm hung over, but not that hung over and I'm eating good pizza and drinking wine and know I'm going to ride my bike again. Or when I'm at a party really good friends and I've drunk wine and dancing is happening and there is a really cute guy who wants to dance with me. Or I just watched a friend drink a whole double shot of oily gin to get the team back in the bingo game. Or just brunch. I fucking love brunch.

Maybe drinking is a running theme...

I don't know if I am the kind of person that is just wholly content ever, but I certainly feel like I'm on the path. Not to paint this year too rosy, I had a couple of months where I was not sure if I was making the right decisions. I lost my internal strength and my motivation, and with it I lost my way- but with faith that I would come out of it I let that weirdness take its course.

While it was happening I fell in love with rock climbing, which is the most best thing ever, and I'm totally obsessed. Right now I'm just a plastic puller, with occasional trips to a rock face which usually scare the crap out of me. After almost a year of climbing I still cannot do a single pull up, but I manage to climb hard anyways, developing my technique despite my muscles. There has to be a metaphor in there somewhere about finding your own path. I actually took trips out of the city- that's right, I desired to be in Not New York City- upstate to climb the 'dacks and go camping, which were mostly foiled by rain, but such is life. I talked about food politics, classical music, and how the human population's stupidity never fails to amaze instead.

I took a trip to Israel- which is such a weird, interesting, and nutty country that I encourage at least one journey there. I didn't fall in love with the place like many do- although the desert is just WOW- however I did fall in love with my travel companions. While ten days of non-stop bad food combined with long bus rides seems like a set up for no fun it just made us love each other more. Because of the relationships I made I have been to Upstate NY, Philly and Baltimore, with trips planned to CT, Boston and New Orleans. I have a friend who wants to join in on the baller "Buy a Brownstone in Brooklyn" plan, which will fucking happen goddamnit. Unless the "Buy a Plot of Land and Live in a Shipping Container" plan happens instead.

I switched jobs- my first adult job switch. If I thought asking for reviews and raises was scary, switching jobs is terrifying. I loved my old job dearly. My boss took a chance on me- as I was wholly unqualified for the position- and taught me the ropes, and eventually let me start steering my own ship. Now that I'm in my new position the lessons I learned are continuing to reveal themselves even though I hadn't realized I was learning something at the time. Funny how that works. Now I am really starting to feel settled in my new place of employment and while I had to trade in my short in-boro commute for an awful MTA trip twice a day I now have a window with a view of a park. We all have to make concessions.

Speaking of jobs, Phil and I were hired to make another video! As in, we're getting paid for our work. As in someone saw what we did, liked it and sought us out to make another one because they believe that it will help them sell their product. As in I couldn't be more flattered. And bonus- I get to make another video with my best friend, Philip!

I cut my hair and dyed bits of pink. I thought it was fancy. Someone still hired me with pink hair.

Last night when I was in the the lawn in Prospect Park at 2:40 am watching the first Lunar Eclipse on a winter solstice in 400 years with two of my friends who had also ridden there on bikes.

Four years ago leaving college was a very upsetting moment for me. I was SO happy to enter the real world, get back to NYC, and enter the next phase because I was done with Chicago- but I was heartbroken to leave my college friends. My fourth year I had a core group of friends and much like a well curated museum they all fit together and I fit with them. I loved them so hard and I knew I was leaving them. Last night I felt like I was close to cultivating those relationships again. I have found people who ride bikes (on 42 mile long 5 boro bike tours), climb rocks, like making things (and want to start collectives), wear wigs, fancy shoes, and might spend too much on a coats. Friends who will craft sweaters for holiday parties, and have me over for long platonic dates with cooking, eating, drinking and movie watching that rival any romantic date I've had. Friends who want to go camping on islands and friends who want to go on ski trips. Friends who fly in and take me to fashion shows, come to roof top parties at the Standard and basement parties in SoHo. Friends who call me from Brazil, Germany and France. Who are doing amazing Peace Corps stuff in Ghana. Going to grad school in Boston and Baltimore. Who work on Daft Punk music videos. Who go to all day concerts with me and let me take naps in the middle of Union Square park. Could I have more amazing people in my life? Probably not- I challenge the universe to throw some more at me. I think I can handle it. 2011, bring it on!

Also- Hot Toddies. Those make life good and will cure your colds. Get on it.