HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY LOVELIES!
i hope you had a safe + wonderful new year’s eve celebration. ours was simple + low-key, which was exactly what i wanted this year. for those of you who read my personal blog, you know that i have an odd, fickle relationship with new year’s eve as a holiday in general, so i’m extra happy that it was so stress-free + satisfying this time around. i’m also happy to be spending new year’s day drinking coffee, uploading photos, watching my brother play x-box, and counting down the minutes until the 2011 NHL winter classic, which features my favorite boys this year in my favorite city. so far today has also included reflecting on the previous year, a year that started out pretty scary with my mother being diagnosed with cancer, but ended up being, overall, surprisingly fun, meaningful, inspiring, and memorable in the best ways possible. so, when i look back on 2010, i will be able to say…
…that was the year i
// discovered florence + the machine, mumford & sons, broken social scenes, laura marling, and local natives
// learned how to say “be careful!” and “climb down from” in latin
// watched the penguins go down in the 2nd round of the playoffs, and started my next season countdown far too early
// was given my very first DSLR camera, appropriately named dexter
// found out what chronic lymphocytic leukemia is
// watched a lot of dexter, BSG, 30 rock, better off ted, damages, mad men, the tudors, and united states of tara
// wrote a lot of poetry i’m actually pretty proud of
// saw my boys, the pittsburgh penguins, two rows from ice level, and two other times besides that
// maintained a good GPA + developed new academic contacts
// bought a lot of records, ballet flats, dishware, and bottles of nail polish
// had countless conversation about creative nonfiction + friendship + supernatural + hockey + psychology + the movie inception
// was lucky enough to see the swell season, bob dylan, hanson, and john mayer in concert (from pretty awesome seats, too)
// became OBSESSED with netflix (how did i ever live without it?)
// took hundreds of photos of coffee + tea, cemeteries, books, cats, shoes, clouds, and my little front porch
// turned twenty-two in my favorite place on earth: consol energy center
// reevaluated every priority i’ve ever had in life while spending countless hours in a squeaky, uncomfortable chair next to my mother’s hospital bed at the cleveland clinic
// wandered through shenandoah valley national park
// drank too many starry night shots + sang along too loudly to songs on the radio in bars on weeknights
// ate my weight in con queso, homemade risotto, and blueberry yogurt
// maintained such a lovely group of writer friends
// worked on being more flexible, brave, and even-tempered
// wasn’t lucky enough to travel very much or very far, but still managed to “go” to many new places
// gave into the smart phone craze, and bought a new laptop
// pinned down what i would like the next five years to be like, and started to make the right decisions to get myself there
// tumblrd, tweeted, and started a personal blog
// developed this blog into the super artistic explosion of random creativity + funk that it is now! (bwahahaha)
// reclaimed my status as the master of my fate, the captain of my soul
☁☁☁
i am already oozing with excitement to find out what 2011 has in store for me, my friends, and for all of you here. i am oh so happy to have “met” (most of) you all during this wildly unpredictable + wonderful, incredibly fast year. have a brilliant new year’s day!
xo Alison
