Adios, Aughts

December 25: Gift

What's a gift you gave yourself this year that kept on giving?

I stopped trying to quit coffee. It makes me happier in the morning, I work more efficiently, it keeps me warm in my freezing cold office. Oh, did I mention it tastes like love in a cup? Because it does, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life allowing myself to drink it. (Thanks, Gret, for getting me on your guilt-free bandwagon.)

December 26: Insight or aha! moment

What was your epiphany of the year?

I stopped trying to please everyone. I called it my bitchpants epiphany. I stopped apologizing and I stopped killing myself to make other people's lives easier. I sleep better now.

December 27: Social web moment

Did you meet someone you used to know only from her blog? Did you discover Twitter?

I became friends with Emily! We'd been friendly in high school- I vividly remember coveting her Rocket Dog Mary Janes and excellent poetry analysis in AP English. Five years later, through the miracle of Twitter and blogs, we discovered that we are essentially the same person (right down to the kettle chip obsession). We've now met up in the real world and I met her fabulous fiance over Thanksgiving. SO often, social networking creates a false sense of camaraderie and connection- in this case, it led to the development of a real-life friendship. Take that Twitter-haters!

December 29th: Laugh

What was your biggest belly laugh of the year?

Unfortunately the topic of our conversation is not blog-appropriate, but I just had a great belly laugh with Em and J a few weeks ago. At one point we were all gasping for air as tears streamed down our cheeks. It probably looked a lot like this:

Pretty typical, but amazing nonetheless.

December 31st: Resolution you wish you'd stuck with

Last year's only resolution was to start over- see my last post of '08. I took that pretty seriously. New real-life job, my first ever 9-5. A new after-work job coaching dance team, the best decision I've ever made for myself. I finally left Madison in the past while learning how to keep the best parts of it close to me. I learned how to breathe and think clearly in moments of chaos, a skill that comes in handy every night before a big presentation. I re-entered the dating scene for pretty much the first time in my adult life, and am loving the freedom it has given me so far. As I mentioned before, I let go of some toxic habits that I'd built up over a lifetime of pleasing other people before myself.

I've come a long way in a year... I can't wait to see what comes next!