2011: Year in Review

What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
two things: first, moved to Asheville. i never really thought we'd get here. second, ran a half-marathon (!) and really started to actually enjoy running. i've been doing it for years, but i think i've been doing it wrong (treadmill vs. outside) because i never liked it until this year.


Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I only had one (to focus on more long-term goals) and I'd say I accomplished that pretty well. Sold our house, bought a new house, started working from home, trained and completed a half-marathon, etc. And yes, I'll make goals for next year. I always do.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
i have two new nieces and several friends gave birth, so yes! and looks like another busy year for babies in 2012 so far.

Did anyone close to you die?
yes and no. my grandpa died but i wasn't close with him. i mostly grieved for my father losing his dad. i don't want to go through that ever, though i know that's all part of life.


What countries did you visit?
none. we stayed pretty close to home this year with moving & everything. a weekend in Alabama, a weekend in DC, a couple weeks in UT, a weekend in Savannah.

What would you like to have in 2012 that you didn’t have in 2011?
money in my savings account again

What dates from 2011 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
july 20 - the day we moved; august 4 - my 30th birthday; november 5 - my half-marathon

What was your biggest achievement of this year?
setting up a whole new life in a new city


What was your biggest failure?
not really something we could control, but i would have loved to have actually made money selling our house.


Did you suffer illness or injury?
not yet (knock on wood)

What was the best thing you bought?
our new house!


Whose behavior merited celebration?
all those secret santas that paid off people's layaway orders at KMart

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
politicians and big uncaring corporations and fox news. but that's every year. ha ha.

Where did most of your money go?
renovations. I think around $50K. yeah. that's a lot.

What did you get really excited about?
moving to Asheville...do you see a theme?

What song will always remind you of 2011?
Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros or Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show. We heard those two songs A LOT in our house.

Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) happier!
b) thinner! (by 19 lbs in case you're keeping track)
c) much much much poorer. whole house renovations can do that to you.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
camping & hiking (which happens to be my same response to this question last year)


What do you wish you’d done less of? 
watching tv and being a hermit (ditto above)

How did you spend Christmas?
sleeping in, a special breakfast, long walk with the dogs and then driving to Charlotte to spend time with family.

Did you fall in love in 2011?
with my new city, yes. and i'm even more in love with Jon after spending every day together since we moved up here. we get annoyed with one another, of course, but overall i love being able to see him anytime i want all day long.

What was your favorite TV program?
favorite new show is Revenge. Such a guilty pleasure!


What was the best book you read?
I read a LOT of books this year. I really enjoyed Ann Patchett's "State of Wonder"...it's so hard to pick just one book!

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Floating Action or Tyler Ramsey, both local Asheville bands. I also listened to Florence & The Machine quite a bit this fall.

What did you want and get?
a new house in a new city

What did you want and not get?
to win the PowerBall lottery. oh well.

What was your favorite film of 2011?
I don't watch a lot of movies in the theater, so a lot of top movies released this year, I won't see until next year. But - of the few I saw - the top movies for me were Bridesmaids and The Help. Very different genres, but both were fantastic. I have to also mention Forks Over Knives as the documentary that's had the biggest change on my daily life. I never thought I would switch to a vegan diet but it's been nearly a month and I have no intention of ever going back.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
we kept it low-key since i had a big blowout last year. we walked to a great jamaican restaurant and then got ice cream. i turned 30.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
making a bucket of money on the sale of our home in Charlotte. other than that, it's been a truly awesome year for us.


How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2011?
Comfort is key! jeans/tank/hoodie/slip on shoes or jersey skirt/tank/sandals. hair in ponytail. no makeup. minimal jewelry.

What kept you sane? 
lots of weed. ha ha. kidding, kidding. (do you know how often people make that joke to me when i tell them where i live now? sheesh.) i think just having jon & close friends to talk to when i'm feeling overwhelmed helps the most. and lots of running.

What political issue stirred you the most?
Arab Spring - seeing people rise up and struggle for freedoms i take entirely for granted.

Who did you miss?
my family and my best friend out in UT (and DC). now that we've moved away from charlotte - i really miss my sister-in-law, Erin and her kids and hanging out with our laid-back friends.


Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. 
To keep perspective by asking myself the questions: "one year from now, will this matter?" and "which decision makes you the better version of you?"

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Home is wherever I'm with you." - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

If you complete your own list, leave me a link so I can read them! Here's to 2012!