New Year

A meme! Something to prompt my NYE writing! Good! Here we go.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Graduated from nursing school. Became a licensed Nurse Practitioner. Went on a medical mission. Went to an estate sale. Went to a flea market by myself. Rode the bus from San Diego to LA. Wrong number texted somebody.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept some of my resolutions more than others. I'll make some more for next year, but that's for another post.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Beckie! Lots of other people that I know less well.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Family and friends-wise, no. But several patients I worked with died (most of them were hospice patients).

5. What countries did you visit?
El Salvador.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A full time NP job. A bigger apartment. Better self-appreciation.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The ones that I remember are for Bad Things. Let's let those dates fade away.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Writing and passing my Giant Paper Thing, graduating from nursing school, getting my NP license.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Giant Paper Thing.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major. Unless heartbreak counts.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Silver jeans.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?  
Yours. Yes, YOURS. I could not have made it through the year without friends, both of the know-me-in-real-life and know-me-only-on-the-internet variety. There was always someone there when I was in need of comfort, laughter, snark, help packing up my ex's stuff, or a crappy day present. I am so, so lucky.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 

Jenny's ex boyfriend. My ex boyfriend, KC. My ex boyfriend from college. My friend's husband.

Various famous people and their bad choices and secret double lives.

14. Where did most of your money go? 

Living expenses. Assorted hoop-jumping for licensure.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Graduating. Glee Live. Christmas. HP7P2. My USC Trojans. Various going out adventures and shenanigans.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011? 

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:  

a) happier or sadder? At this moment I am happier. Overall this year I was sadder.
b) thinner or fatter? I dunno. About the same.

c) richer or poorer? Poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Spending time with friends and family. Being very present in the moment. Studying.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Weeping. Feeling bad about myself.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At my parents' house. Wrapped in new jammies and love.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
The opposite.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Parks and Recreation.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? 

My hatred is reserved for only the WORST of the worst, so no. But there are definitely people whom I newly dislike.

24. What was the best book you read?
The Hunger Games.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?  
This song makes me think of my awesome road trip with Jenny.

26. What did you want and get?
A degree in nursing.

27. What did you want and not get? 
A new phone. Mine is held together with rubber bands now. Technically I did order a new one in 2011, but it won't arrive until 'next year' (har har). I would REALLY like to have a better, cheaper plan but so far all of my jaunts to the Verizon store have left me shaky and angry, but without a better plan or the ability to access my account online. 2012 FTW?

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went out with friends on the weekend before it. Got a massage and lunch with a friend on my actual birthday. Went to lunch with my family the weekend after it. I turned 29.

30. What is one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 
Having a job waiting for me after graduation, instead of being in this weird limbo of studying for board exam/applying for jobs after obtaining a prestigious degree from a fine learning institution. Because I'm getting very tired of being told that since I'm a nurse it should be easy to get a job.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
New convert to leggings, still working out the kinks.

32. What kept you sane?
Friends, family, music, Twitter, comfort food, venting, running, reading, organizing my apartment, trashy TV.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Meh.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Planned Parenthood.

35. Who did you miss?
My LA peeps.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
All the people on my El Salvador trip, especially Monica.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.  
Things don't always turn out how you plan, even if you plan really really well and want it very badly and work really fucking hard.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Don't stop me now.