December went fast.
What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Ordered a pizza that had sauce on it and ate it.
Lived in a foreign country, traveled to more countries.
Youth hostels!
Alcohol. Drunkenness.
Went on a Date.
Took out loans.
Had 3 different jobs. Knocked on strangers' doors.
Was in temporary but long-term possession of a car.
Spent the summer away from my family.
Four months without being home.
Grew up??? No.
Learned Spanish! Oh wait, that's a lie, I had 3 weeks of Spanish in middle school...
German theater.
Ate lasagna. Goat. Zucchini. Deer. Liver dumplings in a soup. The latter was a slightly upsetting surprise.
Was 2008 a good year for you?
Yeah!
What was your favorite moment of the year? The Sunday in Munich in February under blue Bavarian sky, when it was warm enough to take off our coats and we could not believe there was problem in the world. That's what stands out.
I think the best was moments from the summer, once I got past the job-guilt. Reading about WWII Berlin on the Diag, biking across town all the time, going on walks. The Epic Walk is up there. Quiet mornings in the Krankenhaus.
Waking up for dawn over the Rhine in Cologne was cool. Köln. Cologne looks so weird to me.
What was your least favorite moment of the year?The entire Week of Terrifying Sickness counts as one moment. An infinitely long one. (Yeah. Infinite/7-days-long...totally correlates)
How did you ring in 2008?
Under the covers in John's bed with Emma.
Who were you with?
Meine Emma.
Where will you be when 2008 ends?Mountains in France!
Who will you be with when 2008 ends?Maraia, Tabs, Ginny, and Maraia's French relative people.
Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I've been more outwardly enthusiastic than in the past. Not as much as I could have been, but it's been successful.
Next year I'm going to try out the whole researching, note-taking, outline-making before writing the paper thing. Being a responsible student was one of my going-to-Germany resolutions, and so far it hasn't gone great. So I'll make it again. Even though it's boring.
And continuing to enjoy life more.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
Did anyone close to you die?
Ali's dog Lola : (
Which countries did you visit?
Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium.
What states did you visit?
I was in O'Hare Int'l Airport twice...in which case I should list the Netherlands above.
What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A lease in Ann Arbor. Post-college plans would be cool, too.
What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 10, because I finally spoke my mind and tried to face reality and felt betrayed and hated the world. But I also realized earlier that evening that life was good and everything would be fine.
September 1 was the first day in Freiburg, which is a big deal. And also an easy date to remember.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Ali says, "Being in Germany?!"
I forgot that 2008 started so long ago. Erica told me I was a gifted linguist and Esther said I showed promise as an academic scholar. That was cool.
I feel proud every time I talk with my tandem partner in German for a long time.
What was your biggest failure?
It may be the history essay I wrote last week and didn't complete until about 9:20 am. The essay whose structure I thought was decent until around 2 or 3 am. We shall see.
I also failed to find a job for months, which was awful.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
Goddamned mono-like virus. I think that my sweaty shivery stumbly week in July was the worst week ever, at least in terms of being able to move or eat.
What was the best thing you bought?
A year in Germany? My backpacking backpack is pretty exciting. Also my black and white striped dress from H&M. Really, I made a lot of good purchases.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
Table Cat's!
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
That is an extremely strong question. Lots of people could have done lots of things better in the course of the year. I could have showered more.
Where did most of your money go?
Euros. And rent for the summer.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Munich in February, the Krankenhaus, moving to Freiburg, my mom's new job!
Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Definitely fatter.
iii. Richer or poorer? Uhhh, hard to say. I'm rich from debt.
What do you wish you'd done more of?
Making money. Not being alone in my room. Reading in the summer. Speaking German.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
I should probably have eaten less cereal in Germany. And less procrastinating.
How will you be spending Christmas?
I'm hanging around Munich with my mom's best friend from grade school and her family. Christmas Eve I went to the 10 pm Mass in the cathedral, where my mom's friend's daughter was playing in an orchestra. Christmas, I woke up early to go to Christmas Mass and hear their gospel choir. After brunch (finally an omelet, a break from vegetables!) we slept until 5 pm and finally opened presents and lit the candels on the tree.
Did you fall in love in 2008?
No. Unless we're talking Table Cat.
If so, do you regret it?
How could I regret his loving purrs and the time he spent atop and between my legs while I tried to sleep?
Did you break up with anyone in 2008?
None!
How many one-night stands?
Ha.
How many people did you sleep with in 2008?
Zero. Though I guess Maraia and I will have shared a bed by the 31st.
Who was your best drinking buddy?
It seems like I get drunk when Nico is around. Mainly the one time he gave me a ton of champagne.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope, no hating.
What was your favorite TV program?
I think the only television I watched was The Office. But last season wasn't that great, if I remember correctly. Oh, and I've been watching Battlestar. Hm.
What was the best book you read?
Good question. Maybe the Dorothy Dunnett historical fiction book set in Bruges and Italy. I'm really proud of reading Selam Berlin because it's the first German novel I've read. Plus I really enjoyed it. And just found out that there's a sequel!
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Discovery is putting it strongly. Those two Voxtrot songs and Lightning Love.
What songs will always remind you of 2008?
12:51 by the Strokes, especially Maraia's and my German translation. Voxtrot. Lightning Love! Oh, and the Avett Brothers. The Magnetic Fields.
What did you want and get?
Jobs!
Hiking boots (that mostly fit me)
Intensive Spanish I
Germany
New leggings
Government loans.
What did you want and not get?
A massive scholarship for Germany. A long-lasting job.
What was your favorite film of this year?
Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned twenty. I went to Pinckney and went canvassing for Atlas Home Improvement, it was awesome. When I got home there was chicken and mashed potatoes and brie and good bread and cake with Emma and Ali and Cooper. Emma gave me new underwear, I wore the skimpy dress thing Ali gave me, inappropriate pictures of me with the cat ended up on Facebook. I don't remember if I made them watch a movie with me or not. I probably did, and it was probably from Kzwioelsklfjski's Three Colors Trilogy.
What was your most embarrassing moment of 2007?I can't think of anything that truly embarrassed me. Maybe I should be embarrassed about running around EQ with glow-in-the-dark makeup and strips of neon cloth hanging from me and my hair sticking up every which way, but I'm not.
If you could go back in time to any moment of 2007 and change something, what would it be?I would sign up to work at the cafeteria a lot sooner and had a job all summer. Ew.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More money? Well, less concern about it.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Short hair!! Still turtlenecks, still sweaters, lots of scarves, hiking boots all the time. In the summer, shorts and also ugly khakis for canvassing and my canvass RC bag-totally a part of my fashion concept. Lots of things that are hot pink. But mainly turtlenecks I think. Lipstick is on the rise.
What kept you sane?
Table Cat. Emma and Ali. Reason.
Which celebrity or public figure did you fancy the most?
I guess I'm over celebrities-y. Ew John Mayer's hair (or lack thereof) is gross.
Which political issue stirred you the most?
Election and stuff. That covers most things.
Who did you miss?
Everyone!
Did you make any new friends? Favorites?
Too many new people to say. I really like my German tandem partner.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Cats make everything better, except when they bite you.
If you're going to waste the time anyway, you might as well do something fun.
Fear is the mindkiller. Ahahaha, Dune.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I don't wanna get over you.
Nineteen is not the age of reason-for the first half of the year.
Gotta get up get a life 'cause I wasted the whole night.
What are your plans for 2009?
Drink, make merry! Uhhhh...I want to quote Elrond upon welcoming people to Rivendell.
Write, read, speak more German. Travel across Europe. Make it to another continent?
Move back home. Make plans for the future. Work hard, succeed, have a good time.
Be visited in Europe!
TRY!
Ordered a pizza that had sauce on it and ate it.
Lived in a foreign country, traveled to more countries.
Youth hostels!
Alcohol. Drunkenness.
Went on a Date.
Took out loans.
Had 3 different jobs. Knocked on strangers' doors.
Was in temporary but long-term possession of a car.
Spent the summer away from my family.
Four months without being home.
Grew up??? No.
Learned Spanish! Oh wait, that's a lie, I had 3 weeks of Spanish in middle school...
German theater.
Ate lasagna. Goat. Zucchini. Deer. Liver dumplings in a soup. The latter was a slightly upsetting surprise.
Was 2008 a good year for you?
Yeah!
What was your favorite moment of the year? The Sunday in Munich in February under blue Bavarian sky, when it was warm enough to take off our coats and we could not believe there was problem in the world. That's what stands out.
I think the best was moments from the summer, once I got past the job-guilt. Reading about WWII Berlin on the Diag, biking across town all the time, going on walks. The Epic Walk is up there. Quiet mornings in the Krankenhaus.
Waking up for dawn over the Rhine in Cologne was cool. Köln. Cologne looks so weird to me.
What was your least favorite moment of the year?The entire Week of Terrifying Sickness counts as one moment. An infinitely long one. (Yeah. Infinite/7-days-long...totally correlates)
How did you ring in 2008?
Under the covers in John's bed with Emma.
Who were you with?
Meine Emma.
Where will you be when 2008 ends?Mountains in France!
Who will you be with when 2008 ends?Maraia, Tabs, Ginny, and Maraia's French relative people.
Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I've been more outwardly enthusiastic than in the past. Not as much as I could have been, but it's been successful.
Next year I'm going to try out the whole researching, note-taking, outline-making before writing the paper thing. Being a responsible student was one of my going-to-Germany resolutions, and so far it hasn't gone great. So I'll make it again. Even though it's boring.
And continuing to enjoy life more.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
Did anyone close to you die?
Ali's dog Lola : (
Which countries did you visit?
Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium.
What states did you visit?
I was in O'Hare Int'l Airport twice...in which case I should list the Netherlands above.
What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A lease in Ann Arbor. Post-college plans would be cool, too.
What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 10, because I finally spoke my mind and tried to face reality and felt betrayed and hated the world. But I also realized earlier that evening that life was good and everything would be fine.
September 1 was the first day in Freiburg, which is a big deal. And also an easy date to remember.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Ali says, "Being in Germany?!"
I forgot that 2008 started so long ago. Erica told me I was a gifted linguist and Esther said I showed promise as an academic scholar. That was cool.
I feel proud every time I talk with my tandem partner in German for a long time.
What was your biggest failure?
It may be the history essay I wrote last week and didn't complete until about 9:20 am. The essay whose structure I thought was decent until around 2 or 3 am. We shall see.
I also failed to find a job for months, which was awful.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
Goddamned mono-like virus. I think that my sweaty shivery stumbly week in July was the worst week ever, at least in terms of being able to move or eat.
What was the best thing you bought?
A year in Germany? My backpacking backpack is pretty exciting. Also my black and white striped dress from H&M. Really, I made a lot of good purchases.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
Table Cat's!
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
That is an extremely strong question. Lots of people could have done lots of things better in the course of the year. I could have showered more.
Where did most of your money go?
Euros. And rent for the summer.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Munich in February, the Krankenhaus, moving to Freiburg, my mom's new job!
Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Definitely fatter.
iii. Richer or poorer? Uhhh, hard to say. I'm rich from debt.
What do you wish you'd done more of?
Making money. Not being alone in my room. Reading in the summer. Speaking German.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
I should probably have eaten less cereal in Germany. And less procrastinating.
How will you be spending Christmas?
I'm hanging around Munich with my mom's best friend from grade school and her family. Christmas Eve I went to the 10 pm Mass in the cathedral, where my mom's friend's daughter was playing in an orchestra. Christmas, I woke up early to go to Christmas Mass and hear their gospel choir. After brunch (finally an omelet, a break from vegetables!) we slept until 5 pm and finally opened presents and lit the candels on the tree.
Did you fall in love in 2008?
No. Unless we're talking Table Cat.
If so, do you regret it?
How could I regret his loving purrs and the time he spent atop and between my legs while I tried to sleep?
Did you break up with anyone in 2008?
None!
How many one-night stands?
Ha.
How many people did you sleep with in 2008?
Zero. Though I guess Maraia and I will have shared a bed by the 31st.
Who was your best drinking buddy?
It seems like I get drunk when Nico is around. Mainly the one time he gave me a ton of champagne.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope, no hating.
What was your favorite TV program?
I think the only television I watched was The Office. But last season wasn't that great, if I remember correctly. Oh, and I've been watching Battlestar. Hm.
What was the best book you read?
Good question. Maybe the Dorothy Dunnett historical fiction book set in Bruges and Italy. I'm really proud of reading Selam Berlin because it's the first German novel I've read. Plus I really enjoyed it. And just found out that there's a sequel!
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Discovery is putting it strongly. Those two Voxtrot songs and Lightning Love.
What songs will always remind you of 2008?
12:51 by the Strokes, especially Maraia's and my German translation. Voxtrot. Lightning Love! Oh, and the Avett Brothers. The Magnetic Fields.
What did you want and get?
Jobs!
Hiking boots (that mostly fit me)
Intensive Spanish I
Germany
New leggings
Government loans.
What did you want and not get?
A massive scholarship for Germany. A long-lasting job.
What was your favorite film of this year?
Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned twenty. I went to Pinckney and went canvassing for Atlas Home Improvement, it was awesome. When I got home there was chicken and mashed potatoes and brie and good bread and cake with Emma and Ali and Cooper. Emma gave me new underwear, I wore the skimpy dress thing Ali gave me, inappropriate pictures of me with the cat ended up on Facebook. I don't remember if I made them watch a movie with me or not. I probably did, and it was probably from Kzwioelsklfjski's Three Colors Trilogy.
What was your most embarrassing moment of 2007?I can't think of anything that truly embarrassed me. Maybe I should be embarrassed about running around EQ with glow-in-the-dark makeup and strips of neon cloth hanging from me and my hair sticking up every which way, but I'm not.
If you could go back in time to any moment of 2007 and change something, what would it be?I would sign up to work at the cafeteria a lot sooner and had a job all summer. Ew.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More money? Well, less concern about it.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Short hair!! Still turtlenecks, still sweaters, lots of scarves, hiking boots all the time. In the summer, shorts and also ugly khakis for canvassing and my canvass RC bag-totally a part of my fashion concept. Lots of things that are hot pink. But mainly turtlenecks I think. Lipstick is on the rise.
What kept you sane?
Table Cat. Emma and Ali. Reason.
Which celebrity or public figure did you fancy the most?
I guess I'm over celebrities-y. Ew John Mayer's hair (or lack thereof) is gross.
Which political issue stirred you the most?
Election and stuff. That covers most things.
Who did you miss?
Everyone!
Did you make any new friends? Favorites?
Too many new people to say. I really like my German tandem partner.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Cats make everything better, except when they bite you.
If you're going to waste the time anyway, you might as well do something fun.
Fear is the mindkiller. Ahahaha, Dune.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I don't wanna get over you.
Nineteen is not the age of reason-for the first half of the year.
Gotta get up get a life 'cause I wasted the whole night.
What are your plans for 2009?
Drink, make merry! Uhhhh...I want to quote Elrond upon welcoming people to Rivendell.
Write, read, speak more German. Travel across Europe. Make it to another continent?
Move back home. Make plans for the future. Work hard, succeed, have a good time.
Be visited in Europe!
TRY!