Year in Review Part 2: Survey
1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?
I went to a friend's wedding. Also, I caught the bouquet at that wedding. I went to the last official Xena Convention. I joined a gym. I danced on a stage in a club. I drank vermouth. I wrote 50,000 words of a novel.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions and will you make more for next year? I did keep last year's resolutions and I'm going to renew them. They were/are:
#1 Be bold
#2 Get fit
I will also add, for this year:
#3 Keep in mind what's really important.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
Denmark, Portugal, USA, Spain, Morocco, Hungary, Malta, France, UK and Ireland
6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
Love.
7. What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Feburary 20-23: Xena Con. Because they were some of the happiest days of my life.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I made sure that I did things that would make me happy. I tried to make the most of my time abroad. Finishing NaNoWriMo 2015.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't know if this counts as a failure but it's certainly a regret. I regret not asking for Emily's details (phone number, email etc). At the same time, I don't regret it because nothing could have ever come of it. Plus it might have been awkward.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I sprained my left wrist lifting weights back in April/May and it still hurts.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The Rabbies tour of the Highlands and Isle of Skye followed closely by the ticket for the EHF Championships in Budapest.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
All of the SMC for being great friends.
pebblin for again showing me a great time in LA and coming with me to Xena Con.
Rianna who's kind of grown up a bit more during my time away.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No-one that I know in person. I'm getting pretty good at keeping people who make me appalled/depressed out of my life.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent while I was still living in London. Also plane tickets and travel expenses.
Now that I'm living back home, it's mainly been boring things like car insurance and pet food.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Xena Con. Meeting Gro and seeing her play. Seeing Kitteh again after a year away.
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2015?
First Aid Kid - My Silver Lining
MIKA & RedOne - Kick Ass (We Are Young)
Katy Perry - Dark Horse
Katy Perry - Roar
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
Guy Sebastian - Tonight Again
The Vamps - Wild Heart
Imagine Dragons - Demons
The Rasmus - Ten Black Roses
Yossi Azulay - Vehi She'amda
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I kind of wish I'd spent a little longer in the UK before coming home. But I was pretty burnt out from travelling alone so I don't think I could have done it any other way.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating junk food.
20. How did you spend New Year's?
I don't know if this question refers to New Year's 2015 or New Year's 2016. Today I've been sorting photos and files and reading my various journals so that I can accurately do my end of year surveys for LJ. Last year I was travelling back home to London after my trip to Copenhagen.
21. Did you fall in love in 2015?
Yes. (I am always falling in love so this is an unsurprising answer.)
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Didn't really have a stand-out favourite but here is what I watched:
The Fall S1-2
Arrow S1-3
The Walking Dead S1-3
Bones Season 11
The 100 Season 2
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Orphan Black Season 2 & 3
Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD Season 3
Orange is the New Black Season 3
A few episodes of Star Trek: TOS and Person of Interest
Jessica Jones
Supergirl
The one that has made me most squeeful is probably Supergirl because I suddenly began shipping Supergirl/Cat Grant in the past week and it's irrationally making me really happy. Before that I was shipping Clexa but I'm glad I have Supergirl to hide behind because Season 3 will probably kill Lexa dead. *sobs*
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope.
24. What was the best book you read?
Hands down "A Tale for the Time Being" by Ruth Ozeki.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery of 2014?
I didn't really discover any new music.
26. What did you want and get?
Certain lifetime aspirations (Xena Con and Watching Gro Play Handball and Selfie With Jeanette Winterson).
27. What did you want and not get?
A partner to share my life with.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
It's a tough choice this year because there have been a couple of good ones. Out of the ones I saw in the cinema, it's a tie between "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". I saw "Pitch Perfect (2012)" for the first time early in the year and really loved that too. And I also watched "Girl Trash: All Night Long" with Ingrid and promptly declared it the greatest lesbian film of all time (apart from maybe D.E.B.S.) so that's gotta make the list too.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I went for scones with Jeanette, Rah and Miriam. I took a break from doing VCAA marking and worked a bit on my NaNoWriMo novel. I turned 29.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Finding a love that was requited. And getting a kiss from Alex Tydings. (Hey, a girl can dream.) But the year was pretty damn satisfying as it was so I can't complain too much.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
Gym clothes and more skirts than usual.
32. What kept you sane?
Talking to my friends. Stories and dreams. Having a routine. Going to the gym. Writing.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Alexandra Tydings! I had such a massive crush on her after Xena Con. I am currently also crushing on Supergirl. Not the actress, just the fictional superhero.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The government's treatment of refugees. The treatment and portrayal of Muslims after the Paris attacks. Continued idiocy over guns in the USA.
On a more positive note, I was stirred in a good way when gay marriage was legalised in the States.
35. Who did you miss?
So many people past and present.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Lol. Emily. Even if it was only for 5 days. Even if I don't even know her last name. Goddamnit.
But also worthy of mention: Naomi, Lucy Mackay-Sim and my new Xena Con friends.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015:
This world is not fixed. I have the power to change my life. It's never too late. The future is boundless.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire / 'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar"
39. What was your favourite moment of the year?
There are too many because it was a really good year. Here are some golden moments:
- The feeling of pure elation when Larvik came spilling out onto the playing field, their numbers and names called one by one, the anticipation building until they got to number 10 and finally I got to see Gro running out, waving and smiling. And then every time Gro scored.
- Seeing the first Xena cosplayers after pebblin and I arrived at the Marriott for the Xena Con and I had this sudden feeling of "omg, I found my peoples"
- Dancing at the Xena con after party with pebblin, Kate and Katrina. Especially when Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" came on and all the gay boys and lesbians were dancing their little homosexual hearts out.
- Eating the most delicious Moroccan meal (with the best chicken tagine I've ever tasted) after climbing a mountain for four hours in the company of good friends
- Seeing Ingrid and Karine again / eating brioche and a salad in their kitchen on a Friday night after a couple of long train journeys but also not really believing that they were only two train journeys away from London
- Some really, really good chats with friends that left me laughing so hard I had to gasp for breath
- Ruth's Eurovision party where there was really good food and company and not-so-good music and Australia came fifth
- Reclining on an outdoor couch at Xin's post-wedding BBQ in Mallorca under blue skies and realising how damn lucky I am to be living this life
- Walking to the gym one morning in London on the route I'd taken a hundred times before, and a girl who was opening the cafe smiled at me
- Biting into a warm Pasteis de Belem on a street in Belem, Portugal
- Dancing with Alice and Jing Hua in a gay club in Barcelona on a raised stage (which is sooo not something I would normally do but I was feeling brave) and then other people jumped up to join us, and THEN 'Euphoria' (that Eurovision song) came on and I was like "omg I'm dancing in a gay club in Europe with my friends and this is awesome".
- Hiking up a hill in Skye with Emily in terrible weather, and because we were the fastest and kind of absorbed in our conversation with each other, we accidentally (or deliberately?) left everyone else behind and for a moment it was just the two of us in the sudden quiet solace of an Iron Age fort, sheltered from the rushing wind and side-ways rain.
- When Emily half-read, half-recited a Rabbie Burns poem at my request on the way back to Edinburgh in rush-hour traffic and she was like "omg Lilian are you trying to kill me?" but she did it anyway and it was the best ever
40. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
Saying goodbye. Various forms of this.
41. Where were you when 2015 began?
I was in Rådhuspladsen in Copenhagen, watching the fireworks.
42. Who were you with?
No one.
43. Where will you be when 2015 ends?
It has already ended and I was in Australia, at Jackie's house.
44. Who will you be with when 2015 ends?
With Jackie, the baest of baes.
45. Did you break up with anyone in 2015?
Nope.
46. Did you make any new friends in 2015?
Yes, much more than normal because I was Out And About. I will categorise my lists of new people:
Xena Con: Katrina, Kate, Emily, Heather and Stephanie
YHS: Naomi
Xin's wedding/birthday/life: Ryan, Hayley Jones
Geek Girls United: Priscilla, Carly, Berna and Lucy (and Lucy's boyfriend, Jack)
47. What was your favourite month of 2015?
February. Though July was pretty awesome too.
48. What was your least favorite month of 2014?
Probably September, my first month back in Australia. It was good to be back, but at the same time it was hard adjusting again to the different pace of life here and losing some of my independence after moving back home. Plus there was a lot of job hunting, which always sucks.
49. Was 2015 a good year for you?
Hell yes.
50. Post one picture that accurately represents this year.
Out adventuring, alone but happy:
