End of 2012 meme aka GOODBYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE
From many people, most recently et_tu_lj
1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Became (temporarily) an official resident of a foreign country... and took an international cruise (Finland --> Estonia).
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I consider New Years' resolutions way too cliche to be worthwhile... temporary fake goals to give up by the 10th of the month.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
no
4. Did anyone close to you die?
no
5. What countries did you visit?
Finland, Estonia, Italy, Germany (airport + hotel), England (airport only), Netherlands (airport only)
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
A clear career path, IRL friends nearby, a significant other (the latter 2 are really hard to get when you don't have a fixed address)
7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 31, the day I moved out of Finland with all my main objectives from there unaccomplished.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Passing the Level 2 Finnish exam within 3 months of arrival... just below the level I'd need if I ever wanted residency.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Everything pertaining to my career trajectory as a research mathematician: I was expecting things to come to a head eventually but I thought I had at least one more year as a postdoc and at least one more major result inside me before then.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just my usual ulcerative colitis with a few minor flares (and one bad one RIGHT when I was taking that Finnish exam)
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Probably a Horace Slughorn wand last month...
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Anyone who has stuck with me throughout the year
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I'm tempted to say 'my own' for that one
14. Where did most of your money go?
rent, as usual (plus shopping/groceries/food and medication) though for this year my bank balance actually consistently INCREASED throughout most of the year...
Mortgage, and eating out.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
moving to Finland at the beginning of the year
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
'Call me maybe' is every bit as obnoxious as the year was
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?
Equally 'happy' (at the same type of crossroads as before, though with different options), slightly thinner, richer in terms of net worth but poorer in terms of income
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
relaxed, actually met/made friends
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
any type of serious investment in any type of dead ends
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Ice skating, Bellagio sandwich, watched Lincoln, disappointing Chinese food.
21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
no
(22 is missing)
23. How many one-night stands?
0
24. What was your favourite TV program?
I'll say the Finnish weather forecasts while I was in Finland - and South Park while in the US
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
no
26. What was the best book you read?
I'll cheat and say the Tatu ja Papu series
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Finnish organ music
28. What did you want and get?
A shot at a path out
29. What did you want and not get?
Success, a clear-cut job (in particular, one great postdoc in Italy early on... or a great actuarial position, say), close RL friends, a significant other
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
none that I watched really rate as favorites
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
arrived back in Helsinki from an unsuccessful work trip to Italy at 3ish AM (and picked up my successful Finnish test results), slept, relaxed, worked out, got nice steak to eat, had French toast dessert out and a fancy drink at night... and I was 28
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
having actually gotten a top-tier actuarial job upon leaving Finland
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Finnish 'chic' including NOMO jeans that actually fit me
34. What kept you sane?
learning Finnish, delicious food and booze (esp discovering Bourbon County Stout)
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Not into the whole celeb crush scene... but I'll say Pippa Middleton
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
fear of falling into the 47%
37. Who did you miss?
everyone I knew from before :-(
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I'll say Hans-Olav (from Finland)... for his knowledge of my taste in beers even when it was different from his own
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
Sometimes, you just have to pull the trigger and BAIL - regardless of if there is a safe landing pit!
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'll quote the silence from John Cage's 4'33" as " "... this seems like the amount of feedback I got on the year :-P
1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Became (temporarily) an official resident of a foreign country... and took an international cruise (Finland --> Estonia).
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I consider New Years' resolutions way too cliche to be worthwhile... temporary fake goals to give up by the 10th of the month.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
no
4. Did anyone close to you die?
no
5. What countries did you visit?
Finland, Estonia, Italy, Germany (airport + hotel), England (airport only), Netherlands (airport only)
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
A clear career path, IRL friends nearby, a significant other (the latter 2 are really hard to get when you don't have a fixed address)
7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 31, the day I moved out of Finland with all my main objectives from there unaccomplished.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Passing the Level 2 Finnish exam within 3 months of arrival... just below the level I'd need if I ever wanted residency.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Everything pertaining to my career trajectory as a research mathematician: I was expecting things to come to a head eventually but I thought I had at least one more year as a postdoc and at least one more major result inside me before then.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just my usual ulcerative colitis with a few minor flares (and one bad one RIGHT when I was taking that Finnish exam)
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Probably a Horace Slughorn wand last month...
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Anyone who has stuck with me throughout the year
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I'm tempted to say 'my own' for that one
14. Where did most of your money go?
rent, as usual (plus shopping/groceries/food and medication) though for this year my bank balance actually consistently INCREASED throughout most of the year...
Mortgage, and eating out.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
moving to Finland at the beginning of the year
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
'Call me maybe' is every bit as obnoxious as the year was
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?
Equally 'happy' (at the same type of crossroads as before, though with different options), slightly thinner, richer in terms of net worth but poorer in terms of income
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
relaxed, actually met/made friends
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
any type of serious investment in any type of dead ends
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Ice skating, Bellagio sandwich, watched Lincoln, disappointing Chinese food.
21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
no
(22 is missing)
23. How many one-night stands?
0
24. What was your favourite TV program?
I'll say the Finnish weather forecasts while I was in Finland - and South Park while in the US
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
no
26. What was the best book you read?
I'll cheat and say the Tatu ja Papu series
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Finnish organ music
28. What did you want and get?
A shot at a path out
29. What did you want and not get?
Success, a clear-cut job (in particular, one great postdoc in Italy early on... or a great actuarial position, say), close RL friends, a significant other
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
none that I watched really rate as favorites
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
arrived back in Helsinki from an unsuccessful work trip to Italy at 3ish AM (and picked up my successful Finnish test results), slept, relaxed, worked out, got nice steak to eat, had French toast dessert out and a fancy drink at night... and I was 28
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
having actually gotten a top-tier actuarial job upon leaving Finland
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Finnish 'chic' including NOMO jeans that actually fit me
34. What kept you sane?
learning Finnish, delicious food and booze (esp discovering Bourbon County Stout)
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Not into the whole celeb crush scene... but I'll say Pippa Middleton
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
fear of falling into the 47%
37. Who did you miss?
everyone I knew from before :-(
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I'll say Hans-Olav (from Finland)... for his knowledge of my taste in beers even when it was different from his own
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
Sometimes, you just have to pull the trigger and BAIL - regardless of if there is a safe landing pit!
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'll quote the silence from John Cage's 4'33" as " "... this seems like the amount of feedback I got on the year :-P