since I haven't posted in over 6 months, have a meme to catch up on the year.
What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
-I started working out really consistently, 4-5 days of cardio a week and weights the days in between
-I started taking less shit from people and letting people make me feel guilty
-I started eating a lot healthier
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
-I did, finally I started to lose weight at a noticeable rate
-I didn't do much better at the dating thing though, so I guess I'm 1 for 2
Did someone close to you give birth?
-my friend MaryAnn just today actually. And my friends Heather and Rozi each had their babies in the beginning of Spring. They all give me baby fever for a few minutes at a time
Did anyone close to you die?
-Thankfully no
What countries did you visit?
-Germany! I went back to Germany for the first time in almost 12 years and it was magic and perfect and the best trip of my life. I got to spend time with my cousins that I thought wouldn't even know me but we instantly bonded and my mum and I treked all over Southern Germany and tried to eat all the Berliners and drink all the beer
What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
-A boyfriend, someone to share stories with at the end of the day and lay in bed and laugh with.
What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
-February 7: my mum and I left for Germany
-February 9: Karnival in Germany, I got to hang out with my cousins and kissed a cute German dressed as a giraffe
-May 11: my magic day in NYC with my bffl Megs, we walked around Manhattan from 8am till 2am having all my favorite foods, saying hi to all my favorite little shops, and finally going to see Aaron Tveit do his cabaret show at 54 Below and it was perfect. He's perfect. My city is perfect. Megs is perfect. It was the most perfect birthday weekend.
-July 8: The day I started tracking what I ate and started working out
-October 18-21: Humboldt Reunion Weekend with my two best friends/college roomates. We went back to our college town and just hung out, hiked, went to beaches, visited our bars, got hoodies at the bookstore, and just spent 3 days on a girls weekend back home.
-December 16: The Hives at The Filmore in SF, Leila and I started the day the night before, making a black and white American flag for the show, then the day of having mimosas and korean bbq and chatting with the Almqvist brothers and finally getting in and getting barrier and getting one of my favorite songs I hadn't heard in years and chatting them all up after the show.
What was your favorite meal of 2013?
-pretty much all my meals in Germany, but the one that really stands out is in a restaurant who's name I don't even know. It was a tiny town in the Bavarian Alps where we had spent all afternoon hiking, and then we had the most delicious food I've ever had in my life, with our family friends (the son who I'm a little smitten over) and sat in that 6 table restaraunt for almost 4 hours laughing and having wine and beer and my very favorite German food
-truffle mac and cheese and wine at 54 Below while we watched Steve Kazee before Aaron Tveit's show. There was a few seats left for Steve's show so we went in (and it was totally worth it, he was fantastic) but it also meant we got in to Aaron's show early as well without waiting as long in line, and the truffle mac and cheese was divine.
-Arcata Pizza and Deli in Humboldt with Miss Jen and Caboose, there isn't much in the world that I miss more than APD.
What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
-Losing 50 pounds is a really huge deal for me and it's been a lot of work and I'm so proud of myself.
What was your biggest failure(s)?
-my complete continued fail at dating. Especially now that more guys are showing interest and I sitll have the same hang ups as I did 6 months ago.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
-not this year, which is a relief because I still don't have insurance
What was the best thing you bought?
-plane tickets. plane tickets to Germany, plane tickets to NYC (super stupid cheap), and plane tickets for my upcoming trip to Belize
-a food scale, it's really helped me stay on track with losing weight
-my super unnecessary shoes I bought in a little German town, I can barely wear them they are so high but damn I love them
Where did most of your money go?
-Germany and honestly most of it has gone towards saving for Belize
-Humboldt took a bunch of my money too
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
-Germany, but not because of the traveling but because I got to hang out with my 19 and 22 year old cousin that I haven't seen since they were 7 and 10 and I was convinced they wouldn't remember me but they did and they were so excited to hang out with me, they took me out a bunch of times to bars and shopping trips and it was so much more then I expected
-NYC and Megs and the broadway love of my life Aaron Tveit
-Humboldt weekend. Humboldt is like a time warp, everything in that town is almost exactly the same as when I left 8 years ago
-Oktoberfest. My mum bought me a dirndl in Germany, but it was a bit too small, by the time Oktoberfest came around I had to get it altered because it was a bit too big. But the night itself was hysterical and all a blur. There was so much good beer and good food and dancing with this cute guy named Roger (and he spun me and twirled me it was like a little fairytale) and it was just me, Brian, and Caboose and we just had so much fun the three of us.
What songs will always remind you of 2013?:
-the entire Aaron Tveit Live at 54 Below album
-the Cup Song from Pitch Perfect
Share a moment you had with a friend you didn't even know in 2012.
-my friend Brendon and I keep having a lot of moments lately, whether it's a night of Cards Against Humanity and falling all over each other laughing, or texting at nights to try and make plans that don't quite follow through, he's a total sweetheart.
Describe a mundane moment that meant a lot to you.
-just last weekend actually, I was over at Caboose's lying in her bed and watching movie with her. Brian got home from work and laid in bed with us as well and the three of us stayed in their bed all afternoon talking and laughing and eventually watching movies. People are always surprised by how close the three of us are, but I'm so lucky, my best friend married my best friend.
Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder? happier, so much
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner, by 50 pounds
iii. richer or poorer? richer for now, but in February all that money is going to be spent in Belize
What do you wish you'd done more of?
-loved, in both the emotional and physical way
What do you wish you'd done less of?
-stressed about my stupid job that keeps fucking me over
What are you most looking forward to in 2014?
-Belize in February
Did you fall in love in 2013?
-no, but I didn't get over the guys I fell for in previous years either.
How many one-night stands?
-sadly none, but I could've had a few, which I rarely say
What was your greatest musical discovery?
-Aaron Tveit, I already had him on my radar because I saw him in Next to Normal but this was the year I fell for him and his cover songs
What did you want and get?
-an Aaron Tveit show/NYC walking day with Megs
What did you want and not get?
-a boyfriend or at least dating someone
Favorite films of this year?
-The World's End
-Pitch Perfect
-Catching Fire
-Silver Linings Playbook
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
-I was 32 and I went to NYC for my birthday weekend to see Megs and go see Aaron Tveit and get my favorite bagel and my favorite slice of cake
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
-sharing it with a boyfriend
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
-quirky but a bit more grown up then other years
What kept you sane?
-music, friends, zumba (as lame as that sounds)
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
-Aaron Tveit
-George Blagden
-Anton Zetterholm
-Pelle Almqvist
-Mark Ruffalo
What political issue stirred you the most?
-rights and equality
Who do you miss?
-Megs, Court, Dave
Who was the best new person you met?
-Brendon, even though we met in passing last year this was the year we became solid friends
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:
-you can't control how people are going to act, you can only try to control the way you react
-you're the only one that can make changes to yourself
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
So this is what you meant
When you said that you were spent
And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit
Right to the top
Don't hold back
Packing my bags and giving the academy a rain-check
I don't ever wanna let you down
I don't ever wanna leave this town
'Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night
It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am
-Imagine Dragons still own real estate on my heart.
Favorite pictures of 2013
My favorite picture I took in Germany. It reminds me of The Tree of Gondor. This was was Hohenzollern, a gorgeous castle on top of a peak in the mountains.
Me and my cousins, Jessica and Christian at Karnival on my 2nd night in Germany. We were all so delighted to spend the evening drinking and dancing together.
Megs and I, all dressed up for Aaron Tveit's show. After walking the streets of NYC for almost 12 hours and getting caught in a rainstorm we ended up getting ready in the Starbucks bathroom, so really just like old times. <3
Ohhhh you went to Hummmmmmmboldt.
Humboldt State's sad little football team had proper cheerleaders and everything!
The Greatest Hits of Oktoberfest
Caboose and I spent the day hiking in Quarry Hill, a Japanese Botanical Garden in Napa
I took my dad to one of the last 49er games at Candlestick for his Christmas present. It also happened to be Fan Appreciation day so they gave us these scarves.
Howlin Pelle Almqvist
His brother, Nicholaus Arson
And their painfully handsome drummer Chris Dangerous
The United States of The Hives. They loved our flag, and Pelle also loved my black and white ugly holiday sweater, he thought it was perfect for the show and the fringe was a perfect match for their Mariachi suits.
Me and Brendon on a random Cards Against Humanity night