lishesquex | 2013 Year In Review Survey

1. What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
There were quite a few new things I did this year. Here they are in no particular order:
- I became an assessor for English Language (for VCAA) for the first time
- I did some private tutoring
- I cycled 40km+, which I've never done before
- I briefly had abs, which I've never had before
- I drank myself into unconsciousness at one point, which I haven't done before and don't plan on doing again
- I went to NZ and visited Hobbiton amongst other places, and met Lucy Lawless after seeing Chicago
- I took students on exchange to China

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?
Resolutions from 2013:
~~#1 Be bold. Good things happen when you do.~~ (Yes, though going by this philosophy resulted in rather a lot of heartache.)
~~#2 Keep practising guitar regularly. Especially the boring stuff you avoid like the 1 minute chord changes because that's what actually helps you get better. Master the F chord.~~ (I was really good at doing this at the start of the year but it got put by the wayside when I got busy. I did get a lot better at the F chord though.)
~~#3 Level self up physically (by continuing to do daily jogs or situps) and mentally (by reading at least 30 new books in 2013).~~ (Done. Though I've been slack on the jogging.)

New resolutions for 2014:
#1 Stay happy, busy and focused after I quit working full time. Do not slide into emo uselessness.
#2 Move overseas for at least a year. No chickening out!
#3 Stay active and fit.
#4 Learn and become familiar with at least 10 family recipes before moving overseas.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
China and New Zealand.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
A relationship.

7. What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Meh, I still remember certain McKinley-related dates because I have a very good memory when it comes to dates (the calendar kind, though I guess the romantic kind also applies in this instance, not the fruit kind though).
Also: November 10th - I met Lucy Lawless.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- One of my students getting 50 for English Language.
- Feeling good about myself and not allowing negative things to keep me down for long.
- Getting super fit.
- Getting published again, twice.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I can't think of any failures.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing apart from the usual flu/cold things.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Tickets to see Chicago. And the iPad I bought for mum.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
junet_ for being a great bike riding buddy - we had some good chats/rides this year.
Also my friends Jackie and Miriam who I think I got to see fairly regularly this year which was really nice.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Nobody made me appalled and depressed. Well, no. On second thought, McKinley's behaviour did make me depressed for quite a few months, but I feel like it's unfair to attribute it to her since a large part of it is just me having too many feelings as usual.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Savings/the apartment.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Meeting Lucy Lawless.
Dates with McKinley before it all went pear-shaped.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2013?
In rough chronological order:

Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling in Love
Neil Young - Heart of Gold
The entire Tegan and Sara 'Heartthrob' album
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
Emmelie de Forest - Only Teardrops (winning Eurovision song by Denmark)
Eythor Ingi Gunnlaugsson - Ég á Líf (Iceland)
Margaret Berger - I Feed You My Love (Norway)
Jason Mraz - Living in the Moment
Passenger - Let Her Go
Håkan Hellström - Det kommer aldrig va över för mig
Nelly Furtado - All Good Things Come To An End
The Mamas and the Papas - California Dreamin'
The Bravery - I Am Your Skin
Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida - Troublemaker
Young Beautiful In A Hurry - Flirting With Disaster
The Doors - Love Her Madly
First Aid Kit - Emmylou
First Aid Kit - This Old Routine
Patty Griffin - Long Ride Home
Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball (because it's EVERYWHERE)
James Blunt - Bonfire Heart

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter because this time last year I was RIPPED
iii. richer or poorer? Richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Practising the difficult chords changes on guitar rather than just playing the songs I knew/liked. I would be a much better player by now if I had stuck to my original practice regimen. <-- still this

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Nothing. Everything had their time and place, even the large swathes of time spent being sad, because even they resulted in some pretty good poems. <-- this also still applies

20. How will you be spending New Year's?
I stayed home, did a bit of drawing, practiced guitar, played SingStar with Rianna, read on the couch with Kitteh. Best of all, I spent all day in my PJs.

21. Did you fall in love in 2013?
Yes.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
My favourite was probably Lost Girl for the valkubus storyline, but that was fairly short-lived.
Some new shows that I enjoyed:
- Bomb Girls
- Orange is the New Black
- Orphan Black
- Defiance
- The Tudors (watched the entire series)
- Vikings

I also continued watching Bones, HIMYM, Game of Thrones, and Spartacus: War of the Damned.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope, there is no one I hate.

24. What was the best book you read?
The first one that comes to mind is "Fire Logic" by Laurie J. Marks which was the one book I took with me on exchange to China. I absolutely devoured it, not only because it was a good book, but because it helped remind me of who I am (someone who loves reading fantasy novels with lesbian characters, basically).

I also really enjoyed "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller. And "Cloud Atlas" turned out to be very memorable.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery of 2012?
First Aid Kit, a Swedish folk duo.

26. What did you want and get?
Great results for my students.

27. What did you want and not get?
Love returned.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Thor: The Dark World

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I went to work, which was basically Ancient Civilisations Day. I turned 27.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I guess the whole McKinley thing could have turned out better.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
I have no fashion concepts. T-shirt and comfortable pants usually when I'm not at work.

32. What kept you sane?
Poetry, playing guitar, books/fanfiction and friends. And Kitteh, of course.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I had a resurgence of adoration for Lucy Lawless after meeting her. Other than that, I haven't had any huge celebrity crushes this year. Rachel Skarsten is adorable as Tamsin though.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Tony Abbott.

35. Who did you miss?
Friends who are far away.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I don't think I met anyone new. I mostly caught up with existing friends.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:
I have the skills to be anything I want to be.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"I'm not their hero
But that doesn't mean that I wasn't brave"

39. What was your favourite moment of the year?
A certain sunny January afternoon sitting on a bar stool at the Tote waiting for McKinley to buy a drink. And then she came back with two drinks in her hands and her wallet in her mouth because she had no hands. We sat across from each other and listened to Neil Young being played over the speakers. I don't know. It shouldn't be my favourite moment of the year but it was. Everything just felt so full of promise at the time.

40. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
Hah. Receiving that text.

41. Where were you when 2013 began?
I'm pretty sure I was at home.

42. Who were you with? My family.

43. Where will you be when 2013 ends? It's already ended, and I was at home.

44. Who will you be with when 2014 ends? I have no idea! I imagine that, if I keep to my resolution, I will be living in Europe somewhere. Hopefully I will be with friends, either old or new. Or perhaps a hot new European girlfriend. I'm not picky. ;-)

45. Did you break up with anyone in 2013? No.

46. Did you make any new friends in 2013? Not really.

47. What was your favourite month of 2013? February/December.

48. What was your least favorite month of 2013? March.

49. Was 2013 a good year for you? Yes.

50. Post one picture that accurately represents this year.

I think this photo manages to capture my "BE BOLD/GET SUPER FIT/NOT GONNA LET THE WORLD HOLD ME DOWN" mentality of this year. Plus I did ride my bike a lot.