2012 review and 2013 goals

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?: I practiced nudism. Not much but...I also renewed a year at my job.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?: Some, and I always have goals for the new year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?: Barb. And a few others from high school

4. Did anyone close to you die?: No, but the deaths of celebs John Ingle and Kathyrn Joosten affected me.

5. What countries did you visit?: I live in Spain, so it doesn't count. Andorra, Italy, United States.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?: A boyfriend. Don't I say this every year?

7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?: Nov 21, Body Combat with Dan Cohen!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?: Getting renewed at my job at the third best school in the entire Comunidad de Madrid, and all my travels.

9. What was your biggest failure?: Roommates, boys, friendships, social life...

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Faringitis in February.

11. What was the best thing you bought?: A trip to Greece next year :P Concert tickets to Lady Gaga

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Lady Gaga!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?: Partido Popular, Republicans

14. Where did most of your money go?: Travel

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?: Travel, Lady Gaga concert, cute Spanish Boys, Body Combat, Catalán.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?: "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen (a Canadian) and Jennifer by Els Catarrers.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Sadder I think
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner
iii. richer or poorer? About the same

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?: Writing

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Procrastinating, being afraid to be who I am

20. How will you be spending Christmas?: I spent Christmas Eve on planes, then Christmas with my mom opening 3,5 years of presents and seeing Les Misèrables.

21. How will you be spending New Years? Eating grapes at 6 PM Eastern Standard Time and packing.

22. Did you fall in love in 2012?: Nope :(

23. How many one-night stands?: A few

24. What was your favorite TV program?: True Blood, 30 Rock, Veep, Community

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?: No.

26. What was the best book you read?: Quijote in Spanish :P The Count of Monte Cristo and The Stand by Stephen King. I have a few new Spanish writers I like.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?: Els Catarrers

28. What did you want and get?: Buffy the Complete Series.

29. What did you want and not get?: A boyfriend. Do you see a trend?

30. What was your favorite film of this year?: Les Misèrables and Tengo ganas de ti

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?: 31, worked and then went to the gym and then VIPS

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?: a boyfriend and a permanent job.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?: Pijo casual

34. What kept you sane?: Jordi, my iPod

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?: David Villa, Cesc Fàbregas, Mario Casas

36. What political issue stirred you the most?: LA PUTA CRISIS DE MIERDA. RECORTES.

37. Who did you miss?: I don't think I miss anyone anymore.

38. Who was the best new person you met?: Umm hmmm I didn't meet anyone that stuck around outside of work who I already knew so let's go with Elena from work from 2011.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012: You will regret not doing something more than doing something.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: Here's my number, call me maybe. Oh wait, your straight.



2012.

A year of travel. Barcelona four times, Sevilla, hiking, hiking, hiking, Cáceres and Mérida, País vasco Spanish and French, València, Alicante, Murcia, Jerez (those last two for work), a week in La Alberca with Pueblo Inglés, Zaragoza, Asturias, Italia....

Body Combat, gym and catalán dominated my other extra-curricular activities.

I wrote 58.000 odd words in my second novel (as my third became my second).

Boys...I had a few dates that went nowhere, trouble making friends and finding a place to fit in.

Work...going great. It's incredibly stressful, and I complain a lot, but at the end of the day I enjoy my job. Teaching is one of the most frustrating-yet-rewarding professions, and unless you're a teacher, you're not going to see the second part. You're just going to hear our complaints because there is a lot to vent about. But when you see the fact that students are actually learning...it's a feeling you cannot describe.

What goals did I accomplish in 2012?

I changed my diet to more healthy (it could use some improvement). I gave up soda/pop/cola/refrescos/fizzy drinks, I kept up at the gym, and I am a steady 68 kg/150 pounds (145 at the moment even with the change to American diet for a week).

I read Don Quijote in Spanish, and quite a few other books.

I read the Bible every day, or I should say SKIM heh.

I went hiking more but not as much as I would have liked.

I spent a bit more time watching films, but I am nothing like I used to be.

I went to Italia. Greece, Morrocco and Ireland lacked me.

With that said...what goals do I have for 2013?

1. Find a "trabajo estable" in Spain. I want stability in my life, and 2013-2014 could very well be my last school year in Spain if I cannot find the stability I am craving. The stability includes my own place and building a life somewhere...eventually with someone.

2. Finish novel 2 (that was 3), edit 1 and 2 and send them off to be published, and do the research and groundwork for novel three. Don't forget that Esperanza Aguirre will be a brothel owner (think Mme. Thenandier in Les Misèrables) and Paco Camps sells suits on the black market *giggle*

3. Come out to my mom. I know I should have done it this visit, but things just didn't feel right and I don't feel mentally prepared to do it. I am looking at sending a letter in March before Greece.

4. Reduce anxiety and depression, fully beat social anxiety. This may involve a lot of hard pscyhological work. I am skipping catalán once or twice a month to go to a gay group therapy that should help a lot.

5. Figure out where I want to go to grad school (U of Valencia, UA of Barcelona, U of Barcelona, etc) and a financial plan to make that happen.

6. Read a book in Catalán. Read at least one classic a month in either English or Spanish (If you have recommendations, please advise me).

7. Clean out, sort and have my iTunes back up to date. This is an ongoing process.

8. Get my B1 certificate in catalán and perhaps valenciano too, since they are not interchangable in Comunitat Valenciana. Take the DELE and have my degree homologized.

9. Try new classes at the gym. Body Balance, Fisico Total, I'm looking at you. Continue with Body Combat. Stick to the schedule Monday Combat, Tuesday off, Wednesday weights, Thursday Balance (if the monitor is good, if not free day to explore Madrid), Friday weights, Saturday hiking or a class, and Sunday weights.

10. With #3, a life free of lies and a meaningful relationship. I am still looking for someone. This means nothing more than a kiss until after the third date. This is incredibly hard.

11. As I say every year, try SNOWBOARDING.

12. Give up Starbucks. No more after 6 Jan. Madrid has many wonderful cafés where I can go to write. Why do I always settle for Starbucks?

13. Write an hour a day, and limit myself to Facebook, Twitter and SZ to an hour a day.

14. Make it to the 12 provinces that lack me (me falta :P) and either Morroco or Ireland.

15. Develop a social circle and speak as much Spanish as possible.

16. Camino de Santiago. At least start it.

17. Get back into music and films like I used to be.