end of year meme

[amoama]

1.What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?
Fly the plane, Maddie! – I flew a small Piper plane. Got a tattoo.

2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions from 2014, and will you make more for next year?
Yes, I think I did. 2014 was the “year of change” and I definitely managed to change a lot of things in my life this year. I think for 2015 I’d like to try to live more in the moment.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No but I’m due to be an Aunty for the first time in March 2015. :D

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Sadly yes, two wonderful friends and inspirations, Carrie and Helen.

5. What countries did you visit?
The USA & Canada. I LOVED Brooklyn and had so much fun in Ottawa and Toronto.

6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
A driver’s license.

7. What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
28th August – my last day at work

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Perhaps handing in my notice – that was a heartbreaker.

9. What was your biggest failure?
My biggest regret is not getting to say goodbye to Helen in person at the end.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
This is the year I took the decision to make changes to prevent getting lost in work stress and I’m doing way, way better than this time last year. :D :D

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Oh, travel tickets, as always.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Lil had a rough time this year and made some tough decisions altering the course of her life and I was massively inspired by her love and selflessness. She rocks!
Many of my colleagues who banded together and kept working in the face of adversity coming from many sides.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The directors who took over at my work. They made some awful decisions this year, trusted the wrong people, bullied staff and refused to listen to reason. They were bull-headed hypocrites and it sucked to work for them and watch them drive loyal staff into resigning.

14. Where did most of your money go?
If I say “cultural activities”, you know I mean amazon, right?

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
People really noticed how bouncy I was before the Canada trip; Night Vale with spaghettitoes; and the flying – that was super exciting; and now studying – I’m actually pretty hyped about that too.

16. What song will always remind you of 2014?
Oscar Peterson, Hymn to Freedom – it was one of Helen’s favourites and I used to put it on for her when I left after visiting her in the nursing home and watch her face light up in bliss. I have it as my alarm at the moment so I wake up to it.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, despite grief overwhelming me sometimes, I am so much more positive deep down
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner possibly
iii. richer or poorer? Hahaha way way poorer as a student now.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Smiled at people. Hugged friends. Baked.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Could have been less over-sensitive.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Baking! With family. <3

22. Did you fall in love in 2014?
No

23. How many one-night stands?
None

24. What was your favourite TV program?
Friday Night Lights & The Good Wife

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, in fact I’ve left a lot of the hate from last year behind and I feel so much better.

26. What was the best book you read?
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel, Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, Return to Night by Mary Renault, and The Marlowe Papers by Ros Barber. Don’t make me choose between them!

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Over the Rhine. Also I joined a choir and really loved singing Vaughan Williiams.

28. What did you want and get?
To visit lilithilien and notoriouslyuniq! To meet riverlight! A tattoo! To fly! To quit my job! Fool’s Assassin! dira’s completed Wolfbrother verse! More Bryan/Kocher fic for yagkyas!

29. What did you want and not get?
Student finance! That 3rd Companion to Wolves book – lol, I need my Wolf-bonding porn asap!

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Pride.

31. What did you do on your birthday?
Went for Flaming Baked Alaska at GIANT ROBOT – it was divine. Also amyriadfthings and 4nn4br came to stay soon after and we saw Billy Elliot the Musical followed by Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake in one day (with Mel joining us for the 2nd) and it was a real highlight of my year, I had so much fun! And I was thrilled to sit next to Inga in the theatre when she finally saw that amazing ballet live!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My colleague not being disciplined unreasonably.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
Getting smarter.

34. What kept you sane?
Hahahaha.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Matthew Goode or Anna Maxwell Martin.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gaza.

37. Who did you miss?
Solav, Eskimos, Palestinian buddies. A few other friends I didn’t get to see much of for one reason or another. A great number of my former clients, and Helen and Carrie. London.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I’ve met some amazing women on my law course who give me hope for the lawyers of the future.
And I was so, so, delighted to meet riverlight who let me crash at her place and indulgently ran round NY with me for a couple of days. And took me for the most heavenly mouthwatering tapas in the world. For those of you who don’t know already, she is an all-round awesome person.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
It’s a great life if you don’t weaken. – that’s a mum saying. I don't really hold by it as a truth but it still kinda works for me.
Take seriously the business of living – that’s from Carrie.
Always be a witness – that’s Helen.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
“Call it your day #1 in the rest of forever.” Vienna Teng