Twenty thirteen has almost dragged itself across the finish line. Previously, I've marked the passing of another year with a report card.
This time around, however, I lack both the energy and the time to do so. This year has been absolutely knackering and although there have been more good days than bad, it's time to throw a cloth over 2013 and move on. So instead of the usual in-depth post mortem, this year you shall have the once over lightly version.
Things I loved:
- Winning the Cathay Pacific NZ Travel Writer of the Year Competition
- Media trips to Seoul and Singapore
- A visit to the parentals in Oz
- Two crazy awesome day contracts
- Lots of interesting commissions to write the shizzle out of
- One giant leap forward for financial freedom; two more years and we should be able to get the hell out of Dodge
- My fire-engine red Kitchen Aid
- A new book reviewing gig and three new magazines to write for
- Red wine
- Running; it may be a bit optimistic to put this in the 'love' category but it keeps me sane and helps with the lard-arse management
- New friends, old friends and my two favourite boys.
Things I didn't love so much:
- One contract that made me want to chop off my head
- Work that didn't make my soul sing
- Bitchy, arsey editors who treat freelancers like something stuck to the bottom of their shoe (I'm convinced there is a special place in hell for these women)
- The winter, which seemed to go on for 873 days
- Shitty, inconsiderate neighbours and their shittier stereos. When I am Mayor, sub-woofers are the first thing I will outlaw.
Movies I laughed and cried at, and then watched over:
- Moonrise Kingdom
- The Kings of Summer
- Flight
- Gravity
- Paranorman
- The Butler.
Books I adored (of the 30 I managed to read this year):
- The Lowland by Jumpa Lahiri
- The Newlyweds by Nell Fruendberger
- American Wife by Curtis Stittenfeld
- The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano
- Drown by Junot Diaz
- A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon.
Unmissable tee-vee:
- Breaking Bad (you are sorely missed)
- Orange is the New Black
- Orphan Black
- Homeland
- Suits
- Scandal
- The Killing (the Danish one, not the American version)
- The Newsroom
- Top of the Lake
- House of Cards.
The soundtrack to my year:
- City and Colour
- Bon Iver
- Lana Del Ray
- Lorde.
What 2014 has in store:
- A media trip to Hong Kong and Europe in Feb/March
- A visit to Mum and Dad's new house in May
- More interesting contracts and freelance work (she says, crossing everything on her person that it shall be so)
- The ability to say 'No' - to things that don't interest me/that eat away at my soul/that feel icky - and mean it
- More doggy meet ups
- Rediscovering my love of running via the running group
- Learning to finally make my peace with GST, ACC and all the other bullshit that goes with being self-employed
- Another rental property/lifestyle property/investment of some sort
- Letting go of the crap that doesn't matter and embracing that which does.
Happy New Year y'all. Hope 2014 is everything you want it to be.
(Pic credit: Tumblr)
