A byootaful Life

Alyndabear recently completed a recap of 2009 on her blog and I thought I’d give it a go.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Didn’t study! 2009 was the first year that I wasn’t at school or university and it was great! What else? I visited some countries I’d never been to before, including a sailing tour.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn’t really set any hard and fast resolutions last time but I am definitely making some for 2010, resolutions I am determined to achieve!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, it was a babyful year in 2009. My cousin’s son was born and two friends had baby girls. Oh, and Lulu of Cherry Blossom Adventures gave birth to her son Noah on December 19th.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, but a friend lost her mother.

5. What countries did you visit? We caught the travel bug this year! In February we visited Japan (loved it, hoping to return soon!) and then midyear we went on a EuroTrip, visiting England, Croatia, Italy, France, Prague, Monaco and Vatican City.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? I’ll have to agree with Alynda and say willpower. There are some goals I would like to achieve and it’s basically down to willpower and the personal strength to get through it. I lack this and need to work at it.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? The dates of our holidays – they were so amazing! I can’t believe we managed to get to so many countries in so little time.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I can’t pinpoint an exact achievement (in past years I would have probably said something about university) but this year I have grown so much as a person – I’ve started my first savings account and started thinking more seriously about my career and personal life. I’ve also started to socialise a lot more, which has really made an impact in my life.

9. What was your biggest failure? I would have to say that I was hoping I would be working in a more permanent, full-time career. The career I wanted at the end of 2008 turned out to be something I didn’t want and that left me a little confused and anxious about what I was going to do. While it is stressful to not have what I would like to call my career yet, it has been an opportunity for me to stop, take a step back and reassess what sort of career I want.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Ha, yes. I came home from Japan with two broken ribs, I came home from our EuroTrip with broken toes and just recently I suffered from a three-week nasty cold like nothing I’d experienced before. I’m often in the wars.

11. What was the best thing you bought? There’s no one thing that stands out, but I do love my rice cooker! It’s fantastic – you just put the rice in, turn it on and leave it to do its thing – and you get perfect rice every time! I’ve bought a few gorgeous dresses thanks to attending weddings this year and for someone who doesn’t generally buy expensive clothes, it was quite an experience.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? This is a bit of a strange question. There’s a lot of people in my life who experienced tough moments this year and they all pulled through with strength and determination.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Every year there are some people who remind you that not all humankind have morals, decency and respect for human life, and that is depressing. But if you surround yourself with friends and family, you’ll quickly see the other side of the coin.

14. Where did most of your money go? Holidays, groceries and savings.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Holidays and weddings. We attended so many weddings this year … and there’s more to come next year. Welcoming our friend’s baby K into the world was also so exciting – she is absolutely adorable!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Oh God, the Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow”. We heard that everywhere – literally we’d be in a club in Prague and we’d hear it, then we’d go to another and it would be on again. Would everyone STOP PLAYING IT dammit! Haha.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
(a) Happier or Sadder? Happier, much happier.
(b) Thinner or Fatter? Ha, a little fatter I think!
(c) Richer or Poorer? The same, but I have more savings than last year. I didn’t know what a savings account was until Phill told me about his that he’d had for years and I regret not starting one while I was at boarding school and receiving an allowance!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Relaxing! I am such a stressful person and I just don’t take the time to relax and smell the roses. My OCD has been spiraling out of control and I can’t help but think that if I forced myself to relax more and stress less, I wouldn’t be so crazy.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Stress.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2009? Christmas Day was with Phill’s family for the first time ever, and Boxing Day was with my family, so we pretty much had two Christmas Days, which was fabulous.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? More and more every day.

22. How many one-night stands? I’ve never had a one-night stand in my life.

23. What was your favorite TV program? This year I fell in love with Bones.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don’t hate anyone, but there are some people I dislike.

25. What was the best book you read? I didn’t do much reading this year, but I did get through the Twilight series which were all very good (aside from the first book which I wasn’t too keen on) and I’m currently reading The Host and The Lost Symbol. I’m looking forward to stealing Mum’s Christmas present – Pride, Predjudice and Zombies.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Love Kate Miller-Heidke and grew familiar with Weezer and Birds of Tokyo through Phill.

27. What did you want and get? Family together for Christmas.

28. What did you want and not get? A really expensive top-of-the-line digital camera. I’m saving up.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? The latest Harry Potter was okay and I didn’t mind The Proposal and The Hangover. I find myself often disappointed in films – they just don’t seem to live up to expectations these days.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? My birthday was a quiet one – Phill and I went out for dinner at a Japanese restaurant and watched a movie at home. I turned 24.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Probably more stability in the job/career front.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? I’m not fashionable – I wear what is comfortable and affordable. Jeans (usually 3/4), T-shirt and thongs (flip-flops).

33. What kept you sane? Phill and Puddy.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Fancy? As in have the hots for?

35. What political issue stirred you the most? The count-down to the new American President. It was all over the news here and by the end of it I was so over hearing about it. There was probabably more coverage of that than our own elections.

36. Who did you miss? I’ll always miss family.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Through socialising more, I’ve grown to know some people much better and I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to do so, since I’d figured most of them would have given up on trying to get me to go out!

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. Things happen for a reason and stressing about it won’t get you anywhere except more stressed. It’s easier said than done, but I’m trying.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. I’m not sure off the top of my head.

40. What are your resolutions for 2010? I’m forming some as we speak (type?). I’ll probably blog about it later, but there’s the usual lose weight, keep my nails long (still struggling with nail biting), stop stressing so much and concentrate on finally getting my career on track.