I’m pretty sure 2012 has been my best year yet. Maybe it was my magic birthday last December, turning 27 on the 27th, or rediscovering my passion for grassroots organizing and training, or being single, or the fact that I wasn’t in pain for most of the year. I live with a chronic pain condition and for reasons I haven’t yet put my finger on, this was my best year healthwise since I was 20, even accounting for a significant flare up this fall. This year was able to travel, exercise, work, play and, most importantly PARTY, like I hadn’t in years. It was marvelous and, like cheese, it made everything so much better. Here are some of my favorite moments from the 12 months of 2012:
My roommate Veronica and I rang in the new year elbow to elbow in a packed yoga class in South Boston. The city fireworks started above our heads just as we said “namaste.” Later in JANUARY, my friends threw me a surprise soul-themed birthday brunch. I was told only to go away for awhile and come back to the house with Amy Winehouse hair. I did as I was told and it was an absolute blast.
FEBRUARY took Veronica and me to Belize to visit our friend and former roommate, who runs a socially and environmentally conscious cacao exporting operation called Maya Mountain Cacao. I’m pretty sure Southern Belize is my soul place. I felt like I was in an alternate universe. Later in the month, we saw soul singer Charles Bradley, a.k.a. The Screaming Eagle of Soul. It was, without a doubt, one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life (and I saw James Brown twice).
MARCH was sort of a throwaway month but we listened to the Charles Bradley album every single day, so that made it okay.
In APRIL I got to attend my first gay wedding. My cousin Fred married his longtime partner in front of an orange tree in Ojai, California. I saw all my California family, many for the first time in 10 years, one for the first time ever, and I danced my face off. April also brought the first of five volunteer trainings I led for the Boston Cyclists Union this summer, where I taught folks how spread the gospel of safer cycling in Boston.
MAY brought my college roomie Melanie to Boston for an epic Memorial Day party in my backyard. It proved to be the first of six consecutive backyard bashes that started with grilling and ended with boozy late-night hootenannies. I experimented with making cocktails and caipirinhas quickly became the drink of the summer.
JUNE was filled with bike work. I spent as little time as possible at my real job, hired 10 interns for the Union and ran around town with them, fixing bikes and raising money. I got really tan. It was awesome.
I got a concussion on the Fourth of JULY after getting doored by a parked car. I was dizzy for nearly two months and don’t remember too much but I’m sure it was all great. After I got him fixed, I took my bicycle on vacation. We took the ferry to Provincetown then biked to Truro to stay in a hostel right on the shore. The beach was virtually empty for three days. I read the paper in an old baseball cap and a green bikini and felt like a rock star. Or maybe a retired rock star.
Despite a pitiful tomato harvest, AUGUST brought a lot of tasty vegetables into my life. Between the garden in my front yard, a community plot and a CSA, I was swimming in absurdly healthy food. I’ve never eaten so many salads or fresh green beans. Other harvest highlights included butternut squash and several heads of heirloom Siberian garlic. It’s purple!
SEPTEMBER took me back to California, this time to Long Beach. I got a scholarship to attend the Alliance for Biking and Walking Leadership Retreat. It was on the historic Queen Mary cruise ship and I got to meet a butt-ton of amazing bike advocacy leaders from around the country. When I got back to Boston, I channeled all my new knowledge and enthusiasm into the Bike Union’s second annual meeting, where we raised more than three times as much money as in the year before. I was lucky enough to be the person on stage asking for big contributions, auction-style. There’s nothing like raising $12,600 in five minutes.
I ran a conference in mid-OCTOBER for my real job. The prep for it nearly killed me but it turned out to be a phenomenal experience. Seeing high level foreign policy leaders from the U.S. and the Middle East actually talking with each other about how we might address issues like the conflict in Syria gave me a lot of hope for the future of the MENA region. I also dressed as Ann Romney for Halloween.
NOVEMBER: Obama. Warren. Victory. Yes.
DECEMBER has been a month of resetting priorities before the end of the year. I submitted my resignation at my job, not because I hate it but because it feels like it’s time to move on. I signed myself up for a yoga teacher training at my favorite studio, which will start in early February. I don’t yet know what will come next but I’m trusting it will be awesome.
Especially in case the world ends tomorrow, I want to thank all my amazing friends for helping me have such a productive, hilarious, and FUN year. I really appreciate all of you and the joy you bring into my life on the regs. Thank you so much.
My roommate Veronica and I rang in the new year elbow to elbow in a packed yoga class in South Boston. The city fireworks started above our heads just as we said “namaste.” Later in JANUARY, my friends threw me a surprise soul-themed birthday brunch. I was told only to go away for awhile and come back to the house with Amy Winehouse hair. I did as I was told and it was an absolute blast.
FEBRUARY took Veronica and me to Belize to visit our friend and former roommate, who runs a socially and environmentally conscious cacao exporting operation called Maya Mountain Cacao. I’m pretty sure Southern Belize is my soul place. I felt like I was in an alternate universe. Later in the month, we saw soul singer Charles Bradley, a.k.a. The Screaming Eagle of Soul. It was, without a doubt, one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life (and I saw James Brown twice).
MARCH was sort of a throwaway month but we listened to the Charles Bradley album every single day, so that made it okay.
In APRIL I got to attend my first gay wedding. My cousin Fred married his longtime partner in front of an orange tree in Ojai, California. I saw all my California family, many for the first time in 10 years, one for the first time ever, and I danced my face off. April also brought the first of five volunteer trainings I led for the Boston Cyclists Union this summer, where I taught folks how spread the gospel of safer cycling in Boston.
MAY brought my college roomie Melanie to Boston for an epic Memorial Day party in my backyard. It proved to be the first of six consecutive backyard bashes that started with grilling and ended with boozy late-night hootenannies. I experimented with making cocktails and caipirinhas quickly became the drink of the summer.
JUNE was filled with bike work. I spent as little time as possible at my real job, hired 10 interns for the Union and ran around town with them, fixing bikes and raising money. I got really tan. It was awesome.
I got a concussion on the Fourth of JULY after getting doored by a parked car. I was dizzy for nearly two months and don’t remember too much but I’m sure it was all great. After I got him fixed, I took my bicycle on vacation. We took the ferry to Provincetown then biked to Truro to stay in a hostel right on the shore. The beach was virtually empty for three days. I read the paper in an old baseball cap and a green bikini and felt like a rock star. Or maybe a retired rock star.
Despite a pitiful tomato harvest, AUGUST brought a lot of tasty vegetables into my life. Between the garden in my front yard, a community plot and a CSA, I was swimming in absurdly healthy food. I’ve never eaten so many salads or fresh green beans. Other harvest highlights included butternut squash and several heads of heirloom Siberian garlic. It’s purple!
SEPTEMBER took me back to California, this time to Long Beach. I got a scholarship to attend the Alliance for Biking and Walking Leadership Retreat. It was on the historic Queen Mary cruise ship and I got to meet a butt-ton of amazing bike advocacy leaders from around the country. When I got back to Boston, I channeled all my new knowledge and enthusiasm into the Bike Union’s second annual meeting, where we raised more than three times as much money as in the year before. I was lucky enough to be the person on stage asking for big contributions, auction-style. There’s nothing like raising $12,600 in five minutes.
I ran a conference in mid-OCTOBER for my real job. The prep for it nearly killed me but it turned out to be a phenomenal experience. Seeing high level foreign policy leaders from the U.S. and the Middle East actually talking with each other about how we might address issues like the conflict in Syria gave me a lot of hope for the future of the MENA region. I also dressed as Ann Romney for Halloween.
NOVEMBER: Obama. Warren. Victory. Yes.
DECEMBER has been a month of resetting priorities before the end of the year. I submitted my resignation at my job, not because I hate it but because it feels like it’s time to move on. I signed myself up for a yoga teacher training at my favorite studio, which will start in early February. I don’t yet know what will come next but I’m trusting it will be awesome.
Especially in case the world ends tomorrow, I want to thank all my amazing friends for helping me have such a productive, hilarious, and FUN year. I really appreciate all of you and the joy you bring into my life on the regs. Thank you so much.
What a wonderful post to read. I am so happy for you. Love, emc
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. Such a good idea to re-cap this way, too. So happy you had such a good year.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a fantastic year for me too, and for the Bike Union—in large part because of you. Awesome to have you in my life.
ReplyDelete