After not one, not two, not even three but four interviews, I received a new full-time job in content marketing earlier last year, a role I very much like. In the spring, I graduated with my M.F.A. at Hollins University. I dogsat for many families. I visited a friend in Savannah, GA. A lot happened to me this past year, much more than I saw coming.
I won tickets to three concerts all from the same radio station.
Dave Matthews Band - Jiffy Lube Live, VA in June
Death Cab for Cutie - The Anthem, Washington D.C. in September
The Killers - National Arena, Washington D.C. in October
Each concert was fantastic, and it took me the opportunity to see him in person for me to conclude that I may in fact love Brandon Flowers.
My ride, a beloved hand-me-down, went kaput leading to my first car purchase, a 2014 Honda CR-V. I reunited with some grad school friends for the first time since the pandemic.
I got back into gaming with Cuphead. I’m no gamer (with the exception of Super Smash and a few Gamecube favorites from my childhood), more so a game appreciator, and Cuphead is a visual feast for the eyes for anyone who admires the origins of animation. Accompanied by a Netflix show, the rubberhose characters moving frame-by-frame in a hand-painted world reminds me how style can really impact art. And the soundtrack for the both the game and the show, a swinging mix of jazz and ragtime, are fantastic. Now I want to write a Depression-era middle grade novel while listening to some Cab Calloway.
My sister got married in Charleston, SC on a breezy November evening. Sarah and Griff have been engaged for two years, but to my surprise, her shower, bachelorette, and wedding itself all went by in the blink of an eye. All the planning and behind the scenes work on her marital preparations seemed to take a lot of time, but again, I’m amazed at how fast it all went by. In fact, I’m shocked at how fast the year passed. I remember reading a murder mystery on a sunny, snowy January day like it was yesterday.
I finally joined Goodreads at my co-worker’s suggestion as a better way to log my many days of reading. I reflected on where I am in my life. I listened to a lot of music. I’ wrote poems on moonlit walks.
This past year I experienced many twists and turns. But I fulfilled goals and expectations. I was a grad school graduate, a Maid of Honor, a concert ticket winner, a bibliophile, a Phanatic (for the Phillies and their incredible playoff run). I don’t know what next year will hold for me, as much as I want to know what’s in store. I’m reminded of a verse I memorized this summer after a battle of insomniac worry for where I’m going next in the new year.
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” - Jeremiah 29:11.