2015 in Retrospect

Happy New Year!  As to my lateness…all I have to say is yikes.  In my defense, though, I have spent the past two weeks on holiday, so I’m really only three weeks or so late.  In any case, here is my usual runthrough of the previous year.

January began with a bout of responsibility.  I arranged a formal family portrait with siblings in three different states, hosted a dinner with friends (that this dinner consisted of mac and cheese does not, in my opinion, diminish the maturity of this act), and even visited a doctor for a long overdue checkup.  February followed in a rush of snow, effectively wiping out that responsibility as I spent a good portion of it at home in my pajamas, glad that I didn’t have to go to work.  In March I was sociable, having a sushi picnic with an old friend (it was rather cold, but we managed), lunch with another, and many, many pots of tea shared with others.

April was the first notable date, as I set off with a friend into New York City.  I’d never been, and it really was a treat to go and see it.  We hit the highlights: Times Square (we tried to find one another there at one point, and let me tell you, Waldo would be right at home in that place), the Empire State building (102 floors of standing in line), the Met (that’s the museum, not the opera, unfortunately), Central Park (briefly; it was cold), bagels (the BEST food that we had the whole trip, I promise you), the Statue of Liberty (though we failed to plan ahead and so could only wave at her from a boat), and even Broadway (checked Les Mis off my bucket list!  Though I am so sure I will go again).  Through it all I had an irascible redhead trailing me, teaching me first that it’s a good idea to discuss what exactly each member of the party is interested in seeing, and second that it’s all right to split up occasionally, especially if you are both responsible adults and capable of making your way around a strange place alone.  (Then again, that might have been called into doubt with the two of us.)  All in all, it was one of those places where even as I went through, I was compiling a list of things I will want to see when I go back, as I certainly will.

I have to add one more note to April: two weeks after my return from NYC, I had the amazing chance to go and see Jane Goodall speak.  One of the most well-known people to come to Hollins since my attendance there, she packed two buildings to standing-room-only.  I was absolutely starstruck: she’s a wonderful lady and such an inspiration.  One for the grandkids, someday.

May was busy, as it usually is, with weddings and graduations.  Fortunately, they didn’t happen all in the same weekend, as was the case the year I graduated from college.  I attended my friend Sarah’s wedding the weekend before the graduations at Elon and Hollins Universities.  Those two did happen the same weekend, but on different days, so I managed to make it to both, though it was a lot of driving.  I enjoyed both ceremonies, though.  Graduations always make me think about what I would talk about, if I someday get to the point where people might want my advice.  I haven’t come up with anything good yet, to be honest.

June’s item of note was an old friend walking into the restaurant with her parents, completely unaware that I worked there.  We both screamed aloud at sight of one another and made a bit of a scene, but I hope that most humans wouldn’t mind that kind of scene too much.  It was lovely to see her—she used to be my shadow, and now she’s grown up into a beautiful young lady.  Towards the end of the month, I took on a long-term housesitting job, which was actually rather enjoyable.  The first night in someone else’s house is always difficult, even a little creepy—you feel like an unwelcome addition to the place, and the sensation of not belonging is very marked.  But once you get used to being in the new place, it can actually be quite novel and refreshing.

Starting in July, I began to take on a bit more responsibility at work, moving up into a part-time management position.  This involved a trip out of town to take a ten-hour certification course in food safety (a thrilling subject, to be sure, though I’d recommend whoever takes such a course to have a strong stomach).  The trip was eventful in some of the worst ways and none of the best.  Trouble with the wifi meant that only half of the class could test at a time, and I was not in the first class.  Then, on the way home, there was a vicious storm, and I’m fairly certain I thought I was going to die.  Thankfully, I didn’t, but I’d be grateful never to have to repeat the journey.

August took me in a new direction, as my roommate Kathryn and I prepared to move out of our apartment (affectionately dubbed Tookbank).  We wanted to find a house to rent, for more space and more privacy, and while we had a bit of trouble at first, we managed to find a small place not far from where we were, but in a much quieter area.  We took most of September to accomplish the move, which was expensive, but so worth it.  Now we are comfortably settled in a little white house we call the Southern March, so that we can be the hermits of the same.

The other notable event of September was the first party I have ever helped to plan.  It was a very special party—every guest was assigned a character, and these characters were given a murder to solve.  I helped write the “script” for the characters, and I was responsible for supervising the role play, which culminated in a daring rescue and a proposal which was happily accepted.  It was a blast, and now I have another wedding to attend this coming year.

October and November were filled with settling into the new house, which seemed to take forever even after all of our things were in the same place.  Putting up shelves, hanging pictures, transferring internet services and figuring out gas heating…  The house didn’t really become a home, however, until after the arrival of a motherless kitten whom we decided to name Calypso. 

I did have one distraction from playing house in a new commitment to the Roanoke Symphony Chorus, a volunteer choir attached to the local orchestra, which really is an impressive group.  It was such a pleasure to be part of a choir again—I hadn’t been in a real choir since graduation.  Our performances all went well, and I am back again this spring.

December always lends itself to Christmas, which was filled with the usual—family, food, and idle days.  Thanks to a bit of confusion in my schedule, I had six days at home rather than four, which was a pleasure.  My sister and her boyfriend came down from New York, my brother was up from South Carolina, and we were all relatively civil to one another.  In all seriousness, though, it was a beautiful holiday and a lovely year. 

That being said, 2016 is the year I turn twenty-six, which just so happens to be my lucky number.  I have high hopes for this year, and I intend to go out and get it.  Wish me luck!