Goodbye 2011!

I don’t have time for a big recap of 2011 at the moment and will probably get around to doing one eventually, but for now (before it gets too late already!) here is a survey that I completed on the year gone by.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Got married, gave birth in a public hospital, drove alone with Daniel at the wheel (he got his license after being seizure-free for some time!), participated in a Pride march, went to lots of new places in Northern Tasmania, went to drag queen shows, went clubbing regularly, personal stuff related to the bedroom…winky winky! And some other personal things that needn’t be online.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My New Years’ resolution was to avoid drama, end toxic friendships and behave more maturely, not be influenced by others into lowering myself to their “level”. I kept that resolution and continue to stick by it. My New Years’ resolution this year is to manage my finances better and to behave more responsibly, sucking up the concept that as an adult I must often do things I don’t want to do.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Myself and my cousin’s wife

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No

5. What countries did you visit?
None, unfortunately!

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More of a sense of direction and money-management

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
1 Jan 2011, my wedding date. 25 May 2011, the date my second son was born.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting married to a man who is everything I could have ever hoped for, someone who meshes with me and just plain makes life better.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Living “in the moment” far too much. Making rushed decisions and focussing more on the pleasure of instant gratification rather than considering any future consequences.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not that I can remember. I did have low blood pressure throughout my pregnancy that resulted in a lot of fainting spells, sometimes in public and one resulted in an ambulance trip into hospital.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My iPhone 4 and a new laptop.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, baby gear, and stupidly…a lot of roadtrips around the state, petrol, drinking.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting married, having another baby boy, the Summer

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Million Dollar Bill by Whitney Houston, the Freemasons remix…because I really love dancing to it when we’re out at the club, I literally run onto that dancefloor when I hear it!

15. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Older or wiser? Thinner or fatter?
Happier (I’m married, have two exciting little boys, live in a comfortable and stable home, and I cut the dead-wood out of my life near the beginning of the year). I’m wiser (I learned a LOT from my mistakes this year), thinner (I lost around 20kg! Yay!)

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Saving money, working

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Not trying hard enough to be at work, often if we had conflicting schedules and no one was available to watch the kids, I’d take that as an easy excuse to not go to work. I could have tried harder to make more of an effort. This year, I’m going to take on every single shift. Money is the priority for 2012.

18. How did you spend Christmas?
With family at my mum and dad’s house.

19. What was your favorite TV program?
I didn’t really have one, but I watched Home & Away regularly

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope!

23. What was the best book you read?
Speedcleaning by Shannon Lush…changed the way I look after my house!

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Modestep!

25. What did you want and get?
An iPhone, a laptop, a new stereo, Pokemon White, a husband and a baby, lots of stuff, really!

26. What did you want and not get?
I’m desperate to get Skyrim

27. What was your favorite film of this year?
Melancholia and HP7P2

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 23 and I can’t really remember what we did! I know we had a really nice dinner with family and I got an awesome massage.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More travel, but we did do a LOT of that this year anyway. We just need our finances to be a little more stable before we can do any more extensive travelling. I would have loved to have seen my sister more throughout the year (I only saw her at my wedding all year). More money would have changed things immensely for the better!

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Definitely a lot more revealing and bordering on a wee bit trashy when I go out, as I lost a lot of weight. Lots of fishnets and lace and tight dresses. For casual clothes, I wore a LOT of black. Contradicting what I said in that first sentence, I’m a little more conservative (in a casual setting) than I was in 2010 – I dye my hair more natural colours now and removed all of my facial piercings.

31. What kept you sane?
Going clubbing and having date nights alone with Daniel. It makes me retain my identity amongst the demands of motherhood and it’s fantastic for our relationship. Having fun together is so important for us.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Dita Von Teese

33. What issue stirred you the most?
Marriage equality, animal welfare issues

34. Who did you miss?
No one, really. Like I said, I would have loved to have seen more of my sister but she has lived interstate my whole life anyhow.

35. Who was the best new person you met?
Oh, tough question! I have met some incredible new people since we started going out to the same club regularly. I’m very happy to say that this year I’ve made more friends than I have in any other year; it’s been a very social year for me.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
Don’t be tempted by instant gratification and getting pleasure in the here-and-now, think hard about your future and where your decisions will lead you later down the track. Suck up unpleasant obligations for the sake of the greater good.