in this strangest of years, i didn't do as much as i would have liked—who did?— but here's the big stuff that happened in brief. i: took a solo trip to LA, got laid off, co-wrote a book, made my own ice cream, baked a LOT, got another tattoo (see below), got another job, and adopted a cat.
since a tiny sliver of hope is on the horizon, i'm remaining optimistic and came up with 21 pretty realistic to-dos for '21. i'd love to hear your goals for what's hopefully a better year ahead.
1. successfully release my first book!
2. book an international trip
3. GO TO A CONCERT
4. host a celebratory dinner party
5. take a french class
6. place a piece somewhere i've never been published before
7. see a movie in a movie theater
8. read 20 9 books
9. have an indulgent, expensive, delicious meal *inside* of a restaurant
10. renew my passport
11. write a letter to myself to open in 10 years
12. make a new friend
13. find out my blood type
14. play the lottery
15. make a collage
16. learn a dance routine
17. chill in a hammock
18. stay in a beach house or cabin
19. compliment a stranger
20. visit the site of a scene from a movie or tv show
21. make pralines
and here are some best-of 2020 lists...
favorite books:
and now we have everything: on motherhood before i was ready by meaghan o'connell
oona out of order by margarita montimore
spinster by kate bolick
my misspent youth by meghan daum
acid for the children by flea
seinfeldia: how a show about nothing changed everything by jennifer keishin armstrong
we are never meeting in real life by samantha irby
alright alright alright: the oral history of richard linklater's dazed and confused by melissa maerz
favorite movies:
banana split
in a relationship
the king of staten island
straight up
favorite tv shows:
looking for alaska
shrill
the circle
high fidelity
little fires everywhere
being erica
emily in paris (it made me happy, sue me)
favorite albums:
(if you missed my favorite songs post, that's here.)
(also, harry styles would be included if his album wasn't technically released in 2019.)
the strokes - the new abnormal
momma - two of me
machine gun kelly - tickets to my downfall
hockey dad - brain candy
best coast - always tomorrow
gateway drugs - PSA
pope- the lunchbox EP
random miscellaneous things i loved:
discovering the best dancer i've ever seen in those choreography videos, a french timothée chalamet doppelgänger named andy daveiga
the reply all podcast episode "the case of the missing hit"
the heavyweight podcast episode "bobby"
this documentary about '80s malls on youtube, mall city
dakota johnson's architectural digest house tour:
2020 goals in review:
1. get another tattoo: DONE
third tattoo's a charm? i took the plunge in july, after isolation made me nutty and i was struck with a major case of tattoo fever. i got the three of wands from the wild unknown tarot, which is all about adventure and exploration and life's magic, on my right inner bicep. i absolutely love this description of it:
The background is filled with horizontal black lines, indicating a stable energy. This lack of flashiness draws your full attention to the wands, and above all else, to the colorful vision at the center. The swirling rainbow beckons you to leave behind the drab, colorless surroundings and explore all the magic life has to offer!
You are a visionary if you let yourself be one. You can look beyond obstacles. You can see beyond the mundane world. Endless terrain is out there for you to explore, if only you choose to say YES. The Three of Wands offers you a chance to survey the landscape around you. You need not rely on someone else’s map – you are exploring the wilderness for yourself, charting it according to your experience, your interpretation.
Your future is a blank canvas – and all the colors of the rainbow are available for you to create your experience going forward. There is no guarantee of exactly what you’ll find as you continue your explorations. Magic and wonder abound, yes – but illusions and setbacks are part of the journey, as well.
7. get a photo taken with a celebrity: DONE
and in the first three weeks of the year, to boot! i met hilary duff on the first friggin' night of my LA vacation in january, which was just about the only bright spot in this horrid year. lizzie mcguire forever.
11. meet an internet friend IRL: DONE
also in LA, i met my longtime twitter friend heather at the butcher, the baker, the cappucino maker, where we got colorful lattes and chatted for hours.
14. publish 10 humor pieces: PARTIALLY DONE
my brain was broken for most of the year, because...2020, but i managed to squeak out these three:
naughty post-isolation fantasies (mcsweeney’s)
the bigger picture: to all the panda express employees i've ghosted before
slackjaw: introducing xjessicax, the emo american girl doll
i also self-published a few essays:
16. make pizza from scratch: DONE
not the cutest, but i had fun making it, at least.
17. buy myself flowers: DONE
