January
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Positives: Being in Wilmington for the first time for work, getting sworn in, and celebrating it, visiting Tanis for his rock recital and forging with him, Sal being cute
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Negatives: Dealing with bugs in my apartment, struggling to find non-custom suits that fit
February
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Positives: Throwing bring your Goy to Shabbat Shabbat, painting ceramics with Brock, Dad visits and meets Brock, feeling strong in the gym
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Negatives: Sadie passes away, dentist appointment is weirdly extra painful, dryers are broken for weeks
March
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Positives: Throwing Shabbat, watching Purim story movie with Dan for Purim, double date with Anna and Xinro, feeling strong in the gym, Juliana visits and we have big friend dinner together, seeing Sweeney Todd with Brock, seeing Leopoldstat, Hawaii trip, especially Luau and spotting birds
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Negatives: Stress of other people watching Sal while I was in Hawaii, stress of Brock’s family especially getting Covid while we were in Hawaii, getting sick at the end of the Hawaii trip
April
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Positives: Getting new plant and crepe in New Haven on QE recruiting trip, prepping little Mario boxes for Brock’s half marathon, event at The Basement
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Negatives: Being locked out of my apartment upon returning from Hawaii, being sick after coming back from Hawaii, being alone supporting Brock for his half marathon, nerves of preparing to move in together
May
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Positives: Showing Brock Scarborough Faire, getting new glasses, getting Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, starting DuoLingo to prep for Janap
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Negatives: Perm going wrong two times, dealing with showing my apartment, getting diverted to NOLA on flight to Texas, teeth cleaning still weirdly painful
June
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Positives: Rooftop pride party, house cooling party, move goes super smoothly, TV gets mounted
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Negatives: Dealing with showing the apartment, painting over my beautiful paint in the bedroom, Sal seeming stressed because of the move
July
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Positives: Setting up the apartment, especially fixing the wall-mounted table, trying out new social club nearby, Lori and Hawk visit, especially Shakespeare in the Park and find dishes at the Cloisters, Barbie movie, LotR birthday/house warming, interviewing, making reservations for Japan
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Negatives: Some tension at my birthday party, losing a friend
August
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Positives: Night out with Dan and Amber celebrating first meeting Dan, weekend in DC for squares, getting the felt rock, Brock’s 30th birthday, dinner and cabin weekend, seeing Shucked, Amir and Reagan’s going away party, dinner with friends visiting from upstate, comedy cellar, finding a watch, building a snail tank with lily pads
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Negatives: Stress caused by the apps, interviews not panning out
September
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Positives: Baseball weekend with dad, going upstate to the New York ren faire, free tickets with the firm to Here Lies Love, Mario Party, dinner at Chambers, having a meaningful Yom Kippur
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Negatives: Stress of a few social club events
October
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Positives: Dinner with friends at rissotto restaurant, Rocky Horror Picture Show, getting gel extensions, Japan, especially Sakura tea experience, the hike to shrine, the ryokan, kimono in Kyoto, and Nara, spa time for one year anniversary, carving pumpkins
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Negatives: Flying to and from Japan, starting to feel stress about student loans
November
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Positives: Mentoring SMU student, Waiting for Godot, skills class at the house, preparing food for Hanukkah
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Negatives: Big stress after Friendsgiving,
December
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Positives: Tea with Jordan, brunch with Eric and Meredith, Hanukkah Shabbat, pretty bracelet for Hanukkah, the Boy and the Heron, bottle opener making class, apartment neighbor holiday cocktail party, Orlando’s birthday party, seeing Dracula with friends, getting to meet Brock’s extended family, and Chris and Keegan’s wedding
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Negatives: Lingering post-friendsgiving stress, losing opal bracelet at Ippudo before Dracula, stress/exhaustion from lots of family time around wedding
Take-Aways
Positives:
- This was a huge year for vacations. Japan! Hawaii! Baseball weekend and ren fest weekends! Vacations are pretty great. I’d definitely like to plan another nice two week one, maybe 2025.
- Being in love is pretty great. Moving in with the person you love is pretty great. A lot of love this year.
Negatives:
- Honestly not a lot of negatives this year. A bit of various interpersonal stress, a bit of the normal stress of traveling. But I’m really not sure on lesson’s learned from negatives this year–kind of just feels like this stuff went well.
- Work was a bit stressful a couple times this year, though I think I handled it pretty well. Definitely want to keep an eye on work stress though and make sure it doesn’t become the norm.
- I’m starting to feel the money stress associated with having big student debt, for sure. I’d like to get that worked down ASAP, and I’ve got a plan for how to do it next year.