Annapocalypse

RET·RO·SPEC·TIVE

I started 2009 at a shitty house party and promptly left about ten minutes into the year to go home.  However, I knew it wasn’t a sign of things to come, because there was no way that 2009 could be worse than 2008 was. I was unemployed for almost seven months in 2008, had no sense of direction, was pretty broke, and depressed as a result of all of that.

In 2009, I spent Valentine’s Day in Seattle and Portland with Rob, gallivanted around Boston with my best friend two weeks later, watched my twin sister get married in Tucson in May, went back to Seattle by myself for a job interview in June, spent the Fourth of July in New York City watching fireworks from 24 floors up, and flew to Tucson for Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family.  And I did it all while gainfully employed for the entire year.  Not only that, my writing career flourished this year as well, as I became a show reviewer and blogger for AOL/Spinner and a weekend writer for Chicagoist, in addition to writing for Tiny Mix Tapes and MyOpenBar.  I was also selected to represent Tiny Mix Tapes by voting in the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop year end poll (teenage Anna’s dream, no doubt) and stepped into the role of booking sponsored shows for MyOpenBar.

A few months ago, I applied to the Master’s of Education program at the University of Illinois at Chicago in hopes of starting in Fall 2010 and obtaining my Master’s to become a English teacher.  I took an important step to ensure that I won’t be stuck in a cubicle for the rest of my life, minimizing my gchat windows every few minutes.  I did something to make myself feel better about post-college life and it feels pretty fucking great.

I know most people had a horrible 2009, but that was my 2008.  I’m proud of this year and everything I’ve been able to do and accomplish and I hope I can continue doing my best in the decade to come.  I was 14 on January 1st, 2000 and even though the media is calling it one of the worst decades ever (bookended by 9/11 and the failing economy), I can’t hide my love for these past ten years.  This was OUR decade.  I completely grew up and went through every major adult experience.  How could I forget that?  It’s not possible.  I know when I’m 34 in 2020 (shudder), I’ll look back on this forthcoming decade as the years that I became a real adult with hopefully a real career, marriage, and possibly children.  But for now, I’m thankful to have made it to 2010 and to be where I am right now with my amazing boyfriend, friends, and family by my side.  Here’s to everything that’s left to come.