1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?
Lived on an island
Went to the Grand Canyon
Moved twice in a year (I wouldn’t recommend it, though I love both places we lived this year.)
Went to Quebec
Went to Arizona
Took my own kayak in the ocean
Had Thanksgiving dinner outdoors
Camped on Lake Superior
Did the Zombie Bike Ride
Went to Rincon
Had DirecTV instead of cable (and prefer it)
Walked on the tarmac at LaGuardia
Had a NiceRide membership
Rode my bike (or public transit) way more often than driving
Drove a moving truck cross-country
Saw LFTR PLLR live
Grew orchids outdoors
Had a storage unit
Witnessed Fantasy Fest in person and lived to tell about it
Contributed to the Last Supper, a meal involving over 100 species
Had a Florida drivers license
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I just finished 101 Things again. I’m not planning to make resolutions, because they’re the same every year anyway: have fun, be awesome, don’t die.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Cindi and Adam
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No
5. What countries did you visit?
Jamaica
Canada
(Puerto Rico should technically be its own country)
6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
I’d have liked to have more time for camping and general outdoor-things in Minnesota before we moved. Now I’d like to have time every single day to go to the beach, kayak, or ride my bike around my island, but work has demands of me.
7. What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time
Valentine’s Day in Jamaica, because of Kris and Matt’s amazing outfits
October 1, the day I finished driving a moving truck 2,000 miles to Key West
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Moving twice. Our move from Minneapolis to Key West was a LOT of work. Moving logistics occupy so much of your mental energy that everything else gets put to the side.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Failure is a stupid word. I try to learn as much as possible every day and not delay in doing things that need doing. It’s a good way to prevent failure.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really. Surprisingly, my hip issues are way better since I started riding my bike everywhere.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My bike, NiceRide membership and GoTo card. Oh, and my plants in Key West. My garden makes me really happy.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Your mom’s.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Pro-gun people who value their own ‘right’ far more than anyone else’s lives and safety. Pretty much anyone involved with national politics. All of it is so gross and racist and dirty.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Moving. Though it didn’t actually end up being that expensive in the long run. Also savings.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I’m excited every damn morning I wake up and am still living in Key West. It’s amazing.
16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
Danza Kurduro by Don Omar. When you mostly listen to Miami radio stations, it’s what you hear every hour. (As a person who can listen to reggaeton artists nonstop, I have zero complaints about this.) There’s also the Top Gun theme, which is stuck in our heads every time we see an F-18 overhead, or the NAS hotel that has Fly Navy painted on it in huge letters.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Fatter or thinner: Marginally thinner.
b) Richer or poorer: A little poorer, due to the market. It’ll recover.
c) Happier or less happy: I live in Key West. Take a guess.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Kayaking, camping, generally being outdoors.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Packing and unpacking our stuff. Holy god, what a lot of stupid work. Also being angry at people I have to work with. (Not my coworkers. They’re great.)
20. How did you spend Christmas?
We went to Watertown to spend it with my in-laws, and then came back to Minneapolis for more Christmas with my family. We’ll be here in Minneapolis until January 4.
21. Did you fall in love in 2015?
You know Matt’s a dreamboat, right?
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Game of Thrones, Bloodline, Catastrophe, You’re the Worst, Fargo… there were many good ones this year.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Oh my god, I hate the hell out of CenturyLink. Does that count? Please don’t ever give them any of your money. They’re the worst.
I don’t really do much hating of people, but if Donald Trump got hit by superlightning I wouldn’t cry about it.
24. What was the best book you read?
I really enjoyed The Berlin Diaries and The Martian.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery of 2015?
Hamilton. We listen to it all the time and are trying to get tickets in New York or Chicago.
26. What did you want and get?
I wanted to sell my car quickly. I had a buyer within a couple hours of listing it on Craigslist. Thanks, internet! Oh, and I wanted to move to an island, so we spent most of our year making that happen.
27. What did you want and not get?
I wanted my tomatoes to grow perfectly and not get bugs or anything. I realize this is an impossible goal in a near-tropical environment. Also, I want deodorant (i.e. the one without aluminum all giving you Alzheimer’s) to work effectively even when you’re sweating your ass off in the Florida summers. This also seems to be an impossible goal. Oh well.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Carol
Phoenix
Tangerine
Mad Max
Star Wars
Situational medals to The Goonies, which we saw on the beach, and Showgirls, which we saw with the director at the Key West Film Festival.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 42 this year (insert nerdy Douglas Adams joke here). Matt and I went out for a fancy meal at Monello, I went to a Saints game at the new stadium with Jumi, Josh, and Sarah, and we had a picnic with my family. This already feels like it was a million years ago.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having to work? Then I could go in my kayak every day, but I’d also be broke.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
I didn’t think it was possible, but it’s even more casual than before. When you work from home, it’s a miracle you wear pants at all. I do dress more nicely when we leave the house (unless it’s to Publix), but since we live on an island it’s still capris and flipflops all the time. Don’t worry, I still always wear some form of pants.
32. What kept you sane?
Being outside, riding my bike, seeing the ocean, hanging out with Matt
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I thought about this for way too long before coming up with anyone, so.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
In general I feel like America is becoming an increasingly dumbed-down gun-toting place where everyone is afraid of everyone else, and people have become comfortable with witnessing overt racism. I’m not exactly sure when that happened, but it’s sad. (I’m also glad to live in a place that’s mostly exempt from that. We have our own weird reality in KW.)
35. Who did you miss?
Everyone in Minnesota. I want them all to come visit. (I’m really glad we’re getting to see so many friends on our visit here, though.)
36. Who was the best new person you met?
We’ve talked to many really interesting people post-move, but I don’t know anyone well enough to make them the best. I’m looking forward to getting to know more people around us.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015:
I’ve known this for a while, but it’s really hitting home recently that not having any debt is one of the absolute best things you can do for yourself and the people you care about. Financial freedom is pretty critical to being able to do what you want. Money doesn’t solve all your problems, but it gives you many more options in life.