Best of 2015 | An End-of-Year Survey

It was nearly a year ago when Kathleen posted this end-of-year survey on her blog and I loved it so much that I favorited it and prayed I would remember to go back to it at the end of 2015. And here we are! I love wrapping up the year with a bunch of “Best of…” posts, and I am sure this survey will be a regular sighting from here on out. It was really fun to look back on my year in answering these questions. I’d love to see other people complete this on their blogs, so steal away! (I’ve changed some of the questions because they didn’t apply to my life. Just FYI.)

1) What did you do in 2015 that you’ve never done before?

Went on vacation with a boy. Ran a 5k in a different state. Drove a motorboat. Moved out to my own apartment. Rented a car for a weekend.

2) Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I made seven resolutions and ended up completing three of them. Not fabulous, but I’m happy with that progress. I will definitely make resolutions for 2016 and cannot wait to share them on the blog soon!

3) Did anyone close to you give birth?

My sister-in-law did! My second nephew was born February 21. 🙂

4) Did anyone close to you die?

My grandma did. It was shocking, horrific, and terrible. But she’s pain-free for the first time in 8 years, surfing the clouds in Heaven and having a grand old time.

5) What places did you visit?

I did a good amount of traveling this year! I visited St. Augustine, Savannah, the Bahamas, Grand Turk, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas. (Of course, those last four occurred on one cruise, alas!)

6) What would you like to have in 2016 that you didn’t have in 2015?

A partner who makes me feel good. A completed novel. Emergency savings. A smaller size in clothes.

7) What dates from 2015 will be etched on your memory, and why?

February 21 – the day my nephew was born
July 11 – the day my mom remarried
October 9 – the day we lost grandma

8) What was your biggest achievement this year?

Moving to my own place! I was more than ready for this change and I feel better about myself and my life for finally taking the plunge.

9) What was your biggest failure?

Probably not losing weight. My biggest failure every year. I’m getting tired of it.

10) Did you suffer from illness or injury?

I sprained my ankle while on vacation, which was painful and annoying. And dealt with constant congestion since I moved to Tampa in September. (Am I allergic to Tampa?!)

11) What was the best thing you bought?

It’s a toss-up between my TV or my phone. Both have brought me great joy this year.

12) Where did most of your money go?

Probably all the move-in fees I had to pay for my new apartment. And all the new stuff I bought for said new apartment.

13) What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The cruise I took in May! And moving out, though while I anticipated the move, I had a hard time adjusting to the realness of being in a new place.

14) What song will always remind you of 2015?

I don’t listen to music all that much, but probably “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe because this is the song we played at my grandma’s funeral. I bawled during the whole song – how could you not? – and this song has so much more meaning to me now.

On a lighter note, I also fell in love with “Here” by Alessia Cara, which is a song that I can’t not sing along to.

15) Compared to this time last year, are you a) happier or sadder, b) thinner or fatter, c) richer or poorer?

I was happier because I was in a new relationship that was exciting, but burned out quickly after the new year. So that’s a tough one to compare to.

I was a wee bit thinner, but not by much.

I was poorer. Woo for having a little bit mo’ money this year.

16) What do you wish you’d done more of?

Saving money. Writing fiction. Therapy.

17) What do you wish you’d done less of?

Spending money. Watching TV. Worrying. Eating?

18) How did you spend Christmas?

I will spend it at home with my family! My mom and I will open presents early in the morning, and then my brother and his family will come over for more present unwrapping. And then my whole extended family will come over for Christmas dinner later in the afternoon. A full day indeed!

19) What was your favorite TV program?

Probably Big Brother. And maybe How to Get Away with Murder – love that show!

20) What was the best book you read?

The Martian by Andy Weir.

21) What was your greatest food discovery?

I’m not exactly sure. I’m not a huge foodie, so I tend to stick to my boring favorites. The only thing that comes to mind is how much I love pepper jack string cheese, so I guess that shows you how adventurous I am when it comes to food.

24) What did you want and get?

My biggest goal for 2015 was to move to a place of my own, which is something I did and I am so glad I marked that task off my list.

25) What did you want and not get?

Romance, a completed novel, financial freedom, more vacations.

26) What was your favorite film of 2015?

I didn’t see too many movies in 2015, but I think the one that had the biggest impact on me was American Sniper. What a movie that was.

27) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 28 on my birthday this year, and I celebrated with dinner at my favorite steakhouse with my mom, my brother, and my nephew. Afterward, we went to my mom’s new apartment to have cake and ice cream.

28) What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I think I would be a little more satisfied with this year if I had lost the weight I wanted to lose. Or maybe if I didn’t feel so financially insecure.

29) How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2015?

Comfortable? I’m still trying to figure out my personal fashion concept honestly.

30) What kept you sane?

My mom.

31) Who did you miss?

My grandma. I really, really miss my grandma.

There were also moments after I moved out that I missed my mom a ton. Living with her was honestly the best experience, and there’s a lot of sadness at closing that chapter in my life.

32) Who was the best new person you met?

I don’t know! I met some new people – coworkers, friends of friends, etc. – but nobody sticks out in my mind on having a significant impact on my world in 2015. I need to get out more!

33) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.

I learned that in a time of need, my family bands together fiercely. We may be dysfunctional, but we come together when it counts. As terrible as my grandma’s last days were, I’ll carry fond memories of going out to lunch with my big family during that week, reminiscing and chatting and laughing and remembering that what Grandma would want most was all of us enjoying each other’s company.

Other than that, I also learned to respect my anxiety triggers and not beat myself up for them. Anxiety is a liar that says you are the only one experiencing the bad shit you’re going through. It told me that I was a baby for having trouble living on my own, but that’s not true at all because here I am three months later and I love my new life and my new home. I just needed more time than the “normal” person to get used to the change.

34) Show us one of your favorite photos from the year.

This one is easy. The below photo is of my grandparents, my mom, and my stepdad on my mom and stepdad’s wedding day. This ended up being the last event my grandma went to, though none of us had any clue it would be. Grandma had just finished a chemo treatment right before the wedding and she was weak, but she powered through. She even came to lunch afterward and stayed for a long time. I know she couldn’t have been feeling great, but she handled it with nary a complaint. That’s just the epitome of Grandma.

What did you do in 2015 that you’ve never done before? What was your biggest achievement this year?