thanks, 2008!!

Success comes to a writer, as a rule, so gradually that it is always something of a shock to him to look back and realize the heights to which he has climbed.
P. G. Wodehouse

Here we are...New Year's Eve. What can I say? It's been a pretty crazy, exciting, eventful year.

I know there are many different camps, if you may, when it comes to New Year's Eve. There are those who think it's an absurd reason to celebrate. There are those who see it as a time to make new resolutions and really attempt to stick to them, focusing on the fact that they haven't in the past. There are those who see it as opportunity to go out drinking. There are those who see it as a sort of catharsis through which they can rid themselves of the past year and begin anew.

Needless to say, I'm not from any of those camps. I think today is a great reason to celebrate, and I don't really drink. Yes, I resolve to accomplish certain things in the new year, but I don't necessarily see them as resolutions, but rather just a continuation of what I've been doing up until this point. Same with the idea of shedding off the past year, this whole notion of starting over - I'm not a fan of such expressions. It's kind of my qualm with the "live every day like it's your last" saying. Why be so negative? Why not live every day like it's your first?

It's all in how you perceive it.

I spend much of today with family, for starters. I also spend quite a bit of time cleaning and organizing my humble abode, yes, as a sort of cleansing and fresh, clutter-free start to the new year. And I also think a good deal about everything good that has happened in the past year and how I can build on everything that has happened thus far. Why think of a new year as starting from the beginning when you've already come so far? Of course, that goes for all of us.

So in that light, and with the hope you'll do the same for yourself, I've compiled some of the noteworthy moments this past year that have contributed to me being who I am right now. And because I'm a dork, I've categorized them...

Writing
- joined a writing group with friends, attended my first SCBWI conference, took 1st and 2nd place spots in two NYC Midnight writing competitions, interviewed Tim Gunn and covered the launch of CityView Racquet Club for Elements, among other articles, interviewed and wrote about several doctors and specialists for the NAVEL Expo magazine, started a tennis blog at racquetgirl.blogspot.com, continued work on my novel, signed on to co-write a medical nutrition book, was a featured speaker on a writing panel at NYIT

Reading
- helped organize my father's book signing at Barnes & Noble for Socrates: A Life Examined, read and became a follower of Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series, became a fan of Neil Gaiman's work, read a lot more in general

Acting
- got my headshots taken, took an on-camera film course, started weekly acting classes, attended my first Actorfest, was cast in St. George Productions' classic radio rendition of A Christmas Carol

Sports
- started tennis lessons again and joined a league, competed in a Genesis Adventures adventure race in Allamuchy, NJ with Alex, completed my scuba diving certification, competed in my second Urbanathlon with Alex in Chicago

School
- continuing my graduate studies at the City University Graduate Center and looking to graduate in the Fall of '09

Travel
- went to Switzerland with parents and younger sister, visited family in Texas, went to Chicago with Alex

Film/Photography
- bought a Canon HDV videocamera, bought a new Canon Powershot digital camera, took more pictures and captured more footage than I even thought was possible in the span of a year, organized more photo albums

And that's just some of the bigger things that I was able to compile based on my blog posts from the past year. It was a great year, a very special one, and one definitely to remember.

I hope all my friends and family out there reading this will do the same as they look back on 2008. We all deserve a moment to breathe, smile, and enjoy what we've worked so hard to achieve.

Happy New Year, guys...see you in 2009!!