The Amazing Year – 2011 Recap (& My New Year’s Resolutions)

One more day till the big 20-12.  What have I learned?  Well, I have to go back two years first…

In 2009, I made a 3 part series examining myself.  After much introspection, I decided to: 1) Enjoy life now! 2) Understand 2009 and pay tribute and 3) Tell the OLD me what the NEW me has learned.

In 2010, I made 3 revelations about life and myself, including the fact that “the ambitious me, the driven me, the excited me, the never-quitting me” was back.  I also predicted that 2011 would be “the bomb.”

Well, 2011 happened… and—drum roll please—it was more than just “the bomb,” it was the BIG BANG—the force of energy I needed to create a space to do all the things I want to do next year.

But before I get to next year, let me recap this year:  

• I got promoted in my new corporate job (after leaving Banking)
• I started volunteering at Step Up Women’s Network by mentoring a sophomore girl in high school and teaching her how to interview for a summer internship
• I got closer to my grandpa when I asked him to tell me how he fell in love with my grandma
• I went through some heartaches when looking for an apartment but eventually found one that is walking-distance to my favorite place in all of Manhattan (Lincoln Center)
• I attended my first charity gala and had some interesting stories at the MoMA Garden Party and after-party
• I was deeply affected by Steve Job’s passing
• I did my first runway walk at Fashion’s Night Out in Ann Taylor’s Flagship store
• I attended my first hackathaton (NYC Big Apps 3.0 Hackathaton) and met one of my idols, Rachel Sterne, along with some other amazing people
• I was highly encouraged by my mentors to go for the high-profile marketing job I had wanted.  I did and got the job!
• and, I met more amazing people such as the former CEO of VH1/MTV, two film producers, and a marketing director

Those are just the highlights!  (A lot of other things happened that will gear me up for 2012.)

Anyways, as I’m closing out 2011, I am a bit teary-eyed.  This year has been more than I expected.  I went into it thinking I’d do well in my job, I’d hang with my friends and family and I’d enjoy life.  That was enough for me.  What ended up happening was the amazing opportunities that led me to unexpected things that would change me…  and, DAMN, it was exhilarating!  

But, I know none of this could have happened without the undying support from my family and friends, the unwavering encouragement from my mentors, and the unrelenting drive from something beyond my comprehension. 

So, what about 2012?

Well, I have no idea.  This year was only the beginning and it was amazing. I can’t imagine what it would be like next year.  I can feel a bit of fear creeping up, but there is just SO much out there to learn, to dream, to grasp that I am overpowered by excitement.

My 3 new year’s resolutions are:

1. Have patience - everyone and everything works differently.  Things will happen when they need to happen.  My stressing won’t do much.
2. Meet more people – everyone is amazing in their own way.  Getting to know each person at a non-superficial level has helped me grow as a human being, and I want to keep growing.
3. Continue to learn – the world is amazingly complex.  The human body is structured and self-sustaining.  Nature has boundless beauty and complexity.  The universe is vast and untapped.  There is so much I have yet to learn.

Well, there you have it.  My 2011 recap and my 2012 goals.

What are your’s?

Santa’s Gift to Me: A Strong Network

Santa was truly great to me this year!  His gift?  Giving me a strong network of amazing people: family, friends, mentors, co-workers, and more.

As I had mentioned before, up through Thanksgiving, I was thankful for 3 most exciting events (all, in some part, had to do with my network).

Well, in the past month, even more exciting things have happened (because of Santa’s gift):

• I got the marketing job I wanted (more on this in a later blog post)
• I met amazing people including Ed Bennett (founder & former CEO of VH1 & MTV), Charles Vogl (award-winning film-maker & producer & founder of Broken English Productions), Victoria Bousis (film producer & principal at Bousis Film Company) and Eric Morse (head of marketing at Dylan’s Candy Bar)

And, this is on top of all the exciting projects coming up next year!

I know I am very lucky and I am so appreciative of every moment.

Like I had written on facebook and twitter this morning, even if you don’t believe in Santa, you can believe in the magic of sharing with your loved ones all the joy, laughter, and memories from the year as well as the amazing feasts of this season.

I know it’s been very magical for me this year, especially when I got to share with you, my reader, all my hopes, dreams, joys, pain-points, annoyances, and everything else.   (Hope you had as much fun reading as I had writing.)

Merry Christmas!

3 Things I’m Most Thankful For This Year

Happy Thanksgiving!  Last year, I asked what it meant for a nation of immigrants.  This year, I want to give my thanks because it has been amazing.  

I got a chance to:

• (November) Act as the “average user” / “beta tester” at the NYC BigApps 3.0 Hackathon
• (October) Be one of my infatuations (Justin Beiber)
• (September) Debut my model walk at Fashion’s Night Out Ann Taylor Runway Show
• (May) Move to my favorite part of Manhattan (UWS)
• (Jan-Apr) Establish the relationships necessary to make 2012 an even better year!

I realized that everything I’ve done this year is because of 3 important things (I’m most thankful for):

#3 – My City. 

New York City gave me the platform to excel.

#2 – My Brain.

My brain allowed me access to the ambition and drive from deep within.

#1 – My Support Network.

And, without my strong support network of encouraging friends and uber-confident parents, I wouldn’t have been able to seize all the opportunities that came my way this year.

So…

Thank you, New York City.  

Thank you, Brain.  

But, most of all,

Thank you family, friends, mentors, and supporters.  

2011 wouldn’t have been the same without you!

The First Time I Shared A Room… Was the Beginning of a Crime Streak

With The Game coming fast and furious, I feel my heart pound as loud as the cheers I will hear at the Yale Bowl… but it’s not the tackling of uniformed men or the massive tail-gating or the wearing of blue or the pigging out at old haunts that excite me… it’s partying at H-Y with my soul-sister.  Yes.  You read that correctly, SOUL-sister.  

Since the day we realized we were soul-sisters, we have painted the little old town of New Haven (as well as our current cities) red, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

Let me go back to when it all started… with the first time I shared a room with someone…

*                           *                           *

It was the end of freshman year in college.  I was nervous and a wreck.  (My freshman year overflowed with suitemate drama, which basically ended with my suitemates and I having a room per person.)

I sat at the table of semi-familiar faces.  I knew only two of the seven girls there.

Crap.  Who am I going to room with for a whole year?  At that point in my life, I had never lived with anyone… and I loved the solitude.

A quick draw of the straw later, I realized I got paired up with a very attractive girl (dark curly-haired, light-skinned, super tall and skinny, and with  GIGANTIC eyes).  She seemed nice.  Yet, based on my previous interactions with pretty girls, I felt she would be a biatch.

Oh great… I thought to myself.  There goes a whole year of living with a potential biatch.  Ugh.

For the first month or two, we had very cordial greetings.  Occasionally, the suite would go out to dinner, but, again, our conversations remained short and simple.

Then, one day, as I tried to make small talk with her, I let it slip that I had seen a gorgeous guy walking around campus in his bomber jacket.

Her eyes immediately lit up.  ”Wait, you’re talking about John, the ‘hot leather jacket’ guy?” 

“Yeah!”

Suddenly, our worlds meshed into one.  We realized right then that we were very different but all in the same ways.  For example, we loved food, but different kinds of food.  We loved boys, but different types of guys.  We loved to party, but in very different ways.  We were die-hard nerds, but exhibited it differently.  And, we loved our families, which were very different in size and background.

We knew we were meant to be in each other’s lives.  We began to study together, laugh together, eat together, wing together, and, of course, party (hard) together.  People that hung out with us knew they were in for a crazy but super fun time.  We became known as each other’s “partner in crime.” 

So, in our senior year, we announced we were more than partners or best friends or any of that.  We were soul-sisters.  

You could say it’s one of those self-fulfilling prophecies or whatever, but as time passed, we started to see our lives run on parallel paths.  Though we lived miles away and worked in different industries, we watched our lives unfold in similar ways… and we were there for each other through it all (including many of my firsts).

I heart you, soul-sister!

Anyways, The Game is just a place for us to physically be with one another again; however, mentally, we’ve never been apart.

I thought this would be a nice dedication post as well as put it out there that we’ll be at H-Y together… so, if you’re there and you can’t handle the awesomeness that will ensue, please step aside… because we’re going to paint the town red, again.

[Image source: Deviant Art]

The First Time Can Be Terrifying But Also Exhilarating…

Before your thoughts turn too dirty, let me preface by saying that the first of anything can be both terrifying and exhilarating.

Think of your first day on the job.  (My best friend went through that yesterday.)  The day or night before, you’re probably jumping up and down with excitement while pacing back and forth from anxiety.  (That scene reminds me of how the little monster in Doodle Jump acts.)  You’re probably going: What should I wear? How should I act? Who will I meet? What will I do? What will my brand identity be? Yadda yadda yadda.

Then, the next day, when you actually start your new job, a wave of relief and excitement overtakes all anxiety and you are off to conquer the world.  (Hopefully.)

Monday night, when I tried to help my best friend quell any fears she had, I thought back to my own firsts…

The first time:

• I wrote a blog post.
• I shared a room with someone. (Yes, that was quite interesting.)
• I wrote my first novel.
• I presented to a large audience.
• I was entrepreneurial.
• I attempted to cook.
• I fell in love.
• I impacted an organization.
• I interviewed for a job.
• I legitimately interviewed for a job.
• I quit a job.
• I cold-called and hounded someone until she allowed me to interview her.
• I stopped believing in myself.
• I felt rejuvenated after being in a long lull.
• I understood how tough being a parent truly is.

Each first experience opened the door to a lot of experiences (good and bad), but at the end I learned so much about myself… so it was well worth it.

Anyways, I thought it would be an interesting segment to introduce (and kind of get back to my original thinking behind this blog, which is “to analyze what inspires me, what drives me, and what scares me. And, perhaps, with that knowledge, I can go out and conquer the world!“

So, here’s my first first:

The first time I wrote a blog post… 

It was January 2009 and I didn’t know what to write.  I struggled for a while and thought about re-doing the “About Me” page or maybe writing something ridiculous.  Instead, I decided to write something real about myself.  I chose the typical interview question/statement: describe yourself in 3 words.

I did.  

Creative.  Determined.   Empathetic. 

I am proud to say, almost three years later, I still am those three words!

Photo Credit: No Captions Needed.