I injured my ankle while training for the marathon. I quit my job without another full-time one lined up. I lost a ton of work I had done that was saved on a thumb drive. It took me 24 hours to get to Las Vegas from Honolulu. I totaled my car. I lost two friends in a matter of weeks. And to top it off, my wireless mouse won’t connect to my iMac.
To say this has been a rough year would be a ridiculous understatement.
Which is why I’m so relieved it’s coming to an end.
And in T-minus two hours.
It’s not that I had the worst year of my life. I got to visit Derek in Madison, Wisc., spend Thanksgiving in Chicago and took two trips to Vegas. I launched my own blog this year and did more freelance work than the last two years combined. I got the new iPhone 4, bought a new Canon DSLR and find myself unable to put down the Kindle Fire I got for Christmas. I met new friends, hung out with old ones (literally and figuratively) and shared more meals with my parents than most 36-year-olds.
Really, it hasn’t been that bad.
Still, I’m looking forward to the new year, starting it fresh, with that youthful optimism you tend to get around this time of year. Suddenly, you feel like you can lose 15 pounds, quit smoking and run a marathon. And it’s this innocent enthusiasm that I’m banking on to get me through 2012.
Every New Year’s Eve I lay out my goals for the year. One year I wanted to complete my first triathlon; another year I wanted to learn taiko.
This year I want to do a few things: Write as much as I can, surf more than I tweet, and connect with people in a more tangible way.
I feel like I’ve been communicating most often through some form of social media, mostly Facebook and Twitter. I feel like I’m losing that personal connection I have with people — the one that actually means more and lasts longer.
So I’m going to disconnect more often and connect the old-fashioned way. I may write letters, I may go to lunch more often, and I may even use the phone to make actual calls.
It’s going to be interesting!
So what are your plans for 2012?
***
To all of you, thanks for reading, commenting, e-mailing me (when you’re too shame to leave a comment here) and making me feel like what I do — blog — is relevant and meaningful. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support, feedback and love. Thank you for making this year one to remember and for sharing this journey with me. I wish you and your family all the best in 2012!
11 Comments
you’re 36? oh.did not know that. Anyway,aside from the losing 2 friends,(which is devastating) i’d say you landed okay after each “rough-incident”, from my bystander/reader perspective view. Suggestion: Maybe you need more music in your life. Singing can set the soul free….. I’ll look forward to a Cat Karaoke Video, and subsequent CD release: “Cat and Old Friends Sing The Blues”…. (P.S. again, from my prespective/reader view, that irl personal communication connection isnt all that its cracked up to be anymore.You may want that “face-time conversation”,but the other person may very well be too busy on Facebook or Twitter) Cheers and Happy New Year! You have an awesome blog that i look forward to reading everyday.
Cat, you’ve had amazing things happen and rough things too! Your life was spared, Thank God. We get to follow your adventures some more. I’ve enjoyed your videos at @NonStopHonolulu and your pics on #Instagram as well as your blog posts. Imagining you teaching, surfing, cooking, eating and having a good time with little doggie. I feel like I’ve connected because of social media, but also feel like too much time has been spent here when. I could be reading, painting, sewing, swimming, hugging my dog. I can relate. Have a wonderful new year. It should be interesting to see where we’re all headed. Great stories to come.
God bless you Cat, you bring so much to all of our lives, we can never repay you for the meaning in your words. Here is to a fabulous 2012, and here’s to even more amazing adventures of Catherine Toth!
Hmmm… lose weight to the tune of 15 lbs, keep learning the guitar, make a hole in one, and get laid… rumor has it that you can’t do that on Facebook.
Hi Cat,
You don’t know me, but I think we have friends in common (based on what I’ve seen in your blogs). I think I saw you at Kahala Mall once, but was too shame (and thought it would be awkward) to say “hi.” Anyway, just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year. I enjoy reading your blog daily, and I love the fuud pics and reviews you publish. Keep writing ’em, and I’ll keep reading ’em. I really relate to most of the things you write about, and I feel inspired to do more things, especially after you talk about your busy schedule! Whew! Have a great 2012!
Your Civic-driving, cookie-eating, English-writing, public school-graduating friend,
Gwen
Happy New Year Cat! Hope it is a great one. I think when we have had a rough year we can look back and as you said, it wasn’t all bad. I lost my dad in Jan of 2011 so that pretty much set up the year as not so great. There were positive things that happened as well. Guess we have to take the bad and the good together. God bless you and thank you for being a positive thing I look forward to!
Wow – what a year. It is so great to see the ups and the downs side by side. For me it normalizes the downs and reminds me not to take life too personal.
As for “surf more than I tweet” – you can be my surf goddess as I try to swim in your stokes (you know, walk in your foot steps, on the water!)
Still want to send you a book, but no email address! And I agree, 2011 SUCKED. Email me and I’ll send u either ebook or hard copy, let me know!
Wow, what an intensive year for you, but you looked fabulous. So all that stress didn’t take away from your beauty! I hope 2012 will be much better than 2011. I have a feeling it will! My resolution (besides saving money) is to stand up on a wave. It’s going to be hard, but I know I can do it. Oh, standing on a foam surfboard doesn’t count. I want to stand on a real surfboard.
Happy New Year, Cat! I hope to see you real soon!
Happy New Year Cat!
You quit your job at KCC?
Looking forward to reading about your new adventures in 2012.
Hi Cat – try not to dwell on the negatives so much but instead cherish the positives in your life, which are plentiful, one of which is having a ton of loyal followers who love reading about your daily adventures! Keep your chin up and I hope to meet you IRL one of these days!