This was meant to be my last post of 2013, but thanks to limited internet access, it’s now the first of 2014! I hope this is a great year for all my readers and supporters, and that we will all prosper and find our own happiness.

Nafisa does this post every year, so I thought I’d follow her example 🙂

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

• A three-month unpaid internship
• Moving out completely on my own (and giving up some of my power with it)
• Got a Brazilian blow-out
• Tried a Gelish pedi (highly recommended)

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

I had a half-baked resolution of wearing makeup (at least mascara) to work every day. It started off well, but I gave up before too long. Next year I will try to be more social. And try a new hairstyle, I think 🙂 On New Year’s Eve I had my hair cut into a bob and I’m loving it!

3. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?

Probably in bed knitting while watching something on my iPad. It’s my current indulgence since I can’t watch anything on my laptop and I’m taking a break from audiobooks for a bit. In the end, I joined my landlord and a few of my neighbours for dinner and drinks. I ended up cuddling with a bucket (great foresight on my part I think) around 01:00.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My gran passed away this October.

5. What countries did you visit?

The fantasy land in my head 😉

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

A significant other. Maybe. I’m not sure if I’m cut out for a relationship, but I won’t know if I don’t try, right?

7. What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

16 October; the day my gran passed away.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Launching my beautiful new website. It’s sad, I know. But you have to agree, it is all sorts of gorgeous!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Giving up power to someone else when I moved to Johannesburg.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had an overnight visit to a local hospital; nothing serious.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

There wasn’t much opportunity for shopping this past year, and I’m tempted to say a  salted caramel pork roast, but I will have to reserve judgement until after I’ve prepared and tasted it. I am pretty chuffed with the screen divider my mom and I bought together, since my current flat doesn’t have a door between the bathroom and bedroom, and the place I’m moving to next year will need a bit of dividing up too.

12. Where did most of your money go?

Debt.

13. What song will always remind you of 2013?

Arctic Monkeys – Do I wanna know

14. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Learn new things.

15. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Doing things I didn’t really want to.

16. What was your favourite TV program?

Hannibal

17. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Hate? Strongly dislike… maybe.

18. What was the best book you read?

Having to choose just one out of 140 is not possible. My best 10 for the year though (in no particular order):

• Nos4a2 – Joe Hill
• Raising Stony Mayhall – Daryl Gregory
• Where’d you go, Bernadette? – Maria Semple
• Vampires in the lemon grove – Karen Russell
• The Shining Girls – Lauren Beukes
• 14 – Peter Clines
• The ocean at the end of the lane – Neil Gaiman
• The gun seller – Hugh Laurie
• Doctor Sleep – Stephen King
• Garden Spells – Sarah Addison Allen

19. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Daugther

20. What was your favourite film of this year?

I’ve only watched two movies this year, and of the two, I preferred Iron Man 3.

21. What did you do on your birthday?

Some of my colleagues took me to lunch at Spur (I insisted), I was surprised with cake and sparklers at the office, and I attended a Lay’s Deli event that evening with a friend, getting our feet massaged and indulging in delicious snacks. Also a bit of a pity party – it’s tradition.

22. What kept you sane?

That would imply that I was sane to start off with.

23. Who did you miss?

My best friend. We don’t see each other very often now that I’ve moved.

24. Who was the best new person you met?

Karen Metsos – she has a way of making you feel really good about yourself (and I’m not just talking about her trade) and to motivate

25. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:

You do not have to explain/justify your personal choices to anyone. Also, cars are probably just as expensive to keep as kids.