Yearly Roundup

As 2007 ends i'll observe the custom and take a retrospective look over the past year.
But i'll go back a little farther.

In many ways it's been an extraordinary 18 months of experiencing things and doing things for the first time ever. [Some firsts include many subset firsts, indented below].

I experienced true grief
Lost a very close (dare i say my best) friend
Suffered from anxiety and felt an almost indefinable and
    terrible fear i'd never know before
wept deeply and openly in public places
Went to pub trivia
Went into a Hyperbaric chamber (several times)
Sold stuff on ebay
Lived without a car for 6 months
Took the ferry to work
Went to the art gallery 'After Hours'
Visited China
Visited Costa Rica
        Rappelled thru high mountains
        Saw iguanas, capuchin monkeys and other wildlife up close
Visited Nevada
Went to Burning Man
        Camped in a desert
        breathed, ate, drank, absorbed, slept in, wore, saw the
                fine soft playa dust
        hugged random strangers
        took part in a group monkey chant
        witnessed enormous, shocking explosions, and large, mesmerising
                fires as various constructions went up in flames
        saw a double/triple rainbow perfectly complete from end to end
        travelled on a vegetable oil powered "stoner" bus
Skied in Lake Tahoe
Took a day trip skiiing - from Munich to the resort and back by dinner time - with K who i'd also never skiied with before
Cycled to Caringbah. My first long bike ride, alone.
Cycled to Wollongong. Then did it again 12 months later.
        Cycled intercity
        Cycled a really long way - ie for more than a couple of hours
Saw Tori Amos live, up close (front row)
Saw and heard speak the Dalai Lama, up close (4th row)
Raised my very own kitten, alone.
Rehearsed, worked and developed over months with choreographer and performed the piece 3 times.
        Performed in a Dirty Feet Season
Performed in a Fondue Set show - danced, hoofed and sang
Performed (hoofed) with the Fondue Set
Performed at the SDC end of year show
Volunteer Marshalled at a fund-raiser walkathon
Started a blog
Hosted a gathering of a dozen or more and tested the limits of my flat. It's roomier than it seems.
Took meditation classes and started truly regular practice
Joined a Mah Jong group

and they're just the things i can remember, and that are worth mentioning.