About Last Year

2010, the year with as many zeros as the nine preceding, is over.

And now as the 21st century fast approaches its teens – and who would disagree that each year is going by faster than the last? – I look back at my life in this century's tenth year.

In my tenth year I went to a new school, out of area, with a group of kids and a teacher who were to become a bit like family for two years; a self-contained class, separate from the rest of the school. It was so far from home I had to take the train to school. I was introduced to commuting.

In this century's tenth year I stopped commuting and started working from home - signifying another move to a more insular daily environment. I miss the office life in some ways, though less and less, and hope never to have to return to it.

My life last year was undramatic, and uneventful. Changes were organic and stress free. Perhaps this is the most notable thing about the year.

• I (finally) took up regular volunteer work
• Took several writing courses. Stopped thinking about "wanting to be a writer" and did something about it
• Had to overcome the fear of anyone else reading my writing
• had my first article published in a local mag
• Started blogging publicly (felt the fear the first time I had to hit the "publish" button)
• Saw more live music - inc the joy of Jónsi, and regular Taikoz/Synergy evenings
• Saw live theater that was NOT contemporary dance (broadened my cultural scope and was richer for it)
• more than the usual amount of physical set-backs got in the way of dance class; too much time spent with physios
• Took-up running (!)
• Started working from home
• Wrote my first script
• Learned how to read and watch the news without wanting to cry
• Did not step inside an aeroplane
• Visited Bellingen for the first time
• Survived winter without turning on a heater
• Reduced my carbon footprint more
• Consumed less
• Worried about the environment more
• Read more
• Reunions in abundance - got together with friends from school i've not seen in decades - not seen since school in fact
• Farewelled an old friend
• On the last day of the year caught a wave and frolicked on a brand new tiny little beach