Turning Into Gold: December 2011

Okay, we're all about to start a fresh, new calendar. We're reading & listening & watching a host of "best ___ of 2011" lists & thinking about what we did, what we would like to do better, & whoa whoa whoa, I'm sorry, but where did the time go?

Here you will find my reminiscences on our dearest, two thousand eleven. I didn't think I did much really, but then I realized this was because so much had happened that my brain just shoved the beginning half of the year into the section of memory that needs dusting. This year I:

Grew to like Los Angeles! Of course initially I was like, "hmmm I think I hate Los Angeles less". This city is kind of a long list of things I don't like: crowds, traffic, heat, lack of public transportation, drivers that don't believe in the existence of pedestrians, being in the bottom half of California, blah blah blah. I spent much of my first few months here crying my eyes out, calling my parents, contemplating the consequences of dropping out of school, being an idiot in general. But for whatever reason, when I came back from last year's winter break I was like "I am going to make this work! RARRRRRR!!!" It just got progressively easier to be here as I figured things out.

Took a jazz dance class at school & had crazy amounts of fun

Saw Hello Seahorse! (that explanation point is really part of their name, so here is another one to express how excited I was !)

Saw Yann Tiersen live again. So much love for his music, really really really

Hit a major low point when the stolen wallet incident was followed by a minor romantic disappointment. Life went on, I mostly just miss the photographs in my old wallet

Dealt with more unwanted male attention than I'd like, but at least had funny stories to tell my friends (remember Brain?). Learned never to date a user of a library in which you are employed (obvious yes, but come on, the only boyfriend I had in college went to a different school entirely, give me a break!)

Went to Disneyland!

Turned twenty four years old. Ate nice food. & ICE CREAM!

Saw Man Man

Got another ear piercing, freaked out because I snagged it on a sweater & it swelled up & became painful after I came home from Man Man.

Completed my first year of grad school!

Got contact lenses!

Lost yet another pair of sunglasses to the Pacific Ocean on the fourth of July

Was terrified by haunted Olive Court, but acquired a free, haunted shoe rack that same night

Moved apartments & in with the bestest roommate everrrrrrrrr. Sure this is only the second roommate I've ever had, but I like my living situation despite the obvious incompetency of the management. Trust me, when I'm an old lady, I'll be like, "Oh that gal (when I'm old, I'll call girls, gals) I lived with in L.A. was so nice. She was probably the best roommate ever." & then I'll be like, "Get off my lawn!"

Began my first archival internship & seriously had the best experience possible as far as location & supervisor go, I am so so so lucky!

Became a member of two art museums. So fancy!

I think I went to Las Vegas twice. I think I smuggled dessert out of a buffet in a souvenir cup.

Went to Griffith Park & Observatory for the first time (whoo!). Unfortunately I did learn at work recently that Griffith J. Griffith was not just a repetitively named man who might have liked the outdoors & science, but also a murdering man who killed his wife in a fancy Arcadia hotel.

Awkwardly quit my job. Seriously, this was not smooth

Said goodbye & meant it really, even went the extra step to get a phone number blocked

Took lots of walks

Experienced the often unseen (for me anyway) bottom half of PCH. Got to see bits of Big Sur again which was fantastic as it had been a year or two or whenever that time I cut off all my hair was.

Said goodbye & didn't want to, moped for days

Went to the midnight showing of the last Harry Potter movie. Cried & laughed so hard!

Saw The National!

& the L.A. Phil!

& Beirut!

Started new job/internship

Batman Halloween

Finalized portfolio topic

Christmas apartment

It's been such a full, wonderful year! I don't really make resolutions for the new year as I prefer constant, continuous personal growth over fits & starts, but I am hoping 2012 brings me more change, more obstacles to overcome, more time with the people I care for so much. I'm very excited for the mysteries of "what happens after June?" to unravel!

I had the great luck of purchasing this album on the same day that a very tiny rainstorm came into town. It's beautiful, transporting music. I got out of the subway, greeted by lots of wind and a show of pigeons heading for drier places. I was also lucky enough to get a window seat fairly early on the bus portion of my trip. With yMusic, every tiny detail outside that window became absolutely fascinating. The way asphalt slowly becomes darker and darker as the rain starts picking up. I saw a man biking in the same direction as the wind, leaves were kicking up past him, it made me wish I were on a bike, but I still had a cold so that wouldn't have been a good idea. Even things that generally annoy me about this city became wonderful. No, this traffic isn't keeping you from home, it's giving you a twinkling light show, white & red in the rain, something to watch while we wait for the rain to stop.