Why being Julia in 2012 was rad.

I have, apparently, never gotten over 2004. Maybe it’s because that was a responsibility-free year, or maybe it’s because the music scene in my hometown was particularly active that year; for whatever bullshit reason, if I write a date without thinking I almost always write 2004. This becomes most prevalent during year changes where I revert back to 2004 instead of whatever new year it may be like some malfunctioning robot stuck in an all-around uneventful time.

Just when I feel like writing 2012 has become my new go-to date, the year goes and changes on me.

Despite this hilarious/humiliating issue, I’m excited about a new year. After being inspired by the Facebook year in review (which was alarmingly accurate) and other blog re-caps, I feel compelled to remember why I loved 2012 before I move on to why I’ll love 2013.

Let’s start at the beginning. I rang in 2012 with some of my favorite people. One of my best gal pals was momentarily in St. Louis during her year as an overseas English teacher and we commemorated the night with overly dressy outfits and shopping and confetti and champagne.

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NYE 2011 w Sara

On New Year’s Day I found out my first Jeep, Jimmy the Jeep Sr. 1990 Cherokee, was dead. Lance had heard from the mechanic on NYE, but opted to wait to tell me so I would enjoy the evening. Although I sobbed when I learned the car, valued at $300, would cost 3K to fix, it forced me to do something completely new: buy and haggle down a car. I went to dealership after dealership and kept walking away due to bad prices; I may have looked stubborn, but I had a plan. When I bought my baby I got it for the price I wanted (a.k.a the price it was worth), which was something like $2000 off listing. I used my smartphone to show the dealer “comparable prices”, researched everything about Jeeps I could need and, after buying it, made sure to get every teeny detail I asked for. I’m still more than happy with the car and what I paid for it. Although I loved the adrenaline-filed negotiation, I hope to drive this car another 10 years or so.

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Right after New Year’s, I was called in for an interview for a job I did not apply for: Fashion Editor. The managing editor had heard from the EIC that I’d done good things with my last newspaper, and they asked if I’d come in for an interview. Two important things: the fashion section has been my pride and joy since that day, and my confidence has reached comfortable levels after being asked to come in for an interview. Between the start and end of the year, I ate, slept and breathed fashion section; while it might be dorky to admit that, I wanted to make sure the section was thriving and strong before I graduated to guarantee its livelihood. Be it the amazing writers I worked with and befriended or the staggering amount of frustrating work (Adobe InDesign, you were a bitch to learn… We’re cool now…), the fashion section was one of the best experiences of college and I miss it already.

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Over the summer, Lance and I took our first major trip together. For a former military couple, this was a big deal. We spent the first half of our relationship trying to find the time and money to fly me to North Carolina on a regular basis; while we normally managed to see each other every three months, we went as long as seven (which, granted, is cake compared to some other military couples), so the thought of a normal person vaca’ was laughable. We spent two weeks in Denver, Colorado where I was finally able to introduce Lance to my family. We visited the mountains, went to some amazing punk shows (Pennywise, Guttermouth, Street Dogs! Oh my!), and spent quality time visiting some of my favorite relatives.

Mountains 2012 Roadtrip

In the fall, we took another, much shorter, trip to Chicago. Lance and I met because of the 2009 Riot Fest, so we find it fitting to go each year we can. The 2012 Riot Fest was carnival-themed and featured circus acts, games, rides and fair food– plus one of our dear friends and amazing bands like NOFX, Less Than Jake, The Adicts and Iggy Pop and the Stooges. Yeah, did you read that? IGGY POP WAS THERE. It was a decade highlight for me and my dork ass, that’s for sure. I mean, c’mon, one of my childhood cats was named Iggy Pop. How could that weekend have been anything less than amazing?

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That Halloween, Lance and I had our first couple’s costume and it was amazing. One of my favorite costumes of all time. Lance and I were Eddie Valiant and Jessica Rabbit for two Halloween shows, and it was the most fun.

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In November, like every November, I hosted Thanksgiving. Why so important this year? It was the most fun I’d ever had hosting. The conversation was great, the people were amazing, all of the food turned out edible… Any dinner party that ends in skateboarding is a success, I’d say.

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A week before final exams and I did the one ‘college thing’ I’d never done: go to campus bars. Two friends and I got dolled up and went to all three area bars for a night of mixed drinks (paid for), singing (I knew 10 songs in 5 hours), dancing (awful, don’t do it), wooooo-ing (so effing loud!) and acting like a normal college gal on a weekend. While I don’t think I’ll ever step foot on a college dance floor again– seriously, I’m too snarky to be that close to that many people who look hilarious trying to ‘bump’ and/or ‘grind’– nor will I learn the words to the hundred or so songs I didn’t recognize, I’ll always be glad I had that one night of college normalcy and even gladder I went home to an apartment and boyfriend and pets instead of a dorm and roommates and more roommates.

Campus Bars (2012)

And then, in December, I graduated from Saint Louis University magna cum laude. After working my ass off and earning a 90 percent scholarship to the oldest university west of the Mississippi River, I’m proud to say I graduated with honors. Take that, college! Take that, high school guidance dean who said I wouldn’t amount to anything with my interests!

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It all comes full circle somehow, huh? I captioned a photo from last NYE’s I think I’ll be sassy in 2012 and I’ve decided it’s my new way to do resolutions. Phrases like that leave plenty of room for minor changes as the year grows and morphs, as opposed to the standard ‘I’ll do X activity Y amount of times’ or ‘I’ll give up Z forever!’ And yes, I do honestly believe 2012 was my sassiest year to date.

I’ve spent all week deciding on my 2013 goal and I think I’ve finally got it: I think I’ll be on top of shit in 2013. Be it housework, fitness, health, finances… I just want to be in a little more control. What better resolution could I have? To be proper, it ought to be worded I’ll be on top of things, but I think a little slang might make tasks like evening work-outs and creating budgets less daunting, more amusing.

Alright, 2013. You and me are going to be BFFs. It’s time for some munchies, then maybe some excited thoughts on why it is bound to be an ah-maze-ing year. So cool it can’t be an actual word, it has to be some obnoxiously spelled out one. One-der-full, I know.

2 Comments

  1. January 2, 2013 / 3:33 pm

    Love it!! Ah Fashion Editor wooohoo!! You did an amazing job with the fashion section you should be so proud!

    Happy new year!
    xox
    Rita

    • January 2, 2013 / 3:56 pm

      Aw, thanks lady. I miss it already. Here’s hoping something fun pops up! Or at this point, something paying! Hahahaha.

      Happy New Year! Miss you guys already!

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