What a year, y’all. I say that every year, but this one has brought so much change I didn’t see coming.
Here is my annual non-exhaustive list of what has happened this year. As always, it’s a limited tool, but an interesting one.
In 2019, I have…
- marked a year (and some change) at Berklee, where I get to write about our students, faculty, alumni and guest artists making music and doing various cool music-adjacent things.
- moved to East Boston after spending a lot of time there this spring, and falling completely in love.
- Related: moved into my own apartment for the first time in more than a decade.
- run several 5Ks, one of them in a cape and one in a Wonder Woman costume.
- run my first 10K, this summer – a triumph.
- flown to Texas several times, once to celebrate my grandfather’s 85th birthday with the whole fam.
- spent hours and hours on the Neponset River trail, the Charles River Esplanade and the East Boston Harborwalk and Greenway, running to my heart’s content.
- done a lot of yoga, at three different studios: Healing Tree in my old neighborhood, Erin’s shiny new Savin Hill Fitness Studio, and The Point in my new neighborhood.
- read more than 150 books, and reviewed 58 (I think) for Shelf Awareness. (Still the best.)
- Related: interviewed nine authors for the Shelf, all of whom were lovely and fascinating.
- attended my first Newport Folk Festival and had a fabulous time.
- filled up half a dozen or so journals (and – gasp – I got rid of at least six boxes of old ones when I moved).
- started going to therapy.
- gone through a divorce.
- spent many weekday mornings at Mem Church, and a few Sundays at assorted churches here and there.
- drunk so many chai lattes, mostly from the Boston Public Library and (of course) Darwin’s.
- bought and enjoyed countless bouquets of flowers, most of them from my beloved Brattle Square Florist.
- taken a number of BlueBike rides across town and along the river.
- spent a weekend in rural Pennsylvania with my friend Christie and her family – so good for the soul.
- hosted my longtime friend Abigail in my new digs for a glorious long weekend.
- spent Thanksgiving with my friends Joe and Lauryn, and assorted other friends old and new.
- taken Phoenix, the sweetest mini golden doodle, on many walks through East Boston. (And cuddled him a lot.)
- followed thrive as my one little word, to sometimes unexpected places.
What has 2019 looked like for you?
cakes, tea and dreams 
I had some similar milestones: I moved into my own place for the first time in 15 years and also went through a divorce. My first thought as I looked at your list was that you have made much better use of your transitional year than I have with mine. But then I wondered that if I really reflected and wrote down what other things went on during my year, I might come up with a busier year than I thought I had. Either way, I think that however busy I was, there was a lack of intention; I was busy as a result of circumstances, not by design. I am going to be more purposeful in 2020. How much of your year was intentional?
Also, please share how you are able to read so many books in one year! Are you simply a fast reader? I’ve been told that I am but I think my average would only be one book a week.
Love this reflection, Katie! You’re always making me want to see Boston. 🙂 So good to catch up with you recently.