As I’ve been too involved with meeting academic deadlines for the past week and a half, I have yet to sit down and write a proper review of what 2012 meant to me. 2013 started with the pop of the pistol and it’s time to sprint – so I run, mentally mostly. My brain has been offered as one of the tributes and now has to deal with The Hunger Games, mental edition, hence I’m writing this with my hair still wet.
“The Venus Autopsy” by Danil Dan†e Sherekin
What sticks to my mind about 2012 is its intensity. When things looked up, I soared (well, not literally as gravity does like to nuzzle and cuddle), and when things didn’t work out for me, let’s just say that I gave the chocolate industry a great boost through all quarters.
If I’ve to go out of my way to give the last year a colorful description, it would sound something like: “omnipotent deity with violent mood swings and a penchant for sadism”. My habit to resort to anthropomorphism is why I like to imagine past years as corpses (karma and all). Nothing did seem to come easy this year.
Creatively, I hit a stand-still with the lowest number of completed works compared to previous years, but I somehow managed to produce one story that turned out to be my first professional sale (out this year). On the other hand, I took my first editorial position for the ‘Tales to Terrify’ podcast and anthology, which taught me a great deal about the editorial process. Given how I’d have to stretch between a full time job and a very busy academic year, I’m surprised I achieved anything in 2012.
Academically, I completed my bachelor’s degree under a significant amount of stress (pressure from my full time job and editing responsibilities for ‘Tales to Terrify’). Then, I enrolled in what I consider to be the anarchist’s definition of a master’s program – read that as no organization at all. I still carry the academic burden, but the second semester boasts half the number of subjects I had this semester, which to me sounds like heaven right about now.
Amidst all the chaos, my sister and I went on a very tourist-y tour of Europe with stops in France and Austria and Germany, which accounts to why I didn’t attend cons this year, though I really did want to repeat the FantasyCon experience from 2011.
Well, I think I ran out of specific events to list, but I do have to say that friendships were made and strengthened, crises were averted, laughs were had and more than once not a single fuck was given even though circumstances demanded fucks to be given (fucks are a precious currency and damn it if I will spend it lightly).
Compared to 2011, 2012 was a fantastic improvement, but highly indecisive, though I guess any year that’s burdened with an apocalypse prophecy might experience an identity crisis.
What was your 2012 like? Are you relieved to have that thing buried in your backyard?
[…] year I’m breaking tradition and will forsake my detailed dissection of 2013, in favour of a wiser approach. I like to believe everything sent our way is a test with a […]