Retrospectives, Part I

I feel bad for ignoring my annual "The Year In..." entry for two years, so here are some quick summaries of 2009 and 2010 in bullet form. Complete 2011 summary to be added soon!

Best of 2009

Shoes: Supreme canvas (Burgundy)

Looking back, this pair, which I bought on my year-end trip, eventually became my most reliable and durable shoes. Over the past two years, I've probably used these (and my Clarks - more on these in 2010) the most since they're so versatile - work, casual or semi-formal, I put these on. And they can take a beating in the rain! I love my grape shoes.

Other memorable pairs:

• Nike Zoom Kobe IV (White Varsity Purple) - So, so durable, I still use these for outdoor ball
• Reebok Team Question Mid (White/Red) - Got these in NYC when AI came back to the Sixers. Still so icy, never been worn
• Vans 106 Vulcanized (Purple) - I initially wanted to keep this pair in good condition, but no deal
• Pointer Mathieson (Navy) - Got me through a lot of different trips, and is in surprisingly good condition after a recent clean. These have even survived being covered in melted cheese and tomato sauce from Harry's!

Song: MGMT - Kids

First heard this song towards the end of 2008, and from then until halfway through 2009, this song was inescapable. My quintessential summer 2009 song, since I immediately associate it with some of the best times of my life. It's definitely climbed up my "favourite songs ever" list!

Other memorable songs:

• Drake, Kanye West, Lil' Wayne & Eminem - Forever
• Lykke Li feat. Drake - Little Bit (Remix)
• Feist - Brandy Alexander
• Kanye West - Amazing
• Kanye West - Welcome to Heartbreak
• Kanye West - Paranoid
• Kanye West - Street Lights
• Chairlift - Bruises
• Matt and Kim - Daylight
• Matt and Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare
• Regina Spektor - Eet
• Kid Cudi - Alive (Nightmare)
• Kid Cudi - Day 'n' Nite (Nightmare)
• Kid Cudi - Pursuit of Happiness
• MGMT - Electric Feel
• Ratatat - Seventeen Years
• Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream
• Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars
• Santogold - Lights Out
• An Horse - Company
• An Horse - Warm Hands
• An Horse - Camp Out
• Bon Iver - Skinny Love
• Bon Iver - Blood Bank
• Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes
• Blue October - 18th Floor Balcony
  

Album: Kid Cudi - The Man on the Moon: The Legend of Mr Rager

As described here.

Academics:

My last year of study! 2009 was my Honours year, the culmination of my University degree. It was actually a REALLY fun year, definitely not as stressful as anticipated. My Honours supervisor was so incredibly accomodating. She made life so easy for me! I loved testing the First Years and thinking, "Aww, scrapping for Experimetrix credits. I was once like you!" Writing the thesis was hard, but not debilitatingly so. The feeling of finishing my thesis and handing it in was downright euphoric. All in all, a pretty successful year, nerd-wise.

Games:

To be honest, 2009-2010 was a black hole in gaming. I went from constant gamer to someone who occasionally played pick up on NBA 2K9. No winner.

Recap:

Retrospectively, I can say that 2009 was one of the best years in my life. From one of the busiest summers ever, to the two-month streak of 21st birthday celebrations, to the Lakers winning the title, to falling in love with my best friend, to finishing my thesis (and my entire degree!) and eventually culminating with seven weeks in NYC. Take that, all other contenders for Best Year Ever!

Memories:

Crazy New Year party at Cristian's
The Hives concert
Sydney Festival First Night
Jamberoo
Port Stephens trip
Beach trips!
DCfC concert #3
So many 21sts, all awesome
Angles taking me out on my birthday!
Near weekly drop-bys from Niggs
Becoming an honorary Villareal with the amount of time I spent with Pat
The endless rollercoaster saga that was my relationship with Angles
JAMP time, all the time!
The Lakers making me proud to be a die-hard fan
My first colitis attack and the resulting trip to Emergency. Scary
Getting our new America Bulldog puppy and naming him Kobe
Getting into a car accident with Pat, and thankfully not getting hurt
Nights spent with V/Red Bull/Dare Iced Coffee while I worked on my thesis
Finally handing it in, ending my Uni degree!
More concerts: La Roux, Lisa Mitchell, etc
Taronga Zoo
Wicked
Touching down in NYC and immediately getting scammed
Waking up in Manhattan for the first time
New York burgers all day, everyday
Shopping in SoHo
Watching my first NBA game, live. In Madison Square Garden, too!
Watching Kobe play, in person. Can finally strike that off the bucket list.
Exploring NYC on my own
NYE in NYC, watching the ball drop in Times Square

So many memories. Can't believe it's been three years...

Quote to sum up 2009:

"Love you to the bones, my dear."

 - marty..

END COMMUNICATION.