*brushes dust off blog*

I got the urge out of the blue to look and see what I'd blogged about last New Year's. Turns out, nothing. Odd, considering that last year marked the end of a long decade of pretty good ups and horrendous downs. There were the good bits: meeting Kourtnie, getting to know her over the course of three years, declaring the relationship and letting her move in with me six years ago, selling a fair amount of artwork to people all over the world, seeing Neurosonic live and meeting the band, discovering NIN, getting to see NIN live three times, meeting Trent Reznor, the 2008 presidential elections. But there were also a lot of not-so-good bits: getting fired from my first job out of college, having to move back in with my parents, declaring bankruptcy, having a hysterectomy (which in the end is a good thing, but I would have rather avoided growing a tumor and having major surgery, especially the part about the huge hospital bill afterwords), opening a business and watching it fail, the ice storm, 9/11, the recession.

But this year was pretty bitchin' for the most part. I did stuff, I learned stuff, and this was the first year in recent memory where nothing really significantly negative happened to me that I can think of offhand. I switched to a more natural diet and ate less restaurant and drive-thru food. I found out that I do have a "dream car," and that car is a DeLorean. I said goodbye to MySpace, because it's lame. I made my own laundry detergent. I built us some capsule beds. I finally completely said goodbye to Fashioned By Jaye, and felt better for doing so. I planted my first garden, which yielded a bunch of tomatoes, lots of Anasazi beans, basil, beets, a few carrots, one adorably tiny bell pepper, and lots of marigolds. I joined the modern era and got a smart phone. I got addicted to Facebook games, for which I blame Kourt. I discovered the joy of the TomTom, as well as the joy of being in a car for 19 hours straight, and the joy of spending an entire week in New Jersey. I got to visit the Mutter Museum, which was every bit as interesting as expected. I started a second big renovation project and learned what it's like to battle 80 years of wallpaper and paint. I've gotten promoted. Twice. The biggest negative thing I can think of this year is how hard I had to fight to get that second promotion, but it all turned out okay in the end and good things are worth fighting for.

We have a tendency to head into each new year with grand plans for big accomplishments and big changes, but there's a lot to be said for completing a year and being able to look back at twelve months of normal. My house isn't any cleaner than it was a year ago, I've not lost any more weight, and I don't have a lot more money than I did, but it's all okay. Things are going smoothly, and there's almost nothing better than enjoying a little smooth sailing for a change.

That, I think, is the most positive change I've made for myself in 2010. Finally, for the first time in my entire life, I've come to realize that happiness isn't something you chase through accomplishments and grand goals. A happy life doesn't come with an ideal career or perfect home or perfect body. I've finally realized that the life I want is attainable now, not just at some future ideal point where I'm living in some perfect house, working a perfect job, etc.

So, I bid a fond farewell to 2010. It's been a good one. No regrets.