Something New: Week 52 and Conclusion

December 23 -- Watched "The Dark Knight Rises" with my family. Didn't really like it. It was just way too long. Also at church that day, I performed a new Christmas medley that I arranged.

December 24 --  Wrote our first note to Josh from Santa. Not sure how I feel about that. Tell me it's not dishonest. Got new pajamas from "The Elves", like every year.

December 25 -- Enjoyed a bunch of Josh's new Christmas toys. Tried to assemble a crazy complicated Mine Shaft marble track and failed. Also, I got my email account hacked for the first time, so I got to fix that. Sorry to everyone on my email list who got spam on Christmas!

December 26 -- Saw "Les Miserables" in the theater. Cried like a baby. Loved every minute of it, mostly for the emotion it was able to convey, but the singing wasn't bad either.

December 27 -- Used the new gadget I got for weighing my luggage. I love it. (We flew to AZ that night.)

December 28 -- Tried cookie butter on bread. It's a new favorite. Matt tells me I've had this before, but I don't believe I would forget something so delicious.

December 29 -- Met Kevin's parents (Matt's sister Stephanie's new in-laws). Steph went through the temple that day to be endowed before their wedding. Also, I wore a new skirt. Thank you, Santa.

December 30 -- Played the game Anomia with Matt's siblings. We got this game for Michelle for Christmas, and it's really fun and easy. If you like games and fast thinking, you should check it out.

December 31 -- Finally saw "The Hobbit" with Matt and Michelle. I thought it was great. Not close enough to the book, but a good story anyway. And that's how we welcomed in the new year!

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CONCLUSION

This has been a great and crazy year. I am so glad I made the goal to try something new every day, and here's why.

I just looked over all my weekly posts and tried to make a list of the favorite new things I experienced this year. I ended up with a piece of paper that is so crowded with words that it's barely legible! There was so much I enjoyed learning and tasting and reading throughout the year! Not everything I tried was easy (or delicious), but every single thing added something to my store of knowledge, or broadened my comfort zone in a significant way.

And even better -- since I wrote about something for each day, I can actually remember these experiences. I was able to look back and feel proud of myself, take an inventory of my year, sum up my mini accomplishments. I determined that 2012 was the most productive, interesting year I have ever lived, and it was also the year in which I have done the most growing up, by far.

In addition, I'm now in the habit of trying new things, and even seeking them out it advance. It has become an important part of my life.  I constantly have a mental list of things I'd like to try. For example, right now it's brussel sprouts, Romp 'n Stomp, driving a stick shift, homemade cassoulet, and a bunch of new books. For starters. :)

In conclusion, here are some summaries of my favorites. Because who doesn't love a good list?

New Favorite recipes:  Zupa Toscana, homemade soft pretzels, cauliflower mash, brownie mix cookies, creme brulee, Mexican mole, triple chip blondies, BJ's deep dish pizza crust, blueberry cobbler, donut muffins, tofu chocolate mint pie, bacon artichoke penne bake, Aspen oatmeal pancakes, toffee chocolate chip bars, maple bars, cobb salad with blue cheese, chicken and veggie skewers, homemade pickles, homemade vanilla extract, Cajun chicken pasta, and s'mores cookies.

New foods tasted:  fresh fennel, Alaskan halibut, tilapia, lobster mac, tofu, radishes, Ovaltine, acorn squash, Jolly Rancher chews, turkey bratwurst, cactus chili, purple green beans, gnocchi, canoli, turmeric, and stevia.

New beloved TV shows:  Sherlock Holmes, Prison Break, New Girl

New books read (not including the handful I started and never finished): The Hobbit, God's Smuggler, When Crickets Cry, Eat This Not That for Kids,  Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Northanger Abbey, The Secret Garden, Crossed, Matched, Persuasion.

New places visited:  Ludington, Leland, and Traverse City, MI; Lake Jackson and Tomball in Texas; Hoboken, NJ; Seattle and Bellevue, WA; the freakishly large Minneapolis airport; the Frankfurt, Germany airport; Rome, Florence, and Venice, Italy.

And most importantly...

New skills developed:  teaching piano, driving a tractor, moving the lawn, using bleach in the laundry, clearing a computer with a virus, making uncomfortable phone calls, reading the news, speaking some Italian, staying home alone without Matt overnight, gardening, using a jigsaw and a blowtorch, not crying when my armpits are waxed, eating seafood without gagging, serving on the preschool board, conducting a presidency meeting, operating Instagram and Pinterest (sort of), talking to strangers, communicating about religion with people of other sects, singing in front of Primary.

I've met a lot of new people, learned to be a better teacher, discovered a lot of amazing foods, got in the habit of trying new things, became very involved in my community, and made a big crack in my shy shell. If any one of those things had been all I accomplished in 2012, this goal would be worth it. 2013 has some big shoes to fill!