Addio, 2009

As always, the end of the year has snuck up on me. The whole idea of 2010 is absurd—it sounds like something out of a bad sci-fi flick: a boomy male voice saying "In the year 2010...the world has become a very different place." And yet, here we are, another year gone by, another decade passed (Somebody, somewhere (Hi, Mom) is dying to correct me and tell me that the next decade doesn't start until 2011. I KNOW). 2009 was a big year for me, as I tried to find my footing as an honest-to-goodness freelancer and attempted to decide, as ever, what I want to do with my life. I'm going to tentatively say that it was a good year. A lot happened, that's for sure.

A few highlights from the past year in the life of LMB:

I started a 365 photography project. 10 months later, I ended it.

I survived La Sonnambula, Brief Encounter, La Cenerentola, Faust, and Katya Kabanova. I made company debuts in 3 new places, including The Met.

I moved into a new apartment with CameraMan in February and bought the couch of our dreams. I was actually resident in the apartment for a total of 3 months.

I held a newborn baby for the first time. Then I held another one.

I lived in New York City, Chicago, and rural upstate New York. I contemplated moving to 2 of the 3. I went back to Houston instead.

I turned 28. It didn't make me feel older or wiser.

I saw some famous people and was star-struck. I sat next to this guy. I sang "Happy birthday" to this one and got kissed on both cheeks by him. I saw 2 of the 4 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (one of whom read poetry out loud) and a never-nude at a Brooklyn bar and took a blurry picture of this guy in a midtown bar with an unmarked door.

I crossed off #96, #17, #1, and #72 on my list. I'll do better next year.

Do your worst, 2010.