2017 in Review

Last year, I felt a little guilty saying that 2016 was a great year. This year, it’s even harder to get those words out, but that doesn’t make it any less true: 2017 was another stellar year for me personally. And here’s a picture of me raising a frozen turkey in thanks.

 

My first stop of the year was in Paris. Ninety minutes into my stay, I was pickpocketed by a guy who was very skilled at his craft. Nine days into my stay, I was invited backstage at the circus and given a ride to the Metro in their company tour bus. So things worked out is what I’m saying.

 

After France and Belgium, I made a quick stop in Marrakech. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t find car accidents or camel rides particularly charming, but in Morocco it felt like an adventure.

 

In March, I met a terrible man at a bar in Copenhagen. But then, just a week later, I met a wonderful man at a bar in Helsinki – and I say that even though his idea of a first date involved throwing me in the frozen waters of the Baltic Sea.

 

In Latvia, I gave myself a gift – this in the form of jewelry that has been diplomatically been described as, “Cool, I guess. Very… different.” Just like me.

 

In June, I got a terrible haircut at a salon in Vancouver and I know that’s not really a problem but it felt like one at the time.

 

Over the summer, I went back to the States for a visit. I took my grandmother out to lunch at Cracker Barrel, where she unloaded about the Irish and complained about a coal stove she owned 70 years ago. Meanwhile, across town, my brother threw his back out while typing an email and used his downtime to harass the cable company about a wireless router. In other words, everything went exactly as I expected.

 

When I got back on the road, my summer travels were not without incident: I got heat stroke in Montenegro. I fell off a boat launch in Croatia. I broke into a deluxe suite at the famed Gresham hotel in Dublin. One might think all that would force me to be more careful, but it really just inspired me to write College Essay: one long, winding, copycat post about all the absurd things that have happened to me over the past two years.

 

If College Essay is my favorite post of the year, then it’s only fair to share yours too. The most read of 2017: Only in New York.

 

Over the past two years, countless people have asked: “Do you ever work?” It’s a question that I take such offense to that I felt it necessary to answer formally with a 1300 word rantaroo.

 

Don’t worry: If Yes, I Work. makes it seem like I’m playing a good game at work, I still have my downfalls. For example, I was recently outsmarted by a keychain.

 

And since I always like to end on a light note, here’s a post about the men who say #MeToo.

 

Thanks to everyone who followed along this past year. The party will keep on rolling in 2018 – though big changes are in the works. More to come on that in January. Until then – hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

xx – Nova

 

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