The 2000s: A Decade in Review

2000: Started off the new year sleeping at home, since it was a friday night and I still lived with my parents. Dated A (ex fiance) the entire year. Graduated high school, after retaking hashkafa and navi finals over the summer- they wouldn't give me my 'real' diploma until I had retaken finals for the jewish subject courses that I never showed up to class for, and therefore failed. Started the year working at one rockland county area take out place, quit that job dramatically when the boss started yelling at me for not doing something that was not my job to do, worked at a different rockland area take out place all summer long, made crazy money from doing deliveries, was sexually harassed by the manager who kept trying to feel me up when I passed by him, and kept asking me to have sex with him in the bathroom, and the owner didn't believe me, and the dude didn't stop even when my bf threatened him, so quit that job. Started college, commuted from home.

2001: Spent new years watching the ball drop at times square. Left for birthrite soon after, spent an extra week or two in Israel crashing at my friend's place by Bar Ilan, and watched the inauguration from tel aviv. Discovered sociology, decided I wanted to go to grad school, discovered after I got my grades for the first semester that if I actually try to do well in school I can get straight A's, decided to change my major from music (with a media minor) to media (with a sociology minor) to sociology (with a media minor) to sociology (with a women's studies minor), which is the one I kept. Got a job as a peer adviser at school, and joined the school senate. Dated A most of the year, although we broke up for a few months over the summer and got back together after I dated a few other dudes. Went on a labor day road trip to the beach with A, rented a hotel for a couple of days, and drove to the beach on Saturday morning- first time I drove on shabbas. 9/11 happened- I was at home and was supposed to commute into NYC that day for college, but obviously didn't. Started following political news after that. Dyed my hair hot pink, mom freaked out and made me dye it a more 'natural' dark red color. Spent that fall semester taking cabs and being perpetually late to my first class (With a prof I later coauthored two papers with) because there were constantly fake anthrax attacks on the subway. Started my first blog at the end of the year.

2002: Started my first sociology research assistantship, got accepted to my college's honors program, still dated A all year, worked as a peer adviser, got a raise, joined the sociology club and became president, met a Palestinian girl who worked in the student government office and who challenged many of my ideas about israel (don't think she ever knew I was jewish). Took the GREs and went to my first sociology conference, visited some grad schools. Got promoted from peer adviser to student center receptionist (they paid more, and supervised the advisers). Moved to a college dorm in September after mathematically proving to my parents that it would be cheaper than commuting (also my bf lived right near my parents at that point, so i think they figured I would be safer if I was farther away). Pressure to get married from my parents.

2003: Worked three jobs: receptionist, research assistant, and statistics tutor. Got laid off from the receptionist job for being "too smart for the job" (and also they "ran out of money" in the student center), but right afterward got a student-faculty grant to get paid for my research assistantship job. Got engaged to A on July 4th. Realized as we started planning the wedding that I philosophically disagreed with many jewish wedding traditions. Won a few awards in college for leadership and academic achievement. Presented my research for the first time this year- at two conferences. Started putting together grad school applications, and was dumped by A the night after I sent out the first one. Finished all my applications in a daze. Ate non kosher chicken for the first time a few weeks after A ended our engagement.

2004: Started off the year in a crazy depression- after pushing myself to finish all my applications, suddenly the break up caught up with me in January when I ran out of things to distract myself with. Went on dates with a few dudes. Started going to hippie music shows with a good friend of mine. Went to cognitive therapy for about 10 weeks to deal with break up with A, and ended up breaking off an 8 year toxic friendship. Got into 8/9 grad schools I applied to, went to several visiting days with people trying to recruit me, shocked several of my friends who thought I was stupid because I talked like a valley girl back then, graduated college summa cum laude, and was inducted into phi beta kappa. Ate non-kosher beef for the first time right before graduation, when my friend was making empanadas in the dorm kitchen. Went to my first music festival in May. Moved to my parents house for 2 months over the summer, and then moved to my current city. First time living in my own apartment- my first day there I saw a roach the size of my palm. Didn't date a whole lot that year. Started grad school, worked my ass off for a semester, had a mini nervous breakdown around finals week, but made it through.

2005: Dated like crazy this year, mostly from people met on jdate. Had 6 week relationships with K and B, and a few hookups with people. Got my first cat, Durkheim, on May 1st, and my second cat, Foo the ninja cat, around mid October. Durkheim cured the intense mice problem at my old place. Won a prestigious fellowship that allowed me to move from the mice/roach infested studio apartment to my current comfortable 2 bedroom apartment (that costs approximately twice as much). First journal article was published. Went to my second music festival and joined the hippie message boards that all my friends kept telling me to join. Had an eyebrow ring for about 6 months. Went to conservative services on rosh hashana and yom kippur, but went to a diner with a friend after yom kippur services. Did not visit home for any jewish holidays, and celebrated them by attending grad student meals and not much else. Worked over the summer for my adviser. Started growing dreadlocks in December.

2006: Decided to take a year off from dating, and figure out what makes me happy. Stopped attending jewish grad student events, and took my profile off jdate. Attended over 30 music shows and 3 music festivals. Grew dreadlocks. Went on a couple of dates here or there despite resolution, including my first date with someone not jewish in the fall. Finished my masters thesis and got my masters degree. Took my first comprehensive exam and decided to do the joint sociology/demography phd instead of just sociology. Cut off dreadlocks in the fall, right before TAing for the first time- for stats.

2007: Met B after putting up an okcupid profile (he contacted me there, and we met up about a week later). Dated B all year. Went to around 20 shows and 5 music festivals. Finished taking classes in the spring and took 2 comprehensive exams (demography in the spring and the family in the fall). Grandmother died, started this blog, parents went crazy because I was dating B, tried bacon, shrimp, and lobster for the first time. Taught my first class that Fall, with 70 students and 2 TAs.

2008: Dated B all year. B moved in around tax day with his kitty (skittles), and I proposed to him around June, right after he came to the first music festival we went to together- I decided at the festival that I wanted to marry him (we had been talking about it for months, but that's when I decided for sure), but waited till we got home to propose to him (that Monday- over the phone-while crossing the street- when I was all "hey, lets get married for reals." Yes, those were my exact words). Told the in-laws and facebook and my parents in July, and started planning the wedding 'for reals.' Went to 5 music festivals and around 15 shows. Defended my dissertation proposal in June and became "ABD." Taught a class in both the Spring and the Fall. Got a grad certificate in gender studies, and another one in teaching at the university level. Second journal article published.

2009: Audited 2 classes in the Spring, and TAed in the fall. Got our dog Barkley on January 23rd. Got married on May 17th, and went on our 2 week European honeymoon (to Rome for a few days including a day trip to Pompeii/Naples, and then a cruise that went around Italy/Croatia/Greece/Bunch of Greek Islands/Turkey/Sicily) in July. Spent fall semester applying to jobs and TAing. Worked on my dissertation a lot and gave 6 presentations this year, including 3 at school workshops and 3 at conferences. Saw Phish 3 times, and only went to 1 other show and 3 music festivals. Traveled a lot beyond the honeymoon, including to San Francisco, Detroit, Chicago, Virginia, DC/Maryland, and Pittsburgh. Third journal article published.

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Resolutions for 2010:
1. Finish my dissertation and graduate
2. Get a job for after graduation
3. Be happy with the way I look
4. Do something really fun (tropical vacation? mexico?) to celebrate graduation