End of Year Survey 2021
One year older and a tiny bit wiser…
Previously:
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018| 2019 | 2020
1. What did you do in 2021 that you’d never done before?
Own five bikes? *lol* Have surgery as an adult. Have Covid!! 😂 Have panic attacks (I know, would you believe it. Actually maybe I had some as a kid, but they were misdiagnosed). Have a very sick cat who I thought was gonna die and… have some more panic attacks. *lol* Oh, have an American therapist and she’s great! Even tho she’s Christian and maybe a Trump voter. Take an SNRI, which is actually really helping me and no side effects! Love it. Also own a kayak and kayak on the Stauséi and that is pretty neat! And own an electric car (bought in Dec 2020, delivered in March), this too is pretty neat. She is very cute!!!!
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t make NY’s resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. A few cats I knew online (or who were friends’) died, which was sad, but probably doesn’t count.
5. What countries/cities did you visit?
Koblenz? *lol*
Paris!!! Managed to squeeze it in. ❤️
6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?
(Last year I wanted a backup gravel bike, which I got. 😁😍. And a Paris trip, which I also got, woooo!)
So in 2022 I’d like a third gravel bike. 😂 No, joking. I would definitely like some trips and some concerts tho (aka end this f… pandemic already, but I am not getting my hopes up). Some (more/longer) bike trips with Tristan, please. And better weather than this year, cuz this year sucked.
7. What date from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
None. The day I got my positive Covid result, but even now I don’t remember that. 😅 I’ve kept my letter from the government ordering me to stay inside tho. Oh, and the text: 5 March!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Hum. I don’t know that I’ve achieved anything huge, but I think I have worked on myself quite a lot and got better at a bunch of stuff (mentally… meditation, therapy, self-reflection… physically not so much due to Covid and surgery setbacks).
9. What was your biggest failure?
I freaked out a few times, and also fell back into old, unhealthy habits a few times.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I caught Covid, go me! 🤣 I also got my irritating left hand problem diagnosed as cubital tunnel syndrome, then finally operated on in October, and so far it is decidedly not better yet, but we shall see where it goes.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Second gravel bike, second gravel bike, second gravel bike. *lol* I did not buy much else tbh.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I mean, Tristan is pretty fantastic so I shall celebrate him!
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My previous rant about “conspiracy theorists, Covid deniers, QAnon morons” can now be focused specifically on antivaxxers. I know, massive overlap again, or even a Venn diagram that is a circle, but this particular incarnation of wilfully ignorant assholes is the one that is currently getting me worked up. My God.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Bikes and vets! 😶
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My little cat not dying!!!!!!
16. What song will always remind you of 2021?
Billie Eilish – Everything I Wanted. I mean, it definitely won’t, but it reminds me of 2021 in 2021!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you…
i. happier or sadder?
Happier I think. But it wasn’t a linear progression and can still change before the year ends. *lol* Let’s hope not tho.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Fatter, cuz last winter I was very skinny for… a variety of reasons. Now I am not.
iii. richer or poorer?
Maybe a tiny bit richer, cuz I’ve saved a bit. But some of my investments have also not done so great. Might even out. I don’t care tho. Ich habe keine finanziellen Sorgen. *lol*
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
(Previously: I said “met friends” last year and honestly, I have not. I have met some new friends, mostly cycling, but I think I only met up with two “old” friends. I mean, apart from the usual suspects, which is basically three people.)
I wish I could say cycling here, cuz I cycled less than last year, but it was for health reasons. Maybe read books, cuz I seem to be getting progressively worse at focussing on long texts. *sigh* And I’ve barely done creative stuff, which is sad, also.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
(Previously: “needless anxiety spirals.” So these have gotten more manageable, mostly thanks to my buddy Venlafaxine, I’d say. Tho sure, I’ve also worked on myself.)
I’ll have to stick with the same this year tho – there was a lot of needless freaking out. My Lord. I hope I’m on the other side of that now tho.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We had our Xmas Eve dinner on Xmas Day cuz two of us were feeling crap. Before that I did some work and went on a bike ride. And Xmas Eve I was mostly in bed.
21. How will you be spending New Years?
At home with the cats.
22. Did you fall in love in 2021?
No.
23. How many one night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Schitt’s Creek? It wasn’t as amazing as people say, but it was entertaining enough.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Every antivaxxer on the planet. And every crooked politician who leads them on.
26. What was the best book you read?
Good question! I gave a bunch of four stars, but no five. I’ll say a tie between Carmen Maria Machado’s In The Dream House and Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Sorry, no new discoveries. Still in love with Billie Eilish tho.
28. What did you want and get?
Another fucking fantastic gravel bike!!!! 🤣
29. What did you want and not get?
A Brighton trip, a New York trip. A hot summer. Another lockdown. 😶
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I have not seen a single film this year.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Not much during the day apparently, and in the evening I went to Tristan’s and got very spoiled.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More sunshine, higher temperatures!
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2021?
Wear whatever the fuck you want.
34. What kept you sane?
Exercise, happy pills, therapy. 😶 Sometimes, nothing.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No one new I don’t think.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Ugh, don’t get me started. Again.
37. Who did you miss?
Paris and New York. 💔
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I’d have to pick one of the “new” cyclists we went on rides with, and that seems weird. (There’s definitely one I liked best tho 😄 and one I liked least 😶).
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021.
You know, my new therapist taught me some really surprising things, but I don’t… remember any to summarise succinctly. And some may be too personal.
Certainly I’ve learnt that there is no limit to human stupidity tho.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my biiiiike… 😂 (same as last year, I am lazy)
41. Was 2021 a good year for you?
Average. Weather and health not that great, and mental health also fluctuated too much for my liking. OTOH, there was a lot of happymaking Tristan…
42. What were your favourite moments of the year?
Oesling bike rides. The Moselle trip was magical, too. Bikes are so great! And Tristan. 💚
43. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
Undoubtedly saying goodbye to my kitty cat when I thought she was gonna die. Ugh, that sucked so fucking bad.
44. What was your favourite month of 2021?
Um. Dunno. Summer sucked.
45. What was your favourite song from 2021?
Everything I Wanted.
46. What was your favourite record from 2021?
Happier Than Ever? I didn’t listen to that many new albums. Georgia Train’s new one is great, too!
47. How many concerts did you see in 2021?
Zero cuz pandemic. Still!
48. Did you have a favourite concert in 2021?
Nope.
49. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2021?
Nope.
50. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2021?
Nope.
51. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Last year I said “Well maybe one thing. But not hugely ashamed.” and don’t remember at all what that was. This year I… nothing I can still remember!
52. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2021?
*shrug*
53. Did somebody treat you badly in 2021?
Not deliberately, apart maybe still upstairs neighbours. But they have much improved after I complained!! Oh, maybe that should be my biggest achievement, cuz oh boy, it took me literally years. 😅
54. Did you treat somebody badly in 2021?
No. I mean, maybe, a little, but they probably didn’t even notice.
55. How much money did you spend in 2021?
Less on travel, more on sick cats… so probably average!
56. What was your proudest moment of 2021?
Hum. I had some work successes, but they are boring to talk about.
57. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2021 and change something, what would it be?
Well, I’d maybe not do the thing that got me Covid, but since I am not 100% sure what it was, that’s hard.
58. What are your plans for 2022?
Plans for 2021 were:
Man, where do you go after a year like this? Everywhere, of course. I am definitely going to Paris, Brighton, and hopefully to NYC (all of which will involve cycling, of course). I need to work on those cycling route articles I promised someone. And I for sure promise I will do a proper multi-day bikepacking tour. Even if I don’t have a Trek Checkpoint. 😄
I wrote one cycling route article, then was very glad when they never got back to me. I did also write one for Delano and that was great fun. And I did a 3-day bikepacking tour with Tristan and with my backup gravel bike. ❤
Plans for 2022:
Honestly I don’t think it’s a good idea to plan anything at this point. 😄 I am hoping to be less sick and cycle more than this year. And be kinder. Always be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle. Except antivaxxers. They can go fuck themselves. 🤣