2018
just a fraction of the press passes I’ve worn this year
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking this year, and about a lot of things. I’ve thought about my work, and myself as a person, and I can very obviously spot what needs to change and what needs improvement. The list is relatively long, but for whatever reason, I’m not intimidated by it.
It’s probably because I’ve ticked off some boxes in 2018, on both a personal and professional level. I have finally gotten out of my own head and started freelancing, which is maybe irrationally exciting to me. I still have trouble pressing “send” on an email, but I’m choosing not to dwell on that particular thing right now. I’ve written some pieces that I’m very proud of, interviewed people that I didn’t think I would and some that I’ve been wanting to meet for years. I’ve done well with the nitty gritty details of my work, which is so often the hardest part of it.
As a writer, too, I felt like I’ve improved, which I hope to do all the time. I’ll never expect to be perfect or strive for it, but I have been happy with a lot of pieces I’ve written — about soccer or otherwise. Writing rambles for the Hoddle of Coffee has been challenging, but a fun experiment in what happens when you need to write and sometimes have to throw caution and quality to the wind. I’ve written some rambles that are forgettable, and some I might cringe at, but I like having this forced assignment every weekday and the freedom it brings. It’s a free for all, which writing as work hardly ever is, and a rather fun one at that.
Outside of that, I feel very happy with what I can do as a regular adult. Sometimes it feels silly to act as if doing things adults do as an accomplishment, like baking a cake, but there’s a certain amount of joy that comes with it. It comes from this endless desire to learn more, and now that I’ve thought of it, I’m definitely counting that as a New Year’s resolution.
I don’t know if I have a lot more to add, so I won’t. I’m happy about the present, and excited about the future and thankful for it all. That said, I do have that cake to bake.
