So as I've been reading Twitter the last couple of days, I've noticed that a lot of people are bidding "good riddance" to 2009. I'm a little surprised, to be honest. It was actually a pretty awesome year for me. I really feel like I grew a lot this year as a person. My horizons were broadened on a number of levels and my eyes were opened to new points of view. I fell in love with technology all over again. I really embraced my geeky side more than ever before. I enjoyed more genre TV and movies than I ever have. I recorded hundreds of podcasts. I made dozens of new friends. And I took some pretty big steps on my journey towards a new media career.
I'm very thankful for the experiences I had this year. Between the awesome classes I've been taking in school, the dozens of podcasts I listen to, and the tweets and blogs I read every day, I've become even more aware and interested in new media and emerging technology than I already was. It's been an incredible year.
Most of all, I'm thankful for the great friends I've made this year, especially on Twitter. I was always skeptical about making friends over the internet. I didn't understand how a friendship could really develop if two people weren't spending time together. And yet, I'm now a big believer. Some of the people I've met on Twitter are as close or closer to me than some friends I've made "in real life". So thanks to all of you. You know who you are. Of course, I'm just as thankful for old friends as I am for new ones. My long-lasting friendships grew and became closer in 2009 than in previous years too. My sincere thanks go out to those friends as well.
Overall, 2009 was a huge year for me. It's a year I'll remember for a long time. I feel that I grew more as a person in 2009 than in any other year of my life to date. I look forward to the amazing ride that will be 2010. I'm really excited to finish my Junior year of college, to start working at a new job, and to experience all the new challenges that are headed my way. I can't wait to look back on 2010, and when I do, I hope I will remember it as fondly as I remember 2009.
