Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

At first this post was going to be the usual review of the year I do, normally right before my birthday. Then it was going to focus on my hopes/plans/dreams/etc for 2014 and New Years Resolutions.

Then I thought 'screw it, I'll do both'. So here we go:

2013: The Good

1. I met Idina Menzel. And saw her live twice. I don't know if there can ever be a bigger highlight than that. Sometimes I still think I dreamed that and I have to look at the photo to remind myself it was real. She is just so amazing and I love her. Her voice is huge, you just get goosebumps. I can't wait until we get to the US next year to (hopefully) see If/Then. 
2. I was in the same room as Julie Freaking Andrews. If I had met her, it honestly would have topped Idina. But I didn't have $700 to afford to meet her at the time, so... Idina wins. But just being in the same space as Julie Andrews was such an amazing experience. And then being part of a room singing 'Edelweiss' with Julie Andrews... just amazing.
3. Seeing Wicked again!! Twice!! 18 months is too long not to see this show, seriously. And whilst seeing the new cast was such a good experience (although sad, but I really do miss a few of the past cast members in particular); nothing beats Jemma Rix as Elphaba. She just is the green girl with every breath, and even after so many shows (she is the longest-running Elphaba ever in English), it still feels new. 
4. Musicals/theatre/shows in general. Legally Blonde (5 times in 2013), Grease (3 times), Jemma Rix: The Random Variety, Amanda Harrison: Up Close and Reasonably Personal, Hats Off: to the Classics, Driving Miss Daisy (and seeing Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones at Stage Door- Disney legends). 
5. And I also saw Adam Hills (Aussie comedian) live. He called me his "22 year old friend". I will live by that forever (even though I'm no longer 22).
6. I got a job (always a good thing!). I got to work alongside great teachers, and meet so many wonderful kids. Plus, I think (hope) I improved as a teacher and learned some things. 
7. I wrote a story that was extremely difficult, emotionally, for me to do. But I did it, I survived, and people liked it! I don't know whether I was happier I survived the writing of it, the posting of it, or just the research of it! (So much research!!! Note to self: next time you write a story involving lots of research, pick a less depressing subject). 
8. I went to New Zealand. OK, it was for a day. And all we really saw was the airport, the theatre and the roads between the two. But it counts.
9. I had an awesome holiday in Queensland with my friends. And it was just after I learned I had a job, so I could really relax and enjoy myself.
10. I have a job for 2014- without applying for it. Thank Oz for that. I hate writing job applications. Mostly because I'm not very good at talking myself up on paper. 
11. I made some awesome new friends via Twitter and fanfiction. And I like making friends. Even though I swear there is a trend I make friends with on Twitter that I know through FF because I'm reading their stuff and/or they're reading mine; and then they stop reviewing my stories. LOL. Don't ask me how, but it happens. Frequently.

2013: The Bad

1. I was unemployed for Term 1. I hadn't been unemployed since I was 16. Turns out, I don't cope very well at being unemployed. Namely because I stress a lot... meaning more so than I stress when I do have a job. I get depressed and I question everything- "Am I a good teacher? Is this what I'm meant to be doing with my life? Where is God going with this? On a scale of 1-10, how much do I suck as a teacher/person/whatever?" Plus, I was writing Come What May at the time, so combining the two... I was in a giant spiral of depression and self-pity and self-hate. The silver lining here is that I am hugely grateful for all my friends who helped me through those 17 weeks (counting Christmas holidays, because that counted too). 
2. For my new job (yay!) I moved 7hrs away from home. And I had exactly one visitor in the entire 9 months I was there. The bright side was I couldn't get homesick too often because I was so busy with school work and all the stuff mentioned above on the 'good' list. Plus, it was so much easier to do things from where I was this year.
3. I flew a lot. Now don't get me wrong, I like flying. I do. I hate airports. And flying is exhausting. So, this is kind of good and bad.

2014: Plans (so far) 

1. Seeing Beauty and the Beast at Melbourne Zoo on Australia Day (Jan 26). David Harris (former Fiyero and Emmett in Legally Blonde) is the Beast; Rob Mills (former Fiyero, Warner and current Danny Zuko in Grease) is Gaston; and Patrice Tipoki (soon to star in Les Mis and former Elphaba) is Belle. Plus, it's Beauty and the Beast. At the zoo!! 
2. Wickedly Broadway at Taronga Zoo in Sydney in March, including David Harris and Lucy Durack (former Glinda and Elle Woods... who will once again be Glinda as of May). Again- Broadway. At the Zoo. LOVE IT.
3. Moving and new job. Not so much loving the moving (so over it), but looking forward to the new job. As much as I'll miss the kids and staff from where I was this year. 
4. Lion King in April! And my cousins wedding. But I'm more excited for the Lion King (sorry, Cameron and Sheridan. I'm looking forward to your wedding too, but I've been wanting to see this show for a decade). 
5. Wicked back in Oz! Hallelujah. Already have 3 shows booked for May. Cannot wait. There's other musicals coming this year I want to see, but Wicked owns my heart. Sorry. 
6. Trip to the US! Fingers crossed this goes according to plan. Oklahoma, Florida and New York. Dream come true.

New Year's Resolution(s):

1. To be more organised- mostly when it comes to the new job.
2. To complete at least 2 big fanfics. Maybe 3. This mostly involves me actually putting aside time to write. This year, it's been slightly neglected at times because of teaching stuff and other life things.
3. To be a better friend. 

Does anyone else do New Year's Resolutions? What are yours for 2014?

2013

2012 was a massive year for me, for so many reasons and on so many levels. It was the year I lost my grandfather, moved out of home for the first time, my first teaching job, my first overseas trip, the year I got to see Wicked again and met so many cast members I hadn't had the opportunity to meet before...

But this post is all about looking forward to 2013, because that too looks like it'll be a big year- but for different reasons.

1. I'm taking my mum to see Legally Blonde: The musical in January, which is her Christmas present. This will be her first time seeing the show, and my 4th. I'm really hoping she likes it!
2. In April, I'm having a week's holiday in Queensland. I like Queensland because it's sunny. And yes, we will be seeing Legally Blonde up there, but that's because we have friends up in Queensland who we want to see the show with. Most people I tell this to, just think it's another Wicked case for me, but it's not. With Wicked I had to see the show again, and I still miss it so much, it's like a drug. Legally Blonde is a great show, the cast is awesome, it's funny and got some great music, but I'm not addicted like I am to Wicked. And I'm pretty excited to go back to Movie World while I'm in QLD!
3. May is going to be a crazy month. Kelly and I have tickets to Legally Blonde opening night in Melbourne (and now one of the preview shows too, haha. Kelly knows why I'm laughing at this). This is mostly because we wanted to go to one opening night, and Melbourne's pretty close for both of us. Then it's my 23rd birthday, and 2 days after that, I'll be in Adelaide seeing Driving Miss Daisy, which I can honestly admit I am seeing only because the stars of the play are Angela Lansbury (Mrs Potts from Beauty and the Beast) and James Earl Jones (Mufasa from The Lion King) and I am a Disney nerd, who can't pass up the chance to maybe actually meet them.
4. In June, I'm going back to Adelaide to see Idina Menzel!!!!! I still can't believe that. Every time I see a video of her (interview or performance) or listen to her sing Defying Gravity, I just cry. I can't even fathom we're actually going to be seeing her live. Not just because she's the original Elphaba, but because she's amazing and seems like such a nice person.
5. Sometime throughout 2013 (we hope) we'll have Delta Goodrem touring (!!!!) and Wicked returning to Sydney, which I will be seeing a lot (Apparently it'll be going back to Melbourne too, but I'm in Sydney, so...). Apparently it'll be a mostly new cast, which makes me a little sad, because our cast is amazing, but I'm also excited to see new people in the roles.
6. In December, The Lion King musical is also returning to Sydney, which I'm psyched to see because the last time it was here I was 14 and my parents wouldn't take me, so I missed out.
7. I'm also hoping to get a job in 2013, (because money will definitely be required for #1-6) and gain more experience teaching.