twenty things I’m proud of doing in 2009

The other day I wrote about stupid things I did in 2009. (I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t continually goof up one way or another.)

But I did some things in 2009 that I’m really proud of. They might not be appearances on Oprah, but I think they’re pretty awesome.

1. I started writing a regular print column for a local magazine.
2. I nursed exclusively for the entire year, including pumping approximately four million ounces of milk for my trip to Chicago.
3. I got paid for writing personal essays and finally started calling myself a “writer” without feeling like a fake.
4. I faced my fear of flying and went to Chicago for three days to go to BlogHer and meet Internet people.
5. I rounded up enough freelance writing and design work to continue working from my home office.
6. I put our house back on the market for a last-ditch effort to do a short sale before it lands in foreclosure. I worked with our real estate agent and the bank to fill out about a million pages of paperwork. I’m hoping the efforts pay off in the next couple of months.
7. I started Your Mama Reviews with two local mom friends and expanded the team to include two more friends.
8. I got a tattoo honoring my sons.
9. I did a BlogTalkRadio interview in Chicago.
10. I started Girl Talk Thursday and expanded it to its own site with four dear friends.
11. I made enough of a noisy spaz of myself on Twitter to get Heather Armstrong to ask Bosch to give a new washer and dryer to a shelter in Utah. Neato.
12. I got back into my pre-pregnancy clothes.
13. We went our first family vacation and managed to avoid any massive blowups or fights.
14. I walked for Maddie Spohr in the March for Babies.
15. I got to know some of the women I’ve admired from an intimidated distance for a long time.
16. Avitable, a blogger I respect and admire, put me on his Top Ten List of Blogs in 2009. Recognition (from peers) for my writing makes me dizzy with happiness. Honestly.
17. Anissa Mayhew invited me to write for Aiming Low.
18. I faced my depression and anxiety, gave it a name, and took real steps to fight it.
19. I started seeing a therapist regularly.
20. I continued to write my own way in my own space. I still don’t know what that means exactly. My niche is not having a niche.

I don’t make resolutions. But next year, I’d like to focus on writing fiction again once in a while. I’d like to submit some of my essays to journals and publications. And I plan on taking at least one picture a day in 2010.

Happy New Year, guys. With love.

This may or may not be related:

1. New Year’s Quiz 2009
2. Ultimate Blog Party 2009
3. BlogHer Part One – issues