In 2003

January 6, 2004

I want to tell you something new — new, like the blinding white of our freshly painted living room ceiling or my neighbor upstairs whose name is the same as a Green Day album — but I am still stuck in the old. I am still thinking about last year, glorious 2003 that was so good to me.

In 2003, I continued to try to see the good things in every day. Some days, of course, I only saw bad things. Those days passed. I fell in love with a boy who makes life more beautiful. We spent a lot of time together. I paid off all my credit card debt and sent money to family in the Philippines. I started my own business. I was interviewed for a fashion magazine and featured in a college English textbook. I laughed when I saw both. I got two parking tickets in my own driveway and sat through hours and hours of traffic. I snuck into my first movie. I went to San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, the Philippines and the California coast. I went swimming for the first time in years, doing somersaults in the shallow end and diving to the bottom of the deep end. I saw half a dozen shooting stars, and I wished on all of them. I started drinking coffee less and craving tea more. I baked three cheesecakes, dozens of cookies and brownies, and a keylime pie. I perfected my lasagna. I made pictures, mixed CDs. journal covers, felt ornaments, silly songs and wonderful friends. I made believe, too. I spent time with family and wrote letters to those I couldn’t see. I opened up, and carried on, and looked inside myself for answers that have always been there.

 


  1. mabelle says:

    How I enjoy your entries! Thank you for the burst of inspiration!


  2. Brandi says:

    Seems like a very productive year.


  3. pt*:) says:

    You don’t need permission–the here and now couldn’t be sweet if it weren’t for the past and new chances in the future…You can be a time traveler*:)…Go back and forth, pick and choose. Those things, those times make your heart happy, then travel. And think, a whole new year…What YOU could do with that!

    I never make sense. Never mind!

    Ps…was so happy to see your comment!x100
    Mahalo!


  4. penelope says:

    You = amazing.


  5. Ani says:

    Wow that was a beatifuly written entry.


  6. ros says:

    i liked what you wrote. very much. : )


  7. becky says:

    I can relate…I’m still holding on to 2003 myself…trying to move forward in 2004, but holding on to such wonderful memories made in 2003…

    see you tomorrow morning!


  8. lisaann says:

    that was perfect. i miss you homeslice. xo


  9. lisaann says:

    ps you forgot to mention you kicked a lot of def jam ass, heh.


  10. Wendi says:

    i predict that 2004 will be even more delicious. great, great entry.


  11. kay says:

    great site!


  12. kitkat says:

    you truly are MAGANDA=) wid ur beautifully written words that made me think of my life as well…


  13. finelyspungirl says:

    Sounds like a wonderful year! And you know what? I’ve met someone named Nimrod too, it made me giggle!


  14. jeff says:

    Aw man, I was hoping your neighbor was named Kerplunk.


  15. emily says:

    When I reread your January 2003 entry, I remembered it so clearly that I couldn’t believe it was 12 whole months ago. Thank you so much for sharing your years with us! xx


  16. Dave says:

    What an awesome entry. This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve read in a while. Thank you.


  17. Veronica says:

    Christine, you are amazing! “I opened up, and carried on, and looked inside myself for answers that have always been there.” This is my goal for 2004 (and beyond) to be the me that I should have always been, the me that I think of as


  18. mitch says:

    i love your site. thanks for inspiring me.=)


  19. krystle says:

    I can’t even begin to express how beautiful everything you write, draw… No really I’m lost for words. Keep it up, you’re a rare kind of person — the kind where beauty just shines through everything you do…
    Oh I’m getting schmucky! :)



  • I'm Christine, and this is a slice of my life—a sweet, rich, wildly indulgent slice that would taste really good with a scoop of Breyers vanilla bean ice cream. Read more >>


  • I run a darling, friendly, little graphic design studio.
    I look on the bright side.
    I take photos. Lots of photos.
    I wish on stars and on websites.


  • I built my first web site 7 years ago and got 15 seconds of fame. (It changed my life.)
    I launched, then relaunched, an online magazine.
    I admitted to several embarrassing crushes.
    I consumed more bacon than any human should and lived to tell the tales.






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