The Very Best of 2015
by Nicola Pardy
Happy New Year, everyone! I’ve seen several end-of-year lists on Medium recently and was inspired to make one of my own. This might be a little self-indulgent, but bear with me…this was really fun to write.
January is typically about looking forward to the year ahead, but it’s also an opportunity to look back at the experiences and accomplishments of the year past. Inevitably you’ll realize you grew in one way or another, and in that way it can be pleasantly surprising.
Below you’ll find lists of the things that had a special place in my heart (and iCloud) this year.
Albums that made my morning commute not suck:
Currents — Tame Impala
Complete Strangers — Vetiver
Caracal — Disclosure
In Color — Jamie XX
Blood — Lianne La Havas
What Went Down — Foals
Creating this list also made me realize just how many of my favorite artists are white guys…here’s to making this a little more diverse in 2016.
Content that made me think:
What ISIS Really Wants by Graeme Wood
Daughters of Paradise by a whole bunch of people at R29
Thresholds of Violence by Malcolm Gladwell
The Prom Queen of Instagram by Reeves Weideman
How ‘Rock Star’ Became a Business Buzzword by Carina Chocano
Films that gave me perspective*:
*not all released this year
Chef’s Table (Netflix series)
Apps that drained my phone battery:
Noon Pacific — weekly curated playlists released every Monday at noon Pacific Standard Time. These playlists will make you feel as if you’re sunbathing on a Malibu beach all winter long.
Supper — For when you just don’t trust Yelp reviews. This app is an awesome source for discovering great food, drink, and music spots in NYC and Austin.
Evernote — I am a chronic list-maker/note-taker so I love this app for organizing my scatterbrained thoughts across devices.
Snapseed — Google’s photo editing app that fueled my Instagram addiction.
ProductHunt — I was majorly late to this party. ProductHunt is so awesome, you guys. The creativity on this app blows me away every day.
Digit — Ok, this isn’t really an app. It’s a website/text service that helps you “save money, without thinking about it.” It basically removes small amounts money from your checking account based on your spending habits — a couple dollars here, a couple there — and transfers it to your savings. Truly a lazy person’s dream. Digit also texts you your checking balance everyday so you can’t hide from it when you’ve had one too many nights out…
Highlights of this year:
-Taking a User Experience Design class and developing my first high-fidelity prototype
I took a class at General Assembly and learned what it means to design human-centered experiences, digital or otherwise. I had always been intrigued by design, but thought I lacked the technical ability to be a designer, per se. UX turned out to be a fascinating combination of anthropology, business strategy, psychology, and visual design. The class totally broadened my understanding of what design could be and changed how I think about apps and websites.
-Switching jobs to an industry I’m really passionate about
The first year out of school is a scary one because you’re essentially a freshman in the real world. There’s a million potential paths and no one prepares you for what a reality check this period can really be.
When I think back to this time last year, I had such little confidence in who I was or what I had to offer the world. I knew the kind of person I wanted to be, but I felt so distant from making that a reality. I’m still figuring it out, but I finally feel like I have the momentum get there eventually. There is no better feeling than that.
-Taking a solo trip for the first time
And realizing how critical alone time can be. I wrote about it heeere.
-Maintaining friendships with college and high-school friends
In some ways I feel like I’ve grown closer with my friends from school post-graduation. I think it has to do with the increased effort it takes to see friends now that we don’t all necessarily share a place in common anymore. The friendships that have lasted mean even more now because of this new commitment level.
2015 brought with it some incredible trips — a giant Tufts fest in Montreal, an incredible girls vacation in Cartagena (with an embarrassing number of #ImInLoveWithTheColo grams to prove it), not to mention uncountable family dinners and rooftop hangouts Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond.
One of the most special moments this year was when my best friends from high-school surprised me for my birthday weekend in the city. These are the the girls I used to make music videos with to Ludacris songs in the 7th grade. Needless to say, we’ve truly seen each other at our most lame. Since then, we’ve all moved to different in cities around the world, so to see them all in one place was a particularly surreal moment.
-Finally feeling at home in NYC
I’ve developed that inexplicable love-hate relationship with this city that comes part-and-parcel with living here. New Yorkers complain about basically everything (the rent, the weather, the roaches, the claustrophobia!), but the moment an out-of-towner criticizes it, they’ll defend to death the fact that it’s the best city in the world.
I’m ashamed to say I’ve become one of those monsters.
-Developing a regular exercise routine
Cue the SoulCycle jokes. It’s taken me 24 years, but I’ve finally found ways to make exercise not feel like a chore. I’ve always enjoyed exercise, but in the past I’ve had a bit of a hard time maintaining consistency. This year I realized that I’m a sucker for pump-up music and hate 90% of yoga classes.
-Beginning to write again
I really missed it! In college, it’s your job to read, write, and contemplate. Entering the working world was a bit of a shock because there aren’t necessarily outlets for personal expression or reflection right off the bat. Picking up the pen again has been huge for my mental clarity and wellbeing.
And that’s a wrap! May 2016 be filled with creativity, growth, and lots of surprises.