It's tradition

Was 2010 good for you? It was the best year in a long time!

What was your favorite moment of the year? When I picked up Yannick at the airport, opening night of the musical I was in, a certain kiss, when Sarah was waiting for me at the airport, when I picked up Gina Marie at the airport, the first note played on N2 MSG, Yannick's first day at school, when I met Lady Liberty, when we beat Brazil, and and and... etc.

What was your worst moment of the year? Some Thursday in August, when the Ex had forgotten to say his Serenity prayers.

Where were you when 2010 began? At home in The Hague

Who were you with? Ellis and the neighbors

Where were you when 2010 ended? Same setting!

Did you keep your new years resolution of 2010? I didn't have any. I think.

Do you have a new years resolution for 2010? I have a resolution for March. Sigh.

Did you fall in love in 2010? No

Did you breakup with anyone in 2010? No

Did you make any new friends in 2010? Yes!

What was your favorite month of 2010? November

Why this month? It was chuck full of shows and I went to New York.

Did you travel outside of the US (or your home country) in 2010? Belgium, England, the States

How many different places did you travel to in 2010? Noblesville, Nashville, Indianapolis, London, Antwerp, Manchester, Bruges, New York City. I stopped at a parking area in Louisville.

Did you miss anybody in the past year? I was very fortunate to see a lot of overseas friends, but I didn't see Whoops. And I miss him like whoa.

What was your favorite song from 2010? Hm. First thing that pops up is Love Hangover. God.

How many concerts or plays did you see in 2010? A lot more than 2009. I was even IN a play.

Did you have a favorite concert in 2010? Snow Patrol and N2 DMB @ MSG.

What was your favorite book in 2010? Honestly? Nothing sticks out.

Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year? Ashamed, no. Embarassed, yes.

What was the biggest lie you told in 2010? I'm not going to tell. It was a white lie, anyway.

Did you treat somebody badly in 2010? Nope.

Did somebody treat you badly in 2010? It's a given. The question is, how much will I let it affect me? Not so much (in the end), which I'm proud of.

What was your proudest moment of 2010? After the opening night of the musical. It was a feeling of accomplishment. I had done it!

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2010? Ah ha! Saying stupid things in English, mistaking Jenna Jameson for Joanna Newsome, sweating like a pig at MSG, getting hit on by someone I didn't want to get hit on by, asking Ellis if she made out with Erwin at the top of my lungs in a crowded bar, being seen at Eclipse, getting at the Johnny Flynn show just as he walked off stage, etc. etc. etc. Seems embarrassment is my goal in life.

If you could go back to any moment of 2010 and change something, what would it be? I'd have kissed that guy instead of backing out like a shy teenager.

Where did you work in 2010? Same place as before.

Favorite TV shows(s) of 2010? Big Bang Theory and Grey's.

Favorite Band(s) of 2010? The yoosh.

Favorite Food in 2010? The dinner at St. Elmo's in Indy.

Favorite Drink in 2010? Coffee, as always

Favorite Place in 2010?

Home and NYC

Favorite person(s) to be with in 2010? My incredible friends and Yannick

Favorite person(s) to talk to in 2010? My friends

Favorite trip in 2010? NYC, baby!

Favorite stores in 2010? The Bijenkorf.

Hardest thing you had to go through in 2010? The yoosh.

Most exciting moment(s) in 2010? #41 opening song at MSG N2, the storm(s) in Nashville and Indianapolis, every game we won in the world cup tournament, every time I see Yannick again after school, or when I pick him up.

Funniest moment(s) in 2010? I've laughed so much this year, I can't list them all... but some that come to mind: icing KT, the Jenna Jameson embarrassment, several moments during the bar hop with Gina Marie in Utrecht, my friend and co-worker Joyce and me doings skits in our office, when Yannick proudly announced he had made the best poo ever, "we don't get sick, we just get awesome", when Joshua told me "save yourself, we can take care of our own" when I tried to get everyone to their beds.

Ouch! I mean Yay!

Merry Christmas! I'm writing this on Christmas morning, with severe pain in my mouth (seriously - PAIN), but that's all I'm going to say about that little setback.

Just wanted to wish you all the best of times. I'm very grateful for this last year and my Christmas is already a million times better than the last one (even with the thing I'm not talking about).

LOVE!

How Esther got her groove back

I remember that at one point during the night of the first show, I walked into the bathroom of wherever I was and looked at myself in the mirror. I still saw a thirty-seven year old who accidently traded bad skin for bad joints, I still saw a tired mom with a shifted jaw caused by pregnancy hormones. But that's not what was most noticeable. The first thing I saw was that I was absolutely glowing. Sparkling eyes and a fixed smile and all other cliches. I was stunned. And then I realized: "I'm happy. Once more. Esther's back. I'm really here again".

Not to say that New York made that happen for me. I'm proud to say this was my own hard work. To get out of the funk and back into the groove. But the city and the setting of the weekend definitely gave me that final push in the right direction.

So this last post about my trip to New York is not about dirty deeds in the bathroom of Mustang Harry's or the backseat of a cab, if that's what the title above would imply. It is to say that I'll never be sorry about the not so sensible drinking on Friday, the more sensible rest I took on Saturday even though that meant missing out on some sight seeing, nor the insane pace we set on Sunday afternoon (The Rock, Lego store, Times Square, shopping, Strawberry Fields) to make up for that. Even though that pace combined with my arthritis resulted in a painful flight home.

There are only two things I am sorry about:

- almost knocking Becker's iPhone out of his hands, not entirely by accident

- not bringing tennis shoes

To top it off, my top five of the weekend (it's been a month and I still think about it regularly)

5. The apartment Robert got for us, because it was more than just a place to crash and the seven of us got along effortlessly. I guess you had to have been there, but there was a really nice vibe going on in there and the place had a lot to do with that.

4. The shows, the crowd in the back of the GA area, meeting a couple of more 'DMB legends' and finding out how nice they are, #41 #41 #41. And Christmas Song, which Sarah had to actually turn my attention to because I was too busy talking. I know!

3. Brunch with Sarah, Robert and Annelise. Because it was nice to finally be able to really talk to Robert and his girlfriend instead of random phrases in passing, and the food was great.

2. Sarah, Popejoy and Becker. We relied on each others tickets and this kind of forced us together. I could not have wished for better 'seat partners' though. Because we just get awesome.

1. Sarah & The City. I've already tried to explain the greatness of New York. I must have explained the awesomeness of Sarah somewhere in the past. The combination was just wonderful.

Can't wait to go back :).