Everyone’s doing them: end-of-the-year posts. I’ve never done one before, but suddenly for no apparent reason I felt inspired. So here’s my own personal year in review, in no particular order.

SLOG OF THE YEAR
My degree. Puh. Increasingly I found myself wondering what the hell I’m doing it for. It’s so bloody time consuming, and let’s face it: it’s not like it’s going to help me launch a career. But it’s something I set out to finish, and finish I will (this spring). And besides, it hasn’t all been pointless. I’ve learned a whole bunch of stuff that I will be putting to good use very soon. More on that later.

VICTORY OF THE YEAR
My personal overcoming of my own self-destruction when I released Unraveled. Every time I put out a book I go through an intense inner struggle, and this was the most intense of them all. Thankfully by now I have a set of tools that I use to confront my own inner demons, and I no longer let them take charge (too much). But it was rough. Was it worth it, though? Well … yes.

THRILL OF THE YEAR
The shoot-out that happened outside the house we were staying in Harlem this past summer. Well, that, and being asked to take a breathalizer test in early December, for the first time ever. I passed.

UNEXPECTED LOVE LETTER OF THE YEAR
This.

FAIL OF THE YEAR
This blog. I haven’t posted since May. I had hoped to do more with it, to take my writing in a new direction from what I’ve been doing before, but I found myself slinking back into what was familiar and comfortable. Ah, well. That’s what new years’ resolutions are for, right?

DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR
That I’m a dog person. My daughter Aldís moved back home in September and brought a dog with her: an Icelandic-border collie blend called Apríl – Príla for, um, short. I’m smitten.

DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR 2
That Iceland is about the most dog-hostile country there is. Fuuu.

JOY OF THE YEAR
Watching my daughter do things that I would never have been capable of at her age. She got into the acting programme at Iceland’s National Theatre School last spring and is acing it. I got into the acting programme of a major theatre school at her age, too, but made a total mess of it. That’s because I was a total mess, whereas she’s not. I like to flatter myself that it’s because of no. 15 on this list.

ENTHUSIASM OF THE YEAR
Everything to do with indie publishing. I love the dynamic and excitement of what’s happening in the self-publishing industry, particularly throughout the English-speaking world. I took a small step in bringing my enthusiasm to Iceland when I taught a course in indie publishing at the Continuing Education Centre at the University of Iceland last fall. It was a great success, and I’ll do another one next spring.

GRATITUDE OF THE YEAR
So, so many things. First of all my family: my husband, my daughter, my three step-daughters and my two step-grandsons. I am so proud of them all, and happy to see all of us working to create the life we each want for ourselves. Really embracing and participating in life. That is definitely not something that should be taken for granted.

Also, having a life that works. Really works. My life used to not work, and now it does – beautifully. I cannot express how grateful I am for that.

Third, a wonderful community of people who like to read what I like to write, and who buy my books. For them I am immensely grateful. Also for all the amazing people I interact with on social media – my “tribe.” YOU ROCK.

My list could go on, but think I’ll stop here. Happy New Year, everyone, peace and love to you and yours, and may all your dreams come true in 2014.

[pic nicked here.]