DC Dana: A DC Dana Year in Review

I've been discussing Christmas letters with various friends and how social media is the ultimate year-around Christmas letter: everyone posts only positive updates about their life to subtly brag to everyone else.

My friends and I were in downward-spiral-into-oblivion moods, and one of them joked about how he wanted to reply to a particularly braggy email with:

This year, I:

Broke up with my girlfriend

Spent a lot of money to deal with that by buying unnecessary electronics

Worked in a job that I wasn't too happy with

Prepared myself for a Holiday Season alone

Ha! Now that would make a great honest Christmas letter.

I told him I was trying to figure out how to do my own year in review without sounding like a smug d-bag, but in the end- we both decided that's not possible for anyone.

I'ma do one anyway. Merry Christmas!

I will, however, try to sprinkle in some less-than-positive and/or embarrassing moments for balance though. And I'll include a photo of Chloe in Christmas attire at the end as an added prize.

Dana's 2013
This year, I:

Finished my Master's degree (cue angelic choir, or the George Michael song Freedom...)
Traveled to Iraq and kept it from my poor mother until the day before
Got selected to become a Naval Officer and kept it from my poor mother until the day after
Discovered I don't fit in Japan

Successfully kept my cat prozac-free for 10 months
Ran six official races (Cherry Blossom 10 miler, ROC race, Army Ten Miler, Marine Corps Marathon 10K, The Electric Run, and the Xterra 10k trail run.) and a couple Boston Marathon Response runs.

Only one of those races had obstacles, one had glow sticks, and none had mud. Sign of maturity? I think so.

Got completely naked in a public bath more than once (there are NO photos of this, don't get scared)
Was a bridesmaid (again)
Started blogging for the Red Cross
Signed up to be a communications "boot camp instructor" (because I have so much free time and because I'm so great at public speaking - if great means hives continually creep up my neck and the fact that I forget to exhale.)
Ate turtle for the first time
Ate locust for the first time

Ate potentially lethal blowfish...twice. (I really like eating, guys)

Attended one moon bounce party (>1 from last year- concerning...)

Found my new fave veteran's group Team Red White and Blue and continued working with The Yellow Ribbon Fund at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (I really like the military, guys)

Accidentally wore a wedding dress to a formal event (I just thought it was pretty. I didn't realize white should've probably been avoided)

Clueless.

Played an earthquake victim (doesn't everyone?)

Tried stand up paddle boarding for the first time
Tried Crossfit for the first time
Finally got invited to family fun day

Attended my 5^th(?) Toby Keith concert (I really like rednecks, guys)

Saw my first Flugtag

Got orthotics. (Yep, 30's rule.)
Tried two and a half new diets (The half was a day-long juice fast. It counts.)
Met Marion Barry:

It just makes me laugh, sorry.

And drank approximately 731 cups of coffee

I did not squeeze in a season of rowing crew, or enough indoor climbing or hiking, and this year was a slow one for dating disasters, so I'm hoping to pick all that up again in 2014.

And, as promised, here's Chloe being forced to be festive. (It should be noted that I made her exit a storage bin under my bed first, so she was already annoyed:)