I lived the bulk of 2011 in its last remaining months. I’m not sure what I did from January to June except breathe and eat and partake in the daily travails of life. Oh, I suppose I did go to yet another SxSW, and I did enjoy yet another MaxFunCon, this is true. But it was from June to December when my life spun and twirled and finally took a turn down a road I never knew existed.

1) We’re finally living on our own in Brandon’s family home. We spent the last five or so years sharing quarters with my in-laws so that they could recover from a bankruptcy while we helped out with the mortgage and bills. The agreement was that they would move out once they have their finances settled and we would live in the house that we will eventually inherit. So, well, they did. Let me tell you: Privacy is highly underrated.

2) We went on vacation in beautiful Hawaii. We saw the volcanoes on the Big Island, and the beaches in Waikiki, and witnessed a friend’s wedding. Perhaps not life-changing, but definitely a highlight.

3) We had to put down our beloved cat, Nutmeg. In our eyes, she was the sweetest and bestest cat in the whole world. She was vocal and feisty until her last days. She used to purr so loudly that it was hard to hear the gentle thumping of her heart. She nuzzled against us when we went to bed, and she was a source of warmth when we were cold. She loved to sit on our laps and enjoyed scratches behind the ear. Even now, as I’m writing this, it’s hard to stop the tears. Saying goodbye to her was the hardest thing I ever had to do.

4) I decided on a bit of a career change. I left my job at CNET of nearly six years, and joined the TWiT Network as a producer. More than a month into it, and I have to say that it was definitely the best decision I made all year. It was sort of sudden, and happened in what now seems like a blur. I still pinch myself occasionally to make sure I’m not dreaming.

5) I also bought my first car, but that’s sort of boring. It’s a 2012 Ford Focus and it’s decked out with all manner of technology goodies (omg, automated parking), but my favorite bit is that it gets me from San Francisco to Petaluma in an hour.

2011 had more pros than cons, even though the con was a pretty huge one. Here’s hoping 2012 improves on that. Happy New Year, everyone.