Well, we’ve come to the end of 2004. Every year seems to go by a little bit more quickly than the one before, and this one was no exception. This year has been kind of a blur.

There was one momentous change for me this year. Matt and I met in the fall of 2003 and started dating, but it was last January that we officially became boyfriends. It was the biggest and by far the best thing that happened to me in 2004.

And I got to introduce Matt to my family. A long time ago, the idea that my boyfriend and I would someday spend the night in my parents’ house seemed impossible. But this year, it actually happened. (A couple of times.)

It was also the first year of my thirties. True to what I’d been told, I hit 30 and things stabilized a bit. I stayed in the same job and the same apartment. In September, I reached the end of my three-year job commitment, which means that I’m now free to leave the job if I want. Oddly, with that restriction lifted, I actually enjoy it a bit more. And I’ve begun socializing with my coworkers more, which is good.

I continued singing in my chorus and seeing shows. Tons of shows.

I got a TiVo.

I went to San Diego for a weeklong conference; I went to upstate New York for my chorus retreat. Matt and I went to D.C. for a long weekend of vacation, and we also went to Tennessee, where I met Matt’s family.

The most poignant stage show I saw this year was Dog Sees God, which imagines the Peanuts gang as teenagers. It really moved me.

So. 2004. I guess I’d call it the Year of Matt. Or, rather, the First Year of Matt.

And now I continue into the rest of my 30s. Life’s better than it used to be… better by far.

Happy New Year, everyone, and here’s to a great 2005.