10. Cross-country trip: In January, I was dragged, I mean, I gleefully went along on a trip across the bottom half of the USA with my family. We had a total of four CDs, three of which were Celine. There was also a bird in the car and, oh yeah, everyone had to put up with me. It was, in a word, awesome.

9. Black Friday: This was the first experience of my life shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. Actually, it was more the night. And more actually, it was the last experience of my life shopping like that. Insane in the membrane.

8. Teaching myself piano: I've always wanted to play Fur Elise and since I've received a keyboard for Christmas, I've learned this Beethoven mega-hit. My recital is at 4pm this Saturday in the cafeteria. I come on after the kindergarten class. Bring the camcorder.

7. Other French music: After focusing a little scarily on just Celine and Isabelle for about two years, I branched out and realized that there are more of them and they're almost as good (but not as hot). In particular, Chimene Badi and Patrick Bruel (who are really French and not the fake Canadian French) are quite talented in their poppy pop-star ways.

6. Living in Atlanta: I've been here for...1,2,3...how many years?...and this past year was one where I was actually proud to be here. With the world's largest aquarium opening and the Louvre collaboration at the High Museum of Art getting off to a great start, it felt like Atlanta was being recognized by others (ha, take that, NY MOMA) as a real city. When I was watching the July 4th fireworks at Lenox (the largest fireworks display in the Southeast) I felt very small, but at the same time...very wet. It was raining.

5. Celine's Vegas spectacular showtacular: When we were in Vegas for a week in the Spring, I saw Celine not once, not twice, but THREE awesome times. It was awesome. The first night, when no one else would come with me (losers), an official Caesars Palace dude upgraded me to orchestra level seats where I sat beside French people making fun of the Americans. It was awesome. And then, at the third show, we had second row seats and I was this close to Celine. But I kept cool, man. It was awesome.

4. iPod: It sounds stupid to say that a little music playing device changes your life, so I'm not going to do it. But...it's so pretty. And pretty things (usually women-like) can change your life. So if my iPod (the I stands for Isabelle) is a woman and I'm...no, wait, I'm still me and you're....HEY! Who the hell are you?

3. Montreal: With my dear friend Britton, I had one of the best vacations of my life in this city. I know, and it was in Canada, too! When I was younger and even more naive than I am now (yes, it is possible), I wanted to live in so many cities in the world, but now that I'm old...er, I really only like to be home. When I was in Montreal, though, I felt I was already there.

2. Seeing Isabelle Boulay in concert: I know her shows are really part of the Montreal trip, but this experience is separated in my head. I honestly connect with Isabelle's music like no one else's and her voice is the most wonderful thing I have ever heard in my life. I also think (and you might not know this about me) that she is one of the most prettiest things I've ever seen in my life, including iPod. Wow, right? Wow.

1. Learning French: Applying myself to learning this ridiculous language (I say that with respect because I believe it's the most beautiful sounding language in the world) tops my top things of 2006. I went from not knowing how to ask questions (it's more complicated than necessary) to having a third of the people in Montreal respond back to me in French (an accomplishment in a one-third English city, I think) to reading Harry Potter en francais (up to Azkaban now). It's been quite a process and the more I learn, the less I think I know. But that means I'm learning, right? Or is it the other way around...Anyways...

Bonne Annee! Happy New Year!