Most birthdays, I count the hours until it’s over, but this year I figured I might as well count the things I learned/did/am grateful for and milk that shit for content.
And if you’d like to celebrate my birthday by upgrading to a paid subscription for just $36/year, I’d be so grateful. I’ve got a family to feed, and that family is me.
In no particular order, here are 33 (mostly) notable things I did/learned this year that I think you should know.
1. I finally made it to London 🇬🇧. Three years after working for a British company and having to cancel a trip because they failed to communicate the work visa requirements, I finally made it across the pond. Blimey, what a bloody ordeal.
2. I walked 50+ miles in London 🇬🇧.
3. I returned to Paris for the first time since 2011 🇫🇷. I arrived at the perfect time—just after July’s brutal heat wave and before the fall riots. More importantly, I finally got my obligatory Eiffel Tower photo. At 17, I was too embarrassed to ask the other teens on my trip to take my picture. At 32, I’m asking complete strangers to photograph me. C’est la vie, bitches. #PersonalGrowth
4. I walked 90+ miles in Paris like an absolute psycho 🇫🇷.
5. I attended the Toronto International Film Festival for the first time.
6. I went to a Blue Jays game. I’ve now been to 16 of 30 MLB stadiums. More than halfway there.
7. I went to seven Mets games this year. Tickets were dirt cheap because the team was THAT bad. In this economy, we take what we can get.
8. I saw my first opera. An adaptation of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
9. I saw my first ballet. Swan Lake.
10. I saw The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm. One of the lucky few to experience Christopher Nolan’s epic film in the format God intended.
11. I’ve seen 42 films in theaters this year. 82 overall. You can follow me on Letterboxd @thatpeterfox.
12. I’ve read 5 books and listened to 40 audiobooks this year. My most recent listens:
13. I saw 9 shows this year. The most I’ve seen in a year.
14. I saw some great sunsets. FROM MY BALCONY (humble brag, but the view disappears next year. NoOoOoO)
15. I touched grass. Literally. One day in June, I stood barefoot on a patch of grass in Jackson Heights’ Travers Park and realized how my city-dwelling feet had been deprived of direct contact with Mother Earth for too long. It felt like guzzling water after 40 years in the desert.
16. I won the NYC Fireworks Lottery. Enjoyed an unobstructed view for once.
17. Earned a Masters in Public Health. It was entirely online and this was my only time on campus.
18. I’ve made it to the gym 100+ times dating back to last year. ChatGPT says I’m like only 50 sessions away from becoming a solid 7.
19. I became slightly less addicted to Instagram. I’m still addicted, obviously. But now there are occasional moments when I remember I have a life outside my phone. And if you’re not following @thatpeterfox you can fix that.
20. I bought a sunrise alarm clock. It really works. Being gently awakened by simulated sunlight beats starting each morning with a small cardiac event.
21. I finally learned the difference between private equity and venture capital. Finance bros, I am not coming for you.
22. I also know what EBITDA means. I might botch the pronunciation tho.
23. I’m capable of going to the bathroom without my phone. This is the new meditation.
24. I learned that French green lentils don’t turn to mush. Unlike most lentils, they actually hold their shape when cooked. An important discovery for anyone who has accidentally prepared a pot of edible cement.
25. I found a partially broken keyboard on the street. Someone else’s trash is now my opportunity to become a mediocre pianist. The American dream is alive and well.
26. I reported an antisemitic hate crime to the police and got the graffiti removed. Someone scrawled “ISREAL ❤️ PEDOPHILIA” in my neighborhood. The antisemite misspelled Israel but, naturally, nailed pedophilia. Anyway, I got it scrubbed off. And if ur confused by this strange new slur, it’s another Epstein conspiracy.
27. I became one of New York City’s top 1% of ice cream eaters. I now have a badge to prove it in the Beli app, Finally, some recognition for my contributions to society. I’m @EaterFox if you’re curious to know my dining habits. (It’s a lot of Indian and Thai food.)
28. I developed a chewing gum addiction and then promptly kicked it. A year ago, a smoker friend stayed with me and I decided I needed an addiction too so I chose gum. A year of aggressively chomping away like a deranged cow later, my dermatologist informed me that all that chewing had enlarged the masseter muscle on the left side of my face, making it noticeably bigger than the right. I no longer chew gum.
29. I celebrated the Knicks Finals victory in the middle of New York City’s Mayhem. I wish I cared about the Knicks even a tiny bit as much as the Mets, but watching thousands of New Yorkers go full Lord of the Flies was a cultural experience. Meanwhile, back in Queens that night, you wouldn’t even know the Knicks existed.
30. I upgraded my sunscreen to SPF 50. I refuse to let the sun fuck with my skin.
31. I got my first cavity. After 32 years of impeccable dental health, one of my teeth finally decided to betray me. Got that sucker filled in.
32. Oh yeah, I earned income every single month without interruption for the first time since… let me check… 2021! Definitely my most meaningful accomplishment.
33. I launched a paid Substack! And somehow convinced 48 people to voluntarily pay for emails from me. Seriously, thank you. Every subscription is a vote of confidence for me to keep writing. So if you’d like to help me celebrate my birthday, consider upgrading for just $36 a year. No pressure, but the button is literally right there, bitch.
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy full access to my mental breakdowns in newsletter form, which is pretty close.
Wait, there’s one more I forgot to add.
I completed the Great Saunter, a 32-mile walk around Manhattan. Then ditched my friend after dinner to walk another eight miles just for “fun.” He didn’t think I could do it, but I absolutely could. This is my personal Olympics. Gold medal in being an insufferable bitch.
