Oh Brooklyn...

December 14 – Appreciate What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

Let's call appreciating friends and family square. I appreciate them both more and more each year, this one especially, for keeping me sane.

So what have I come to appreciate this year? There's lots but the one that comes to mind right now is how grateful I am for the home I've created in Brooklyn. I never thought I'd be one of those Brooklyn-obsessed that the media (Gawker) derides at every opportunity. But I love living here. I still love our apartment, despite our truly crazy neighbor. It's large and cozy and has hosted some great nights. Watching AFV monkey clips, learning to play blackjack, Fall into Mexico, Pie Party—it's been a busy year at 228 7th Ave.

I'm grateful that I am able to live in this neighborhood. Despite the stereotypes—babies, rich people, strollers, which are all true—walking to and from the train everyday is not a chore, it's a joy. I love that the man that runs the coffee shop downstairs knows us and lets us know he's sad when he hasn't seen us in awhile. He voluntarily helped carry a dresser that I bought up the stairs for me. Plus, he gives Alison a discount on her coffee.

There's a little girl who belongs to the woman who owns the laundromat. She is there every time I go in. She is so confident and eager to talk to everyone. It seems so weird to me that she spends nearly every night of her childhood hanging out with strangers, but she couldn't be happier about it. As soon as I sit down she skips over to chat. Yes, she digs through my purse and can be a menace when all I want to do is read and wait for my laundry. But the other night I was there and she wanted me to read her books to her. At first I was annoyed by the interruption, but looking back, I could appreciate that this little girl is learning from this neighborhood and its residents. She talks to almost everyone that comes into the laundromat. So who am I to be annoyed by what she's come to expect, and deserve, from her community. I read her the books about numbers, asking her to count them for me. It was nice.

Up until a few months ago, we had friends within walking distance. This led to nights of Wii bowling and baseball that were as much fun as any night in a bar. Plus, nights of dancing and drinking at bars where I can walk home after. It was fantastic. Now they've moved to Manhattan, but that period made me love our neighborhood even more.

I appreciate the park, the Brooklyn Flea—my favorite place ever—the rows of streets with beautiful brownstones that have windows I can peek into and admire bookshelves, the restaurants I haven't tried, the shops waiting to be explored. Because as much as I've learned about Brooklyn this past year, there are still many things to be discovered. And that's something to appreciate too.