2008 was an unforgettable year for me. I jumped out of a perfectly good plane, dined with the chief of a Fijian village and appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

I danced the samba during carnival in Brazil, hiked on a glacier in New Zealand and parasailed in Argentina. I met people from all over the world. I crossed the international date line twice and the equator five times.

I cheered for Botafogo at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. I drank aguardiente, Fernet, caiprinhas and kava. I learned how drive on the left side of the road and where to find the Southern Cross in the Southern sky. I got paid to bake cookies and became a Lost Girl. I learned that a visa isn’t a credit card, it’s a major hassle. I got hooked on Vegemite, alfajores and ceviche. I read books by Leo Tolstoy, Jules Verne, Joseph Heller, Isabel Allende and Bill Bryson.

I found paradise. I waddled with penguins, fed kangaroos, held a koala and played with monkeys. I danced the tango, made empanadas from scratch and spoke Spanish with a distinctly Argentine accent. I waded into the Indian Ocean. I found myself in the middle of a major Islamic city at sundown while the faithful broke their Ramadan fast.

I declared my independence and leaned on my wonderful, amazing friends. I started running. I channeled Cameron Diaz for Halloween and filmed a vignette for the WE network. I dialed Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Nevada for Obama and helped win an election. I met a band named “God or Julie,” I was quoted in New York Magazine, and I was sketched on my way home to Brooklyn. I got a column and started a new blog. I turned thirty.

2009 may not be filled with as many exotic destinations, but I hope it’s just as exciting. I hope that when I look back on 2009, my list includes, “I found a job I love.” Maybe I’ll throw some trapeze lessons in for good measure.

Happy new year, everyone. May it be a happy one indeed.

On page 41, reason number 10 to love New York:  “Because sooner or later everybody comes to New York: every band, every friend, everybody I want to see.”

I could go on for ages with my reasons to love New York, but here are a few more reasons to love this city.

The eight-piece brass brand that plays in the concourse of the Union Square subway station.  (Have you seen these guys?  They are amazing.)  They remind me to slow down and listen to the music.

I look around on me on the subway and I see people reading newspapers in Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, and Hebrew, and I marvel that we are all sitting next to each other peacefully.

Five dumplings for $1.25 on Elizabeth St in Chinatown, and lamb gyros at the Halal trucks in midtown.

Ethiopian food at Awash on E. 6th Street, and all the hawkers for the Indian restaurants on the same street.

I love the view of the Brooklyn Bridge, downtown, and the Statue of Liberty in the distance as I cross the Manhattan bridge on the subway.   It’s breathtaking, and I see it every day.

New York is really just one big small town.    Where else would you constantly run into friends on the street?

Hitting golf balls at the Chelsea Piers driving range.   The sun is setting over the Hudson, and the Statue of Liberty is quietly watching the harbor.

With three international airports, I can get a direct flight to anywhere.    Layovers are so provincial.

Be sure to check out New York Magazine’s Reasons to Love New York.    What are your Reasons to Love New York?

• Inflatable neck pillow, eyemask, and foam earplugs: Indispensable for overnight buses or rowdy hostels, and the pillow will also come in handy when camping. Spend a few bucks on an eyemask with a soft lining, and keep the airplane freebie as a spare. Make sure the inflatable pillow has a removable, washable exterior.
• Convertible pants: Space in my backpack is precious, so everything must perform double duty. Convertible pants zip off at the knee into shorts. You’ll find these at outdoor stores like REI, EMS, The North Face, and Patagonia. Shop around to find a brand that fits and flatters, and remember these are “summer clothes” that won’t be in stores past September.
• Space Bags: Put clothes into these plastic bags, zip shut, and roll the air out.  I simply would not be able to fit all my clothes into my backpack without Space Bags, available at The Container Store.
• Collapsible water bottle: Both Nalgene and Platypus make soft water bottles that take up little space or weight when empty.
• Quick-dry towel: It may only be one foot long by two feet wide, but hey, it dries quickly.
• Sarong: If you’re going to be spending time on beaches, bring a sarong or buy one as a souvenir. I’ve used mine as a beach towel, dress, bathrobe, picnic blanket, and scarf.
• Video iPod: If you’re going to be on the road for a year, buy an iPod with the most memory available. Load it with as many TV shows and movies as it will hold, especially videos that you can tolerate watching over and over again. Ever wanted to watch all six seasons of Lost, from the start? Now is your chance. (Ripping DVDs takes time, so don’t leave this for the week before you depart.) Take advantage of all the free (!) podcasts on iTunes and stock up, especially on language learning podcasts like Coffee Break Spanish. Add some audiobooks and upload some games too, while you’re at it. When you are homesick or stuck on yet another 20-hour bus, your iPod will be your most valuable possession.
• Sleeping bag liner: Perfect for when it’s BYO linen, or when your sleeping bag needs to be just a bit warmer. Invest in a silk liner, which weighs less and takes up less space.
• Flash drive: This isn’t a must, but it’s nice to have, and they are teeny tiny. Use it to store scans of your passport, immunization records, and résumé. Flash drives are also perfect for transferring photos from your camera. Otherwise, be sure to store a scan of your passport in your online email account.
• Money stashes: To split up your cash and cards, you’ll need something in addition to a money belt. Try flip-flops with a secret compartment, a bra stash, or a belt with a hidden zipper. The flip-flops are heavy, but worth it.

Wondering what else is in my backpack? Tennis shoes, hiking boots, a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, ten pairs of underwear, ten pairs of ankle socks, two pairs of hiking socks, three bras, one tank top, four short sleeve shirts, two long sleeve shirts, one skirt, a micro fleece, a 3-in-1 jacket, t-shirt and boxers for pajamas, three bikinis, sleeping bag, mini first aid kit, assorted toiletries, camera, journal, books, a deck of cards, backpack rain cover, small Swiss Army knife, one bandanna, one bucket hat, three luggage locks, electric plug adapters, one small bottle of hand sanitizer, and a copy of my travel insurance policy. Now that we are out of cold weather for the foreseeable future, I’m ditching the winter hat, scarf, gloves, and sweater I bought in South America.  Pack much less than you think you’ll need, I can’t say it enough.

What are your travel essentials?

Check out the full list.

As the kiwis would say, sweet as!

Keeping in touch with friends keeps homesickness at bay.

In small towns, there are always street dogs running around. All they want are scraps and some love.

Everything weighs something.

Indigenous people do not like having their picture taken.

Toilet paper: don’t leave the hostel without it.

Grilling on an Argentine parrilla is serious business. They don’t care if it takes hours; for them, the taste of steak cooked over wood coals is worth it.

In first class, a 17-hour bus ride can be enjoyable.

If my daypack feels heavier than normal while I am wearing it on my back, someone is trying to open it.

Ceviche cures a sushi craving.

People love wearing Yankees hats, even if they don´t know exactly what the NY stands for.

Don’t travel on the Day of the Dead, especially if it falls on a Friday.

Hand sanitizer, peanut butter, and my iPod are worth their weight in gold.

Keeping a daily journal and a blog of our travels are major commitments.

Chileans and Argentines speak entirely too quickly.

Liability isn’t really a concept there. We’ve climbed the rafters of churches and walked right up to the mouths of geysers.

The whole continent is obsessed with soccer. Cities practically shut down to watch big games.

If I order one of my favorite American foods such as a cheeseburger or pizza, it will never turn out quite the way I’d hoped.

Vitamin B tablets will make you smell bad to mosquitoes.

Tang packets make purified river water taste good.

In Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, the set lunches at restaurants are a steal. A three-course lunch for $1.50? Count me in!

You have to shake a mercury thermometer before using it.

If you want to visit Argentine wineries, go to Cafayate instead of Mendoza.

All the dollar coins ended up in Ecuador, which uses the U.S. dollar.

Never wake a sleeping anaconda.

Sometimes Lonely Planet can be a little too enthusiastic when describing places. If they say a place is “off the beaten path,” it will be overrun with backpackers.

I never met a hot spring I didn’t like.

Street food is yummy. Meat kabobs, fresh squeezed orange juice, caramel popcorn, churros, corn on the cob….

You can buy carne (meat) at a carnecería, libros (books) at a librería, but you can´t buy ferrets at a ferretería. They sell hardware.

Argentines and Urguayans love their yerba mate tea. Even on the hottest days you’ll see them clutching thermoses and gourds of tea with metal straws.

Portuguese doesn’t sound a thing like Spanish. I learned that the hard way.

There are still nice people in the world. In Saquarema, Brazil, a woman walked 20 minutes out of her way to take me to the one shoe repair shop in town. Instead of asking for a tip, she gave me her phone number in case I had any other questions.

You can buy anything at street stalls in La Paz. Batteries, eggs, you name it.

The best way to learn geography is to travel.

Cold is relative.

New York is a city of limitless possibilities, which may explain why my next career always seems more appealing than my current one.

Netflix, really warm boots, and an iPod are essential for getting through the winter.

Yankee Stadium takes my breath away every time. Some people wait their whole lives to see a game there, and I go ten times each season.

Sooner or later, every band comes to town.

Sooner or later, all my friends come to visit.

I can get a direct flight to every city worth visiting.

In New York, I am the master of my city. In London, Washington D.C., or Los Angeles, I am just another lost tourist.

Driving is totally overrated. Being driven rocks.

Prevously: What I’ve Learned: Part 1

Some guys are appealing only because they are unattainable. Some of us can’t resist a challenge.

Gorgeous guys are always trouble. It’s the dorky cute ones that are worth their weight in gold.
An engagement ring is not a status symbol like the newest it bag. If you want to get engaged, make sure it’s because you love the guy you with, not because you have a case of diamond ring envy and “it’s time.”
Sometimes staying in on Friday night is just what the doctor ordered.
Despite all my protests, dairy and I really don’t get along that well.
My first instinct is usually the correct one.
The best way to a case of the hiccups is to challenge the afflicted person to hiccup on command. It works every time without the messiness of drinking from the other side of the glass.
I procrastinate for one of two reasons: I am either afraid of doing the task or I don’t know how.
Usually most things I put off for weeks only take five minutes. I could avoid so much stress and pressure if I just did them right away.
Supportive and knowledgeable bosses can make all the difference in my happiness at work. But I am not at work to make friends.

Plain old restaurants morph into sidewalk cafes, and New York starts to look like Paris. I’ll gladly sacrifice the square footage on the pavement.

The city resembles a giant Easter basket. Trees that only two weeks ago resembled collections of sticks are now bedecked in pink or white flowers. The flowers eventually drop off and reveal bright green leaves. Yellow daffodils decorate the grounds of parks. Even the Empire State Building gets into the act, wearing yellow and white lights at night.

Suddenly I can wear my skirts and short sleeve shirts! After months in wool pants and sweaters, it’s like doubling my wardrobe for free!

Sunsets in December are at 4:30. By March, it’s around 6:00. After this weekend’s time change, we’re up to 7:23pm. Yay!!

Walking to work is fun again. No longer do I have to huddle in the subway station because it’s 20 degrees outside.

The Shake Shack is open! Home to some of the best burgers, fries, and ice cream East of In-N-Out Burger, the Shake Shack is a seasonal affair in the middle of Madison Square Park, right in my ‘hood.

Yankee Stadium is alive again! The Boys of Summer are back, and judging by last night’s grand slam by A-Rod, this year’s Bronx Bombers are going to be wonderful to watch.