Al Jazeera Archives | Zuzu's Petals

This year. Dude.

It’s now official: I wrote something that went viral in 2013. The best part is that the piece brought further attention to Project Unbreakable‘s vital message about ending rape culture and sexual violence. Feminist win.

I was interviewed by Al Jazeera twice. First about my life as a Third Culture Kid and next about my viral article.

I’m one of Ms Magazine‘s new bloggers, though I suffered from a touch of blogger’s block after said whirlwind of going viral.

I finished American Monsters Book II. Finally! And the first reviews from my magnificent beta readers are smashing. If you’d like to stay abreast of my progress you can sign up to the Monsters Mailing List here.

Somehow I also managed to make 100+ pieces of art during the course of the year, some of which can be seen in my Instagram feed or Flickr gallery.

As a result, I’m offering art bundles of a re-purposed art print + signed American Monsters I + handmade card for $25, shipping included in the US. If you’re abroad and interested, message me via Twitter, Facebook, or below, and let’s discuss affordable options. Available prints for upcycling include Frida Kahlo, Dalí, Van Gogh, Klimt, Marilyn Monroe, and more.

If you already have your copy of American Monsters I (and I love you), I’ll be offering a similar art bundle when Crime Rave eventually comes out, so be sure and sign up for the American Monsters newsletter to receive updates.

Upcycled art print + signed American Monsters Book I + homemade greeting card. $25, shipping included in the US. — Upcycled art print + signed American Monsters Book I + homemade greeting card.
$25, shipping included in the US.

During the course of 2013 I traveled to Key West, St Augustine, Savannah, Orlando, and South Beach Miami, and ironically discovered that two of my Top Five Favorite Places in the World — Key West and South Beach — exist in my little corner of Florida. Who knew? And how happy am I to be here? So flipping happy.

In 2013 I discovered my thyroid had only been functioning at roughly 50% for the past five years, explaining the inexplicable and grotesque weight gain with which I’ve been struggling. I managed to naturally heal my thyroid dysfunction with kelp supplements, juicing, and green smoothies. In fact, juicing and smoothie-ing seems to have further alleviated many of my PTSD symptoms, like acute anxiety, nightmares, and difficulty sleeping through the night, among so many other things. I still need to lose the unhappy thyroid weight, but hey, that’s cool. Honestly, I never knew that a person could be happy for no reason. Which I am now. All the time. Maybe annoyingly so. Wow, right?

If you’re interested in learning more about juicing and blending, leave me a comment below and I’ll be sure and write a post on my experience and research in the new year, with lots of great resources for changing your health, and subsequently your life, through drinking your vegetables.

Other fabulous news was that my sweetheart husband got me a ukulele for Christmas. UKULELE!

While I can only play two chords well (and without looking, by the way), I absolutely love her. Oh! The things Amanda and I will do! Excitement. I plan to be able to play at least one song from the Into the Wild soundtrack by the end of next year. And if I’m a good uke student, an Amanda Palmer tune would be brilliant by 2015 as well.

Possibly the most surprising result of 2013 is that I’ve finally settled into life in this tiny little Florida pseudo-beach town called Lighthouse Point. While it’s far from ideal culturally, socially, and transportationally, living here has forced me inwards in a way that being an expat never allowed, what with all the beautiful history, art, fascinating people that surrounded (and possibly distracted) me while living in magnificent cities like Sevilla, Granada, Prague, Cologne.

Maybe it’s not such a wonder that some of the best writing, art, and creative producing I’ve done in my life has happened here in Lighthouse Point: I have to rely on the resources in my cranium rather than the external stimuli that inspired all facets of my creative work previously. Here’s to continued cultural production from the middle of a cultural wasteland! Cheers! 😉

So, 2013, not too shabby. Not too shabby at all. You’re definitely going down as one of Zuzu’s Best Years Ever.

And 2014, prepare to be ROCKED (with pink ukulele in hand)!

Happy New Year, Dear Readers. May 2014 be a wonder of new proportions.