Hello, person and/or people and/or robots of the future! Thank you for coming to allnewyear.com. This project is over, but I wanted this post to serve as a beginner’s guide, so you can get a sense of what this this site all about.

What is this site all about?

Good question, fictional question-asker! All New Year was a project started by Opus Moreschi, in which he did something he’s never done before, once a day, every day, for a year, and blogged about it.

Why are there no more updates?

Opus started his All New Year on his birthday, March 5, 2007 and completed it one year later on March 4, 2008.

How many new things were done?

366 (as Opus’s mother pointed out, it was a leap year).

What are Taco Tuesdays?

Some of the most popular posts on All New Year were Taco Tuesdays, a weekly event in which Opus would eat something he’s never tried before, from freeze-dried larvae, to strange mexican candies, to dog food. Opus occasionally posts new Taco Tuesdays at his other site, HeyItsOpus.com.

I just saw you did something rather small and lame for a New Thing on this day or that. Does that count?

Listen, Fictional Question Asker. I used to like you, but now you’re getting a bit uppity. Yes, admittedly, some of the new things were lame. But you try finding something brand new to do every day while working full time, blogging daily, and trying to retain some semblance of a social life. It ain’t easy, chump.

What are your favorite New Things?

That’s like asking, “Which sharp stick did you enjoy getting poked in the eye with most” But here are the ones that resonated with myself or others:

• Skydiving

• Trapeze Lessons
• Hugging The “Hugging Saint”
• Attempting to get into a fancy fashion industry party
• Peeing in adult diapers
• Drive Naked
• Milk a Cow
• Ear Candling
• Working out with Richard Simmons
• Growing a Mustache for Charity
• Cleaning My Nose With A Neti Pot

What was the reaction? Were there any spin-offs?

The reaction was overwhelmingly positive, with people from all over the globe writing me with suggestions, and support, and only very very occasionally to tell me how stupid I looked. But by far, imitation was the most awesomest form of flattery. Several people attempted to do their own All New Years - to varying degrees of success. I am not judging that in the slightest - it’s a difficult thing to do, and just giving it a try is admirable enough.

• Emily decided to do her own Em’s New Year, along with a Taco Tuesday spin-off called Mini-Muffin Monday.

• Dani, from the UK, started up Dani’s All New Year,: her version of Taco Tuesday was called Fritters on Friday.
• Grace was inspired to do her own twist on the genre by making sure her next year was her Favorite Year.
• Erika brought the concept to her craft business, My Imaginary Boyfriend, and did a craft a day for a month.
• Popular YouTube vlogger Paperlillies recommended my blog to her many fans, her brother were inspired to do a Taco Tuesday, calling theirs Burrito Wednesday. Her accent makes here single edition far cooler than all of mine combines.

Are you going to keep doing All New Things?

God, no. From now on I will simply sit very still, concentrating very hard on never again trying anything new. (Fine, okay, I’m sure I’ll always be open to new experiences in a way I haven’t been before. Is that what you wanted?)

Do you realize you switched from third person to first person halfway through this list?

Opus Moreschi does realize that I did this.

How do you feel about it now that All New Year is over?

How do I feel? Honestly, relieved. All New Year was a huge pain in my ass. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad I did it, but it was exhausting, draining, frustrating, confusing and upsetting at times. Still, I wouldn’t change a thing.

What have you learned from the All New Year project?

I wish I had a pat, Carpe Diem, Oh-Captain-My-Captain, Bucket List sort of answer for that. But life doesn’t serve up easy answers - and if it did, it wouldn’t be as interesting. I started the project because I noticed a tendency in myself to remain too comfortable, to not step outside my own boundaries, and to not explore new things. If I saw those qualities in another person, I would probably be inclined to dislike them. By forcing myself to do new things, I was forcing myself to confront those qualities.

What I learned is that we have boundaries for a reason. And it’s always good to push those boundaries, test their elasticity. Maybe you’ll find what terrified you a year ago is easy for you today… or that something you’ve always shied away from is something you actually really enjoy.

But I think its just as valuable a lesson to learn that it’s okay to have those boundaries. If I don’t want to go clubbing until dawn listening to house music and taking illegal pills I buy off a guy in the bathroom who won’t give me his real name but tells me to call him “The Fixer” - that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me. It means I know what I like - scrabble, ben & jerrys, and an early bedtime. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Do you have any other sweeping, grandiose projects planned for the future?

Shhh. Daddy’s trying to rest.