Happy New Year! For me, the holidays happened so quickly this year. Maybe it was because I was a little late finally decorating my tree so that it wasn’t up as long? Or maybe because I’m kind of excited about 2019? I have some trips planned and tentatively planned, workshops at the yoga studio that I’m looking forward to attending, stories to write and just…experiences I want to have. And you know that saying, “there’s no time like the present,” right?
Travel to a New Country
My recurring annual goal, and this year, I already have a place in mind. Maybe even two…though the second is up to the person who’s birthday it will be. I won’t say where yet for the first as I haven’t planned anything. Last year this goal was only half-accomplished, with a trip to a new region/city in France, and the year before, I joked that I went to Portugal after a dream. I knew I’d wanted to go somewhere in Europe, and one morning I woke up having dreamt I went to Lisbon. I thought…well, that’s one way to pick!
Château de Fontainebleau
For this year, let’s just say that it’s a country that has been in my top 5 countries to visit for the last several years. And as I’ve visited some of those 5 and shuffled the list to add new ones, this country has remained. Intrigued? Then I should start planning!
Letter Writing
Yes, actual letters. When I first moved back to Texas, some friends and I sent somewhat lengthy emails catching up since we could no longer do so over drinks in Chinatown or Dupont Circle (we had a few regular neighborhoods). And I miss that.
During the move, I also remember coming across some letters from family and friends from college, and it was so much fun to go back and read some of those. And you can’t easily do that with a text or even an email. Sure, I do still send postcards when I travel – and I love receiving postcards from traveling friends! – but a letter is so…meaningful. Especially I think today when everything is so instantaneous and so out there. Sure, I know what several friends are up to from Facebook, but wouldn’t it be lovely to come home and read a handwritten note? And then I think letter writing also conveys how much that person means to the sender, that I wanted to sit down and take time to write to them.
Photography
This was also a goal last year, though more so as an beginning of the year challenge for a photo of the day. While this was fun, this year it’s more…camera related. I didn’t go on many “photo safaris” in 2018 with my camera, and worked on photo editing even less (I’m still finishing up photos from my summer trip to Montana!). I’ve found that just wanting to take my camera out has led me to find new places to explore or new festivals and events to attend.
One of the edited photos from Montana
The Random Experiences
This one is just for those random things I want to do: ice skating, horseback riding, horseback riding in Glacier National Park, kayaking, the random road trip. Each time I’ve visited Montana over the last several years, I keep thinking “I would love to go on one of their trail rides!”. Or kayak on one of their crystal blue lakes. Or I talk about going to one of the ice rinks in Dallas for a bit. And then…I don’t. Do you have anything like that?
Now I may not do all of these things in the upcoming year. But if it happens that I have an opportunity, then why not? Why wait?
So what are some of the things you want to do in the New Year?
