Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Hello 2013!

My "big idea" for 2012 was having more fun and adventure, and I think I was successful!

I learned to ski in California, I got into mountain biking, I camped, I went sledding, I weaved through the crowds of Venice beach, tried my hand at surfing, skateboarded, completed a marathon, played soccer, roadtripped all over Indiana, saw Hollywood, experienced the freeways of Los Angeles, slept in the Grand Canyon and saw the most beautiful display of stars I've ever seen, hiked to an Indian reservation 8 miles from the nearest road, and swam in water so blue it looked like kool-aid.

Here are a few goals for the coming year:

  • Have more fun!  
    • We are going to try kayaking this summer.  
    • I am going to enter my first mountain bike race EVER. 
    • We're going skiing again!
  • Continue to stay active 
    • I already have another marathon picked out for this year in October (http://www.columbusmarathon.com/).  Can't wait!!
    • Complete my first triathlon - Aaron will be doing this with me.  We haven't chosen our triathlon yet... that's something we need to do. 
    • I am going to continue mountain biking and will try to improve my skills and speed. 
  • Accomplish something related to my interest in music
    • Some may not know this, but Aaron and I met in choir class in high school.  I have put my interest in music on the back burner for a while, but I think I'm ready to get involved again.  I don't know if that means learning to play a few songs on the piano for church (or on the guitar?) or auditioning for a musical or choir, but this is something I've been wanting to do for quite some time.  
  • Pay off a high interest student loan 
    • I have one in mind already, and I have a strategy!  Unfortunately, it means we will be taking a smaller vacation this year, but I think it will be worth it.
  • Expand our small business
    • We're hoping to relaunch a redesigned website and increase our revenue by 15%.  
  • Make better choices for the environment 
    • We started recycling this year (and now only put our garbage out every 2 months!), so we'll continue that. 
    • I will not be buying any new clothing during 2013.  All of my clothing will be from thrift stores or yard sales (unless I'm buying undergarments or swimsuits or if I cannot find a reasonable replacement for a pair of shoes). 
    • We are going vegan.  This one scares me - we've been vegetarian almost 4 years now, but we're ready to take the plunge and go vegan.  I'm afraid that I will send extra time in the kitchen or have trouble grocery shopping.  We shall see, and I will be happy to share my thoughts on the topic.  So, why is being vegan better for the planet (and the animals and our bodies)?  Click here: http://www.vegansociety.com/become-a-vegan/why.aspx
  • Expand my Spanish skills 
    • I am one of three translators for our shelter, and unfortunately, I still have a lot to learn!  In late 2012, I started listen to the Latin radio station in Indianapolis.  I will continue this and will add in some dedicated study time/note-taking.  
  • ORGANIZE!
    • Unfortunately, I did not inherit my mom's innate ability to make any space tidy and orderly. First, I am going to start with decluttering to see how far that takes me, and then, I'll focus on some specific projects. 
  • Secret goal: I am still not quite ready to reveal this, but I am working on a project of global proportions!
While this may seem like a lot of goals to work on, a lot of them are either things I've already doing and are expanding upon or are one-time goals.  Either way, I'm excited for what 2013 will bring!

CHEERS!