Seriously. Where did 2008 GO?
Luckily, I have a blog, so I can tell you that I spent 2008 giving up toilet paper, grieving the loss of one of my best friends, learning to make butter, taking public transit to work, enjoying the farmers' market with my girl friends, celebrating the last birthday of my twenties for a whole month, becoming a pseudo-freegan, completing my one year of non-consumerism, leaving my beloved Los Angeles, traveling through India, moving to London, voting for Obama, and writing paper after paper after paper.
Not bad for one year.
It's a little amazing to me how much my life has changed in the past one year. I'm honestly not sure where the next year will take me, but I am realizing that right now, the ends are not as important to me and I am just enjoying the journey that is life.
However, there are a few things I hope to accomplish this year. Resolutions, goals whatever, you call them.
1) I hope to write my dissertation, and graduate. And then, ya know, get a job-like thing. You know, one of those things where people pay you to do work? Instead of you paying someone so you can work harder than you've ever worked?
2) I want to do some freelance writing, and start to write more for other blogs/publications/etc.
3) I want to sing more. After two months of choir, I realize how much I've missed it these ten years. I'd love to take voice lessons, but that would probably require that job-like thing.
4) I also want to learn guitar. This one has been on my "resolutions" list for years now, but now the pressure is really on because learning guitar is also on my list of things to do before I turn 30. It was an extremely short list, and I've actually accomplished everything else: I wrote a novel and I'm learning Spanish. Guitar was the third thing on the list, and the only outstanding item. Of course, I sold my guitar when I left LA, so this would require buying another guitar in London, and then finding a cheap teacher ....
5) I want to explore Europe/the UK/London more. I have to be honest. I spent *a lot* of time these past two months getting to know the library very well. And that's great, and I'm proud of myself for working hard in my classes, but it's getting a little embarrassing how little I've explored London. And frankly, when else am I going to get such a good chance to go to York? Or to Brighton? Or to Nice? Or Dublin? Or Copenhagen? Or Berlin? So as much as I love the library (and I actually do ADORE our library) I need to find a balance that allows me to see the world around me just a tad as well.
I think five is probably more goals than I can handle, so I'll stop there.
What about all y'all? What are your goals for the next year?
11 comments:
Your #5 is my biggest goal this year, only except I'll be based in Berlin. I'll be there by Saturday evening. So weird! How is adjusting to a new country?
Good luck with #1. It definitely sounds like you'll be working like crazy to get there.
heya. i've set about six resolutions this year which are kinda ambigious and I hope that means they will be easier for me to achieve this year. There are here: http://manaakipapatuanuku.blogspot.com/2008/12/we-need-resolution.html
Funny, I don't have a single resolution this year - other than I need to get organized and think about my resolutions. :)
You've come a long way in one year. Good luck with the following year - especially number 2 which, now that I think about it, could be a goal of mine too if only I could get organized enough to pursue it.
Happy New Year!
Ruchi, GB, you're both terrific writers. I think you could go a long way with that resolution.
Stephanie, that's so cool! Berlin is supposed to be an amazing city, so have a wonderful time!! On adjusting to a new country ... I have to be honest, it's not hard to adjust to London, but they speak English there. I imagine Berlin will be slightly more difficult, but in a month or so, you'll have figured it out I'm sure. :)
Mariella, those are great resolutions! I really like the one of doing something you've never done once a week.
GB, I definitely think you should pursue number 2. You're an awesome writer!!
Joyce, thank you! I appreciate it.
True, the language barrier will be harder. I'd always heard that the English in London is a lot thicker than American English though, so it might be harder there. In any case, I know German better than British English, so I think I'll be okay in Berlin. I think I'll have a great time. I'm just sad I'll only be two months in Berlin. I'll be halfway through the stay there when I adjust, and then I'll be in Vienna and adjust to life there - which will definitely be easier coming from Berlin than from the US.
Happy New Year!
What kind of guitar? And for short-haul trips (e.g. York - excellent choice!), you can read/work on the train...
The "resolutions" word has a bad rep I suppose. I would link to my resolutions, but I think its bad manners or something to link to your own blog.
But I mainly want to continue doing alot of fitness related activities, as well as working on meditation and a bunch of food related activities like learning how to can. I just can't stop worrying about seeing all my canned goods destroyed when the fault line shrugs.
You certainly accomplished alot in 2008 although I'm still struggling with adjusting to the fact that you're in the U.K. Or you're not in the U.K. right now, but you are for the most part.
I do think alot about your general message, which boils down to being nice and seeing the similarities rather than the differences in other people's viewpoints. When you first touted out that message, I found it very difficult of a message to swallow. But now I think its the only way to attaining any kind of goal on a large scale. Its still a difficult thing to practice on a day to day level, but its something I keep thinking about all the time. So thank you for that.
Happy new year to you too -- and thank you for making me realize another important benefit of blogging. I sort of had that thought in my mind but I could not verbalize it as effectively as you did.
Cath, I just want a regular old acoustic guitar, the kind you can strum on in front of a bonfire.
Beany, you're welcome. I wouldn't worry too much about your canned goods. They'll probably be safe. :)
You're welcome expbook, and thank you for commenting!
Ruchi,
If you can't find a guitar teacher, the Emedia guitar method is really good for an computer teaching of music. I was quite surprised. The US Amazon link is here http://www.amazon.com/emedia-EG08063-Guitar-Method-Version/dp/B000VS8VXE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1231308098&sr=8-1
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