2015

Is it too late to talk about New Year’s resolutions?  I know it’s the 10th but since we just started work on the 5th I feel like my year didn't really start until then.  I’m going to go ahead and give myself a 10-day grace period.

When I look back on 2014, I'm pretty happy with myself: I moved to New York, got a job I love, worked out every week (including going to yoga 2-3/week, a concrete goal I set!), visited Central America for the first time, met new friends and spent time with old, and generally succeeded at "making it" in New York.  Of course, there's plenty I failed at too: I hated the first job I had when I moved here, I'm kind of terrible at balancing my schedule so I get enough sleep, I abandoned photography for the first few months, and I didn't save very much money.  Hey, it's hard to be perfect here!

As I said last year, I’m kind of torn on New Year’s resolutions.  Most of them fail—and no, I’m not just being cynical—resolutions have less than a 10% success rate.  However, there is something to say about the optimism for a new year, and who am I to be negative about others’ hopes to improve themselves?  An unexamined life isn’t worth living, after all.  So while I don’t try to reinvent the wheel with my resolutions, I do enjoy the process of reflecting on last years’ goals, accomplishments, and spending time thinking of what I want from the future.  

Here’s what I’m resolving to do in 2015:

• Improve my Spanish.  I have been talking about doing this for so long and haven’t done anything about it.  Luckily my trip to Nicaragua re-ignited my desire a bit (what’s the point of taking 10+ years of Spanish classes in school if you promptly forget it all 5 years later?), and while I was on the trip I started researching classes to take in New York.  (Sidenote: I love that there’s so many options for doing anything you want in New York.  It truly is the city of endless opportunities.)  I signed up for an 8-week session at Idlewild, which focuses on conversational Spanish.  Woohoo!  I also joined the “New York Spanish Language Meetup”, which hosts fun cultural events with people looking to learn Spanish.  Since Zack wants to move to Spain one day, he’s also motivated to improve his language skills—having a buddy always makes goals easier to accomplish!  Ahora es mi tiempo por hablar Espanol!

• Visit 2 or 3 new countries.  Trying to make headway on my “visit 30 countries before I’m 30” goal!  I’m not getting any younger ;)  Currently on my radar: Cartagena, anywhere in Central America (maybe Honduras to go diving with Zack), somewhere warm this winter (maybe Tobago or Jamaica?), Norway due to $250 RT flights (not in the winter, ha), Eqpyt to visit family, really anywhere in Africa, ah so many places!  I could go on and on.  I want to go everywhere.

• Get a promotion.  I love my new job and want to succeed here.  There’s tremendous opportunity for growth I want to take advantage of.  Sup career development!

• Continue my awesome workout schedule.  I joined ClassPass this April, which allows me to take unlimited classes at the normally cost-prohibitive boutique fitness studios in New York.  When I lived in Santa Barbara, I was SO lazy about working out.  I had a yoga studio I liked, and I loved running by the beach, but most days I drove to work (which was only a mile away), sat at my desk all day, then went home and watched TV or read a book.  So I knew when I moved to New York I wanted to shed a little bit of that lazy-weight.  Although ClassPass might be a little expensive compared to other gym memberships out of NYC, it is such an amazing deal here (my 24 Hour Fitness membership costs $30/month in California, and is $80/month here, with no discernable differences in the quality of the gym or classes).  Since joining ClassPass, I’ve taken underwater cycling, yoga with a famous Brazilian guru, ballet barre, mega-former pilates, and classes at those studios you read about in the New York Times or Vogue that are famous for training actual models (one time I saw Karlie Kloss in a class!).  Anyways, I started working out a ton (sometimes 5-7 times a week, never skipping a week entirely), and I’d love to keep it up this year—which won’t be hard with the amazing classes I get to take!

Let’s see if my cynical self can accomplish any of these!