Hello 2010!

Inspired by Nicole and Kristen's blogs, both girls are AKPsi "brothers" from college and I recently found their blogs thanks to facebook, here are 10 goals for 2010:

1. Find a job. Maybe this isnt so much a goal as a task that has to be completed but I will make a note, mostly to remind myself, that I will not allow myself to get stuck in a job that isn't what I want, like, or need.....I need to be continually challenged, learning new things, inspired, and have a mentor or two to follow/consult.

2. Downsize and build from there. I feel like my life is so full of things that dont mean anything to me - clothes I dont like and dont wear and in general too much of nothing. I came to Germany with 2 suitcases and a backpack and now I have a room full of stuff (that took me and my friends over 6 hours to move from my old room to my new room). So as I prepare to leave here I will leave things that I dont like/dont wear anymore/dont need behind and when I get back to the States I will think more carefully before making impulse buys! There's a thrift store on post and I plan on taking a lot of stuff there! or leaving it in DOS, "Dropped Off Shit," here in the Abrams. Short blurb on DOS - it's great, here in Germany (and maybe other parts of Europe), you can put used items in common areas (for us in the Abrams, people leave things in the hall, in the bathroom, in a special DOS room, etc.) and it might be something someone else would want/need - like a winter coat, or boots, books, etc. It's kind of like a public trash can where your trash becomes someone else's treasure.

3. Be Healthy. Yes, I realize this is a very broad goal and one that everyone makes at the first of the New Year but this is something I sporadically do throughout the year and I'm tired of being on a health roller-coaster - losing and gaining weight, having lots of energy to being dead on my feet....so I want to be more consistent with a workout plan and eating healthy (fewer excuses to eat just one piece of cake or eating just one more of something - which then happens everyday if I let it!). Included in being healthy means taking better care of my skin - this has become a big pet peeve for me lately and when I go home to the States I want to buy better skin care regime products to start taking care of my skin - it is our largest organ after all!

4. Give Back. One thing I've realized living abroad is that I miss that sense of community. I want to get involved in my community, wherever that may be, when i move back to the States. I want to volunteer because not only does it help someone but as a volunteer you also receive an overwhelming feeling of making a difference (and it's free!)

5. Keep in touch. While living in Germany I've had a hard time keeping in touch with friends from home and I've also realized that I've missed out on some great friends. So when I get back to the States I want to nurture these friendships and make up for lost time.

6. Appreciate the little things. Pretty self explanatory but I think sometimes I take advantage of, or overlook, all the wonderful small things that are happening in my life. I also want to give more of these small things/moments for those that mean so much to me.

7. Learn new things. I love learning new things so hopefully it'll be easier to find cheap/free classes/books to learn new things in the States! Included in this, is taking a photography class. I'm most interested in taking travel/landscape pictures but I would also like to learn to take better people pictures and learn more features about my camera. A few other things I'd like to learn more about include cooking, yoga/pilates, fung shui, and graphic design.

8. Remember to not be afraid to do something by myself. It's happened a few times here where nobody has the time off or money to go on a trip, so I've gone by myself and they've all been great for different reasons - either I get to focus on taking great pictures or I meet great people (that probably wouldn't have started a conversation if I had been with someone) or I get to do some quality people watching and reflecting. Alone time in public isn't a bad thing. Sometimes we're all to nervous/ashamed to be by ourselves in public that we miss out by choosing to do nothing rather than going by ourselves, so I hope I remember all the good times I've had on my own these past 2 years and am not afraid to do something by myself when I go back to the States.

9. Continue the adventure. These past 2 years have been such an adventure. I moved here not knowing anybody or even knowing what my job would be. Two years later I've made a few great friends that I know will be in my life for the rest of my life. I've also learned that no matter where I live there will always be something to do/see/visit.

10. Have fun. Go out more. Stay out a little bit later than I normally would. Take things a little less seriously. Laugh more. Smile more (maybe not possible but nonetheless...smile more). Make my life the greatest memory possible.

It seems like a lot and sure, there's a lot more I hope to accomplish in 2010 but this is a start. I really do want to follow these goals and get the most out of this new year. I hope anyone who is reading this has also written down a few goals and finds the inspiration to follow through with their goals. Here's to another great year of life exactly as we make it!

Happy New Year!!