Hello Reader Nation!
Happy 2016! How're things? Are you still going to the gym 4xs a week? Following that diet plan? Spending more time with your loved ones?
I always make at least 3 New Year's Resolutions. Usually they are health-related. Sometimes they are pretty benign. Like, in 2010 when I promised myself that I would apply a liberal amount of high-quality hand moisturizer every day, focusing on the area around my cuticles. I think I made it to November (!) keeping that resolution. Then something happened. Maybe it's a manifestation of my rebellious spirit. Because, when you do something, day in and day out, over and over, don't you just get so sick and tired of thinking about your cuticles? Consequently, I may not have put on hand lotion from December of 2010 until... maybe... a couple of years later? Ugh. The responsibility of the whole thing was just utterly exhausting.
My resolutions in 2015 were probably the best-kept resolutions I've ever made. I wanted to get into great shape for the wedding. I wanted to eat by Michael Pollan's rules. I wanted to excel in graduate school.
Well, now that it's 2016, I can reflect on the successes of 2015. Thanks to Reggie, our awesome trainer at Village Fitness, I was in pretty kicka*s shape for the wedding. See?
Thanks to some great meal ideas from Jillian Michaels, I did eat pretty clean. Lots of salads, dressing on the side, fish fillets, you know how it goes. I started grad school in January, and worked like a dog on projects, while planning a wedding and then getting married, AND managed to take a week long trip to Ojo Caliente in New Mexico (go there!!!!) and maintained my complete sanity throughout most of the 365 days.
Wait, let's pause and relive Ojo for just a minute. First, you have to click on the embedded link (here it is again!) and keep the sound track playing as you look at these shots...
Hiking around the resort trail
This is E's responsible hiking outfit. Proper sun coverage and well-ventilated in the dry heat.
My hiking outfit. It was hot out, y'all.
My obsession with cactus continues.
It was on the ground! No live cacti were harmed in the taking of these photographs. Also, nice wedding band, yo.
E was prepared to defend us from mountain lions, which live in the area, according to info at the trail head. With a selfie-stick.
This is not a real smile. I was too hot to real-smile. Lucky to find this little bench here, to take a little restie.
Lizard friend!
Meanwhile, the grounds of the actual resort and spa were a-MAY-zing. I couldn't stop collecting flower photos...
What even ARE these little purple flowers? They were everywhere, and beautiful.
You get it now. It was lovely.
So, this is a post about resolutions. And as you can see, 2015 was big.
On December 31, 2015, I thoughtfully put together my list of resolutions.
1. Do more yoga.
2. Become a vegetarian.
3. (I was still formulating #3 when it was time to go to our neighbor's house to celebrate. So, it kinda just stayed as 3.) (It was going to be something about this blog.)
Here's the timeline of the start of 2016:
Midnight, New Year's Eve: I let go of making a third resolution. Decide to just be really serious about the first two.
12:15am, New Year's Eve - Eat something at the party with meat in it. Decide that 2016 doesn't actually start until after I've gone to sleep and woken up on January 1.
10:30 am, January 1 - Make plans to go out to eat. Decide that I'll go ahead and reach for pescatarian, since the vegetarian thing isn't going so well. So, I'll allow myself fish, and other sea-faring creatures.
Noon, January 1 - Go to lunch. Order a burger. Whatever, limited diets are hard.
January 1-January 30, 2016 - Yoga has happened 3 times. If you count sitting on the floor and reaching for your toes while watching tv as "yoga." Otherwise, it hasn't really been a thing.
I could make excuses for myself. 2015 was, like, really a lot of work. E is currently working overnight shifts, so that's weird. School things. Life things. Ehhhhh... ...Yes. I will make excuses.
And so, there's one resolution that I've decided not to break. Granted, I didn't really make it until a couple of weeks ago, so I guess it's more of a January resolution. But traveling. I want to travel, and see more stuff. Big trips, little trips, day trips, overnight trips. And it doesn't feel like it's limiting, it just feels like it's about making time. So, that's where I am in 2016. Where are you?
(Insert existential crisis here)
(Just kidding, it's hyperbole, I'm fine).
The first of hopefully many day trips in 2016!
Until Next Time,
K