I had a fun time with last year's resolution. As a quick review, I basically picked a country a month and sampled wines from that country. I learned a lot about wine, and I think I have a better understanding of what I like and don't like as much. I thought about expanding my resolution to include whites this year as I basically focused only on reds, but 2012 is a new year, and I want to work on other things. That's not to say that I won't be trying new wines, as I definitely WILL be, but I won't be doing it in a structured manner.
A friend on twitter asked what people's favorite moment of 2011 was. It really made me think. I know a lot of my friends had no love for 2011, and couldn't wait for 2012 to start. Not me. I had a great year. I started it with a friend visiting from Vancouver, spent a lot of time with friends and family, learned a lot about wine, read lots of great books, had a consistent year of running, traveled to some great places, got my motorcycle license, bought a Vespa, did some (minor) renovations to my condo, and ended the year with a very fun get together with some great friends. Of course, there were some down moments, but they don't come to the top of my mind when I think about 2011.
I think my favorite moment was my first morning in Honolulu. I'd dreamed of going to Hawaii since I was a kid, and I finally got there. I flew in a day before my friend, and spent the first day just wandering around. I landed at night so when I got to the hotel, I couldn't really see much other than the fact that there were palm trees. I was so tired from the seven hour time difference and the long day of travel, but the first morning, my eyes opened at about 6 a.m. and I could see the sun light peeking in through the corner of the curtains. I really wanted to sleep, but once I saw the sun, and opened the curtain to a view of Waikiki Beach, I had to go outside. I grabbed some breakfast (at McDonald's - don't judge me) and a coffee and sat on the pier, listening to the surf, watching people play in the water. It wasn't even 7 a.m., and there were so many people out. People were walking past barefoot with surfboards under their arms. Everyone seemed so relaxed and happy. That morning was my favorite moment of 2011. There were a lot of other pretty awesome moments in Hawaii. Also in San Francisco later in the year.
So, what will 2012 bring? My resolution is much more boring this year. I'm budgeting. I'm paying off my line of credit, and I'm going to be in a much more organized financial position on December 31, 2012. I'm not in a bad position right now, but I haven't been budgeting, just spending when I want, and randomly putting money away for the future. I'd really like to take a big trip in 2013 (to Europe), so I will also be saving for that trip. That will be different than my old approach of booking and paying for it later.
But, other than that boring resolution, there are other things I'm going to aim to do. I'm going to start sketching. I can't draw worth crap, but I really enjoy trying to draw. I'll continue to read a lot of books, and maybe even start throwing in a book that is not just chick lit. Maybe even one I'll learn from. I'll continue with my French lessons after taking a much needed semester off. This summer, I want to take a longer trip on my Vespa. There are some more renovations I'd like to do on the condo (i.e. rip out the carpets and put down flooring). Generally, just start adding a bit more variety to my fun to make up for not taking any big trips this year!
I hope 2012 turns out to be a great year for everyone! I'm sure it will be!
