Happy New Year everyone! It’s finally 2012 and now seems a good time to jot down some of my goals for the upcoming year and reflect a little on last year.
2011 was a bit of a strange year for me. I found myself working in a job I didn’t really enjoy, wasn’t able to travel as much as I had planned, and a few other things happened that threw my life out of whack a little bit. Things were just beginning to feel a bit boring, like I was doing the same things all the time, going out to the same places (except for Costa Rica!). So in 2012, I’m making some major changes in my life!
A New Home
First, I’m moving to Austin, TX! I had a great time down there when I visited last year and one of my best friends has lived down there for a couple years and is always telling all the crazy stuff he’s getting into. Plus, I need to get away from these brutal Midwest winters. The idea of rarely ever having to wear more than a light hoodie definitely appeals to me after living in the Midwest my whole life. I’m not sure on an exact timeline for moving, but it will be sometime in the next couple months so that I’m there for SXSW in March.
Traveling
Second, I plan to travel a whole lot more this year than I did last year. My goal is to see 5 new countries this year and bring my total right around 20. I’ll also be visiting a few that I’ve been to before, but still love. For sure I’ll be in London for the Olympics this summer, followed by bumming around in Europe for a bit. In addition to England, I’m hoping to hit France, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco (to ride a camel!). Unfortunately, I missed Portugal and Morocco on my last Euro-trip, so I’ll make it up this time. Hopefully I can stick around long enough to get to the giant tomato fight La Tomatina in Valencia at the end of August.
Another trip I’m going to try and make is down to Central America. I’m starting a scuba diving certification class next week and I want to finish the 3rd part of the certification in Honduras, visit my friend in Costa Rica, and then head down to Panama.
I might be attending TBEX in Keystone, CO in June and possibly taking another trip in the fall (Thailand, or Argentina maybe?). This should get me to my goal of 5 new countries.
Other Bucket List Items
With all the trips I have planned this year, I should be able to knock several items off of my Bucket List this year. If all goes well, I’ll be able to cross off the following items by the end of 2012:
4) See the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower
10) Ride a camel across the desert (Morocco)
20) Attend the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
25) Complete P90X
29) Participate in the giant tomato fight La Tomatina in Spain
35) Get scuba diving certified (started last week!)
70) Complete Warrior Dash over the summer
71) Attend SXSW in Austin, TX
Maybe more, we’ll see how it goes.
Blogging
One of my big goals for this year is to post more consistently on this blog. I have a lot of ideas for posts, but need to make more time to sit down and write them. I’ve been really busy since the holidays and haven’t had a lot of time to work on this. I just started a scuba diving certification class which is taking up a large amount of my time this month. Also, I’ve been going to an indoor climbing gym nearby every week lately as part of my goal of getting in better shape this year.
2012 should be a great year and I’ll definitely keep you posted on everything going on!
