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Loading...New Year’s resolutions. The sound of that phrase makes a lot of people cringe — including me. Well, maybe not during January, but in every subsequent month of the year it does because that’s when I tend to realize I haven’t stuck to any of my resolutions.
For this reason, I’ve never been a big fan of creating New Year’s resolutions. I can’t handle the failure once February hits. But this year is different. I decided that instead of setting common goals that I should always be working on anyway — like getting into shape or making more money — I’d set a goal that would actually be fun. That’s right, I said it. My New Year’s resolution this year is “fun.”
On New Year’s Day, I decided that this year I am going to try new things. I’m going to throw caution to the wind, try things I normally wouldn’t consider, and hopefully gain a lot of good memories. I don’t know how many new things I’ll try, but even if I do just one, I know I’ll be better for it. However, I’m aiming to try one new thing a month.
This month, I’m going to try snowshoeing for the first time. I’ve never been much of a risk taker, and I know to many this doesn’t sound risky, but I hate the snow, cold and the thought of an avalanche taking me out. Although I may be a little nervous once I strap those snowshoes on, I know that I’ll never know if I like it if I don’t at least give it a shot.
Later this year, I’m also going to get crafty. I haven’t ever been good at crafting — I usually give up on a project halfway through and I’ve banished all the scrapbooks I’ve attempted to create to my basement storage room. But this year, I am actually going to finish one of the million crafts I’ve been pinning on Pinterest. Even if it turns out looking deformed, at least I’ll know I finished something.
In May, I’ve got a trip to Oahu, Hawaii planned with my husband and some friends. I have snorkeled and scuba dived before, but one water sport I’ve never tried is surfing. Even though I’m not a good swimmer and “Jaws” scares the heck out of me, I’m still going to try it. Who knows, I may find out that I’m actually really good at surfing and end up competing in the next summer Olympics.
Another new thing I’d like to try this year is backpacking. My husband and I have talked about backpacking since we got married nearly three years ago. Although we’ve been on a few long hikes together, we’ve never hiked into the woods, stayed the night, and then hiked back out the next day. This year, I’m going to do it, even if I am scared of bears or cougars attacking us, or getting lost in the middle of nowhere. Like I said, I’m not a risk taker.
Another new thing I plan to do this year is expand my horizons in the kitchen. I’m pretty all-American when it comes to cooking — you know, roast beef, mashed potatoes and corn. But this year I’m going to try cooking dishes from other countries, and I’m going to get authentic. I’ve got some good friends from Sri Lanka who have introduced me to jaggery, a sugary product made from palm tree sap that can be turned into a flan-like dessert. I also have an aunt who is from Laos that has promised to teach me how to make dishes such as lop (meat salad) and pho — a Vietnamese soup made with meat and rice noodles. I plan to make all three and then try even more.
I know this laundry list of things I’m going to try sounds like a lot of different resolutions rolled into one big one, but I think everything sounds fun enough that it’s going to be hard not to accomplish every single one of them.
