And for those of you who feel that marking some arbitrary place in the orbit of the planet as a time to reflect, celebrate, and start anew is silly... I say to you with all due respect: suck it.
2011 brought a few big changes...
- We now have a 15-month old running around. There's a world of difference between the 3-month old baby that we started the year with and the rambunctious, opinionated, stubborn, sweet, inquisitive, smart, and thoroughly enjoyable toddler that currently owns our household. But wow.
- Left my job of 11 years. While it was time to move on, starting from absolute zero again is tough. It's been a crazy six months of "post-WebAssign" life... and I think there has been some great growth and self-discovery. I got the chance to really sit down and mull: What do I want to do when I grow up? What am I good at? What am I passionate about? Still a journey, but it's something I don't think I would have done if I was still at WebAssign.
- Moved the family to Colorado. I love it here, but again this ain't easy. Moving is truly a pain in the a$$; moving cross-country is slightly worse; and moving with a child just adds to the fun and games. We miss things from Raleigh... mostly the people, but also some of our favorite hangouts and activities. The possibilities here are tantalizing, but just like with the new career we're starting out from zero and need to figure out a whole new world. Really, though, the opportunity for adventure and crafting new memories far outweighs the downside.
So what does 2012 look like in my mind?
- Another little girl heading our way around May 4. Just when we thought we had things under control... and this time we'll have Sydney around as well. I'll be outnumbered 3-1 here, and may have to take emergency steps to stay sane. ;)
- Building a business! At least giving it a serious whack. More to come on that.
- Exploring Colorado. I want to try to get out at least once every 2 weeks; whether that's snowboarding, hiking, climbing... we're living in the shadow of some amazing mountains and it's time to go enjoy them.
- Sound Body = Happier. Holy crap I need to get back in shape. Seriously; I've taken a couple of steps backwards in the fitness section of my "impossible list". Will phase back into it, but the goal is 5 days per week of doing something for the body; hopefully most of those will be fun activities. Have some ideas on how to eat a bit healthier and still enjoy it, too...
- Building Skillz. Hoping to dedicate one evening per week to improving my graphic design, UX, and programming abilities. Because I want to.
- More art. Want to create much more often... writing, sketching, building... no reason I shouldn't write something every single day.
- Staying Connected. Couple of trips to Raleigh... and more thoughtful use of Skype, Facebook, and other ways of remaining in touch with the people we care about.
- One Big New Adventure. Don't know what it is yet... but I intend to give it some serious thought. Life's too short to not build amazing memories every year.
So what about you? What are you going to do in 2012 that you're excited about?
