Last year, I set out on the new year with some goals (not
resolutions) in mind, mostly around exploring the world around me. And I did a
lot of that. I actively started trying to lose weight in February because one
of the things I really wanted to do in Iceland was ride the Icelandic horse, so
I started walking, even when it was cold or I was grumpy, I went out and
walked, and even a mile was so hard and my legs were so sore at first. But I
kept at it, and changed the way I ate from less Western diet to more
flexitarian and whole food based. When the local hospital's class booklet came
out and I saw one of my old coworkers was leading a Couch
to 5k class over a 12 w
eek period starting in April, I signed
up, and it was hard at first, but as I lost weight and gained muscle and
endurance, I found that I really, really like running; it's great stress
relief. I still can't run a solid 5k but I have kept up with running, even now
in the depths of winter on a treadmill. As of this writing I've lost about 52
pounds.
One of the goals I had written in my failed bullet
journal (I need to stop doing those, I'm too lazy to keep up with it) was to
explore more trails in Maine. I started small and local. I was already running
on the Rail Trail in Augusta, and with the help of Pokemon Go (yes, really), Maine TrailFinder
(PLEASE make an app!), and Alltrails,
I had the incentive and opportunity to visit new places. There was nothing more
liberating than researching a trail, putting on my gear, and hopping in my car
for a new adventure in the woods. This was also monumentally helpful not only
for my mental health, but my spiritual health. While my bullet journal page
only lists the trails in Maine I hiked, I did several more outside of the
state, including a 9.5 mile loop in Illinois where I got to meet so many
beautiful burr oaks, and Þingellir National Park in Iceland.
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Y'all.
I climbed three mountains this summer, including a
1,700 foot mountain I had always gazed at from the car as a child. I also hiked
the rim of a volcanic crater. This has only fueled my desire to hike more and
challenging peaks.
Travel was really the big goal I had this year, and I
managed to visit two countries and visit a state I had never been to. My dream
vacation of Iceland was finally a reality, and as you can see in the (terrible,
horrible) picture of me, I did get to ride the Icelandic horse, as
uncooperative as he was sometimes during the ride. My sister and I did the
typical tourist trip: Golden Circle, Reynisfjara Beach and Vik, and so many
waterfalls. We only had a week but we fell completely in love with the country
and we're tentatively planning the next, longer trip for 2023. Before the
adventures in Iceland, however, I embarked on my first solo international
travel to Quebec, which, in my entire 39 years living in Maine, had never
visited. I blogged about that trip after I returned, because I came back filled
with emotions. You can read about that trip here. My final travel of the year, which was a
little bit last-minute, was a trip to Illinois not only to visit my heart, but
to go to finally see my favorite band in concert: motherfucking Tool.
I'd waited over 20 years to see them live and it was worth the ticket and
airfare. Illinois was quite lovely and I want very badly to go back, for
multiple reasons.
I've worked really hard to improve myself. I'm proud of
my weight loss, I'm proud of myself for traveling solo, for learning to be okay
by myself. I've worked hard on being less negative (it's still difficult,
sometimes, when I have a bad bipolar day) and am continuing on working on being
a better person (my jealousy was rightfully called out). I took the leap and
applied for a post-graduate certificate program, and am working toward paying
down debt so that I can plan for the future.
In 2020 I will turn 40. It's never too late to do the
thing, to challenge yourself, to make changes. I welcome all that comes in the
coming year.
