I'm struggling to start this blog for some reason. I'm not sure what that reason is, but this window has now been open for over 24 hours waiting for me to type something. I didn't want to do a video blog this time, mostly because I'm still struggling to get my thoughts out just right and didn't want you to have to hear me set the world record for number of times a person says "um" in a video.
I have to start out by saying that I listened to a podcast yesterday on my drive home that resonated with me more than I ever expected someone else's story to do so with me. Sometimes, my drive home can be especially long so I cue up a few random episodes to listen to while driving. Yesterday, my phone alerted me that traffic was heavy before I began driving, so as I browsed through my shows of choice and came across a "Modern Love" episode that said something about the family that you get when you live away from home, I knew I had to listen to it. The episode is titled, "Need to Find Me? Ask my Ham Man" and the writer has moved to Paris for work and a few months later her mother is diagnosed with an illness. After the story is read by someone else, they have a brief interview with the writer. She says something similar to what I've been feeling the past like 15 months, since my own mother's diagnosis. I'm going to do a terrible job of paraphrasing or summarizing anything that she says, so if you're curious, you'll have to go have a listen to it. :)
So listening to the podcast and coming home last night to cook my lunches for the rest of the week, I felt like I was going to finally write my New Year's Blog....well, I was sort of right. I don't really feel like reflecting on last year...I made a video on the last 10 years, if you missed it...here it is.
Let's just talk about 2020, eh?
So, in general terms I have a few things that I am either for sure going to do, or would at least like to do.
1) Attend NCTM Annual Conference in Chicago April 2-4 (I have been approved time off for this!!)
2) Summer road trip to visit my friends and family that now somehow live all over the place, possible stops include Kansas, Texas (duh), Alabama, Tennessee. (If you feel like you would like to be included in this list, or at least included as a stop, let me know soon...as at some point I'll start planning)
3) Visit the beach at least 6 times...( I honestly hope it is more than six, but at this point six sounds fantastic and more doable than 20, lol)
4) Write a 2020 bucket list and do it (I have a book for this...so its time to get to work, do you have any ideas/suggestions?)
In lieu of resolutions, I'm doing something closer to like like 12 monthly challenges...because let's just be real...
January: Cook school lunches for at least 80% of regular work days (For the 1st two weeks, I have had to buy one lunch because of obligations on Sunday night. I have good vibes about this one.
February: Work out at least 3 times a week, hopefully with a personal trainer (I've lost my last trainer and the last six months without one have not been good for me...)
March: Drink more water challenge (should be easy and go well with February's challenge)
April: Some sort of reading challenge (maybe read a certain amount each day, or a certain number of books or different types of books...ideas?)
May: Media-less May (No Media- no social media, no netflix, I'm only going to listen to music, podcasts and books this month. I will keep social media apps that I solely use to communicate with people, like FB messenger, Line, WhatsApp- but no instagram or snapchat or regular FB. [I've been limiting my time on these things lately so this shouldn't be tough....maybe] )
June: Photography challenge (Not quite sure about this one either....looking for thoughts/ideas?)
July: Writing challenge (with this being my birthday month, a writing challenge should be fun and pretty easy...I think)
August: Outdoor challenge (Spent at least 30 minutes doing something outdoors every day)
September: Early Rise Challenge (Wake up at 5:30 AM every day...yes every day...this might also be the month I complete a napping challenge...)
October: Try New things (Whether that means trying new types of workouts, or cooking types of food, or something, I want to try something new at least 3 times a week)
November: Organization Challenge (Spend at least 15 minutes every day organizing something in my home )
December: No Multi-tasking Challenge...(this one might be tough, since I have my iPad and iPhone out next to me as I type on my laptop while watching Dirty Dancing....)
If you would like to join me in any of these challenges or have any ideas or suggestions to help make them better/more doable, bring 'em on.
That's all I've got for now...
Until next time!
