I'm spending my New Years Eve morning drinking coffee, spending time with some dogs we are dog sitting, and reflecting on the new year. Once again I have been seeing a lot of posts from people discussing their New Year resolutions. Last year I had made some goals for myself - not resolutions, but generalized goals. I just re-read those goals, and I'm feeling good about the outcomes. I had wanted for Josh and I to continue traveling, and I believe we did. There was a period of time in the winter when we were preparing to move, moving, then unpacking where we did absolutely nothing. However, I feel like we made up for it after that. Another goal I had was to get more into the everyday German life - being a part of my village's celebrations, shopping at German stores. I feel I was successful in this goal. Thanks to our wonderful landlords we know when celebrations are happening and are invited. I feel much more a part of the community in this village, which makes me feel more like I am living the "German" life. I have had rousing success with shopping at German stores. I can't believe I was too intimidated to go shopping before! A final goal I had set for myself was to take things as they come, or one day at a time. I don't necessarily have to comment much on this... it is a life-long always working goal. Enough said.
Lessons learned in 2013:
1. When I plan ahead, we do more traveling.
2. Always sit at the front of the base buses when taking trips as the air conditioning only works for the first few rows of seats.
3. Just because a restaurant is advertised on a city website doesn't mean it is good.
4. There is no such thing as magic house cleaning elves. Damn.
5. Germans take their tax paying quite seriously.
6. Claim my time off at work early.
7. Cruises are an amazing moving hotel and I love them.
8. Walking tours are worth every penny.
9. If you are willing to pay the European price for gas, the destinations that can be reached greatly multiply
10. Do not feel guilty for the money spent on travel.
11. Do not feel guilty for the time you take off work.
12. Even if you travel home twice in one year you will not see everyone you want to.
13. Even when you have traveled home there are people who will not make to see you and then complain about it. (For the record... I flew across an ocean. You can come see me).
14. Life is short and opportunities are fleeting. If you don't snatch something up, someone else will.
I'm thinking about what I want for myself in 2014. A goal, or a continued goal, for 2014 is to continue traveling. I want us to make the most of our time over here and see as much as possible. I learned we do more when I have planned ahead we do more traveling. So, I just have to keep ahead looking at my calender and planning things out. Which for me is a fun hobby, so this really isn't a hard goal. I spent part of this morning making a list of possible day trips for us.
I've already got some fun plans for us in 2014. In February we are going to Barcelona for two days before our cruise - which will go to Morocco, the Canary Islands, and Malaga Spain. I am very excited about our cruise - getting out of the cold and gloom of Germany for warm weather and sunshine sounds amazing. Two things I'm exceptionally excited for in 2014: Aerosmith and Monty Python. It is like an amazing twist of fate that two of my favorite things in the whole world are going to be performing, and I got tickets to both shows. I can't explain my overwhelming excitement. Our tickets to Monty Python are in London and on a Wednesday, so we decided to turn this opportunity into a trip to England for a week. We will definitely spend time in London, but I think we will spend time in other places too. I haven't quite gotten that far yet...
Happy New Year everyone. I know for some 2013 was amazing, and for others it was a tough year full of challenges and heartache. I wish everyone a reason to celebrate today and to find joy in the last day of the year.
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