Explore. Dream. Discover.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade wind in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."  ~ Mark Twain



Chicago's Theater District



My annual resolution is to not make resolutions.  I hate to set myself up to fail and generally go into the next year with a "let's see how this is gonna go" attitude.  Going into 2011, I decided I would see how long I could go without drinking soda (specifically, Diet Coke... you Diet Coke addicts know how hard this is).  I am happy to report that I made it almost all they way through 2011 without having any (except the sip of Sprite that was erroneously brought to me instead of a glass of water.) but I did choose to have a Diet Coke on Christmas Eve as a mini-celebration/reward for having stuck to my guns!  Thanks to my goal, I drank a lot more water last year... but I probably drank more wine too.  Nah, the wine was probably about the same.  :)

I decided to take on 2012 in the same way, only this time I have made a couple more goals for myself:

• Finish paying off all my bills.
• Be on the path to buying a home.
• See Celine Dion in concert.
• Cook more, eat out less.
• Desserts on Saturdays & special occasions only.
• Find a type of exercise that I will enjoy and commit to.  While I am searching, I am going to continue walking my dog, and when all else fails, I am putting the TV on the '90's channel and having a dance party in my living room.  (Hippo thinks this is a fun game and ends up jumping along.)
• See more places in Chicago, and keep this blog interesting.  Thankfully, my friend Shari, is moving out here in a couple of weeks, and I know she'll love to go out exploring with me!
• Find more ways to help others.
• Get as many classes taken care of so that I can be even closer to graduating!

Mark Twain said it.  Twenty years from now, I don't want to regret what I didn't do.  I want to be able to look back on all the fun I had and choices I made, and even lessons learned.  This is going to be a great year because I have great perspective.

I hope you all have a very happy and prosperous 2012!!