Back in January of 2010 I posted a pretty (lengthy, and) detailed list of goals for the then year upcoming.
It was my take on a more specific version of the ever-popular “bucket/life/to-do” lists, the following items representing what I had on my heart and mind for 2010: places I wanted to be, people I wanted to see, challenges I wanted to hog-tie. Ultimately: personal growth I wanted to foster, momentum I wanted to keep creating throughout the entire year ahead.
My mantra for 2010: Be brave, Kerri.
Throughout the past year I traveled. First to China, then to Korea, and then to Maui. I spent a lot of time with dear friends, both in Seattle and in Portland. I spent a lot of time alone, happily. I spent a lot of time brainstorming and writing stories. My hands shook and my heart raced as I entered poetry contests and received helpful criticism and feedback. I fell in love with acupuncture. I read more than I have since I was in college, and watched myriad (good and hilariously bad) movies. I found a church family again, and get to hang out with dear friends once a week, and a slew of awesome kids once a month. I found new and old music to inspire and move me. I let someone in for the first time in years, and watched him hurt me; I picked myself back up and kept moving forward. I remembered how to run, and how much I love to move. I lost twenty-five! pounds, and counting.
I grew by leaps and bounds, even while I was kicking and screaming and fighting my way through the official ending of marriage, and the official beginning of a new life, traipsing slowly but surely back to a woman I had almost forgotten, and forward through the haze to a stronger, confident, more faith-filled woman I’m still learning to recognize.
Throughout the past twelve months as I hit certain milestones and accomplished specific goals, I also updated the master list below on the page of my site I’ve been calling A Year Complete. For anyone interested, I’ve copied my entire list from 2010, and the corresponding updates below. (I’ve bolded goals on the list I didn’t finish this year, or goals that changed for me throughout the year.)
I’m currently working on my list for 2011, which I plan to post here in the next week or so. And while some of the goals will remain the same (For example, I want to keep reading two books a month whenever possible), I’m making this year’s list a bit simpler, and even more specific, all the while feeling endlessly excited and oh so hopeful about all that lies ahead.
————-A Year Complete: 2010———–
Jump into the Pacific Ocean at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Take my first solo international flight.
Hike and photograph The Great Wall of China.
Wander around Beijing by myself and see how many times I get lost. (Zero times, surprisingly!)
Finish both stories I’m currently writing. I didn’t finish a single story, but I started at least five, on top of two that are moving toward novel-length manuscripts, and I’m genuinely excited about (and challenged by) all of them.
Take the streetcar to work while I still live near it. Or just get my parking paid for, thereby eliminating the guilt I feel for needing to commute.
Spend ten amazing days in South Korea with babycarrot sister and Will.
Kayak along the Columbia River; Kayak along the Columbia River during a full moon; Kayak along the Oregon Coast. I didn’t make it kayaking this year, and really really want to next year.
Kayak with Jen! on Lake Washington. No kayaking means this didn’t happen this year, despite our best laid plans. What did happen was me spending more time in Seattle with Jen (and Sizzle and Andrea and Terrell!) then I have any other year. To me that quality time means more than time spent kayaking.
Be an encouragement to as many people as possible. At least, I’m hoping I accomplished this. Note to self: Try to list goals that are a bit more…measurable.
Move into an apartment or house where I’m paying less rent. This didn’t happen this year (Newsflash: I hate! moving), but it’s going to the top of 2011′s To Do list.
Run, run, and run some more (specifically)–
In the rain on the beach.
In Forest Park.
Shamrock Run (5k), March 14 with Rhi! and Kali! (Finished!)
Columbia River Crossing (10k), October 3 Update: I registered for but didn’t run this race. No excuses; I just wasn’t ready. I plan to be ready next year.
Successfully turn Iggy into a running pug. Despite my best efforts, Iggy was not a fan of this plan. He can hang for a mile or so, and then is fond of sitting down mid-stride and looking at me like I’m crazy.
Journal daily (which is going to be great fun thanks to this little guy). Update: For the first time in my life I journaled daily from January 1-May, and then realized I didn’t want to journal daily anymore. I don’t always have a lot to say. And you know what? That’s OK.
Write letters on real paper to friends and family for no particular reason.
Tell people “I’m a writer” and mean it. This was harder, and felt more awesome, than I could have ever imagined. The best part were the times people introduced me as a writer without me having to say a word.
Take the train to Seattle to visit my rad Seattle friends. I drove every time I visited Seattle this year, which was Many A Time. I really do want to take the train one of these trips. I just have to get over how much longer it takes via train vs. how fast I like to drive.
Volunteer in my community, maybe helping with an after-school reading program. Update: I’m currently in the process of getting hooked up with two elementary-aged kiddos who need reading help, and I also signed up to be a whale watching volunteer, which, I’m not going to lie, sounds like the coolest volunteer gig ever.
Get back in the pool. (Specifically: swim 2-3x/week.) Update: I actually traded this goal for running 5x a week, and I’m really glad I did. I love the pool, (all caps!) LOVE to swim, but I (all caps!) HATE the gym, and realistically (right now anyway) that’s what swimming regularly would mean. I can’t do the gym. So I took to the trails instead, and swam as much as I could when I was visiting my parents up at the lake.
Visit the Portland Chinese Gardens (pictures here) and the Portland Japanese Gardens (pictures here).
Read at least two books a month:
January: The Wild Things; The Help.
February: Treasure Island; Notes From a Small Island; How We Are Hungry.
March: The Tale of the Unknown Island.
April: Whoops. (That’s not a book. That’s me totally blowing my reading goals in April.)
May: Dead In The Family; What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
June: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.
July: The Dread Crew: Pirates of the Backwoods; Linger.
August: The Red Pyramid; The Hunger Games; Catching Fire.
September: Mockingjay; The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
October: God is the Gospel; The Lost Hero.
November: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
December: Lolita; Moby-Dick.
Spend a few days in New York in August, with a plethora of lovely, hilarious ladies. Update: This wasn’t in the cards for me this year, and as much as it initially hurt, it was one of the best financial decisions I’ve ever made, and instead of New York I was able to visit Maui for the first time and swim (and see a shark, and get stung by a Portuguese Man-of-War), and laugh so hard my stomach hurt with a dear friend who was as excited about impromptu vacations and shaved ice as I was.
Re-read Moby-Dick. It has begun.
Bungee jump, here. Somewhat surprisingly, no one was super psyched about doing this with me. Which isn’t to say I can’t do it alone. Because I still very much want to.
Spend more time near the ocean. Exhibit: Quality Coastal Time.
Enter at least one writing contest every two months. Update: Four poetry competitions entered in July, 2010.
Spend two days in Vancouver, B.C. in April. (Recap here.)
Try out for the Rose City Rollers. I have skates, and a helmet, and wrist and elbow and knee pads. I even have a mouth guard. What I’m not sure I have is time. High on 2011′s priority list is figuring out if, and how, roller derby might be in the cards for me.
Plan and finish at least three scenic Pacific NW hikes; I’m thinking:
Pacific Coast of Washington
Cape Lookout (to go whale-watching) Update: I’m potentially doing this this upcoming weekend as it’s happily grey whale-watching season once again on the Oregon Coast.
Harts Cove
Watch one documentary a month. Update: You know? A good documentary is hard to find. But I’m still moving this goal to 2011.
Show Jen a Pacific Northwest Good Time when she visits PDX in June October. Done, done, and done.
Bake a pumpkin pie with a homemade crust. I did not bake any pies this year. I did, however, eat some homemade pie. I’m good with that.
See Percy Jackson in February, Eclipse in June and Harry Potter in November, with a friend as excited to see all three of those movies as I am. Updated to add: Movie dates with Kali have become a monthly routine I enjoy immensely, no matter the movie we’re watching. For list-making’s and posterity’s sakes, beyond what’s listed above, thus far this year we’ve seen: The A-Team; The Sorcerer’s Apprentice; Step Up 3D; Scott Pilgrim vs. The World; The Expendables; Easy A; Morning Glory; Burlesque; to be continued…
I actually saw Harry Potter on opening night by myself, and it was AWESOME. The movie, and watching a movie was big as Harry Potter on opening night by myself, at midnight. With a room full of teenagers and grown men who know the answers to ridiculous HP trivia questions like, “What’s the license plate of the Weasley’s car?” A GROWN MAN stood up and recited the correct answer without hesitating. I was impressed. And a little scared.
Get my buttercup tattoo. Updated to add: I have three new tattoos I had done in 2010, none of which is the aforementioned buttercup tattoo. I have “I love you” in Korean in my sister’s handwriting on my lower left wrist, and a feather and a fern on my right inner forearm, all done by Silje at Icon in Portland. I can’t recommend Silje, or Icon, enough. Cutest, cleanest, most artistic tattoo shop I’ve ever visited.
Make a plan to be college-loan-debt-free by the end of 2011, and continue growing my savings every month. Update: This is in the works! And I’m excited!
Attend an event at OMSI. I was all excited about OMSI at the beginning of the year, and then soon realized I was more excited about everything else I was doing than I was about OMSI.
Research graduate programs for English Literature/decide if I want to teach at the collegiate level when I grow up. This is going to the top of 2011′s list, along with taking the GREs. If going back to school is in my future, that future starts this year.
Take a page from Sizz’s book and create a soundtrack for the year.
Tell my friends how amazing they are and how much I love them on a regular basis.
Laugh, a lot.
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So tell me, what’s your favorite accomplishment/trip/moment from 2010?