[BGmusic: Calling by Leona Naess]

Quote of the day:

My life is starting over again, over again
my friends say I’m back again
My life is starting over again
Over again

- My Life Is Starting Over Again, Daniel Johnston

I’m not much of a resolutions person. I know better than to give in to the pressure of New Year and make promises to myself that I probably won’t keep. I mean, if you really want to accomplish something, you wouldn’t wait until New Year to act on it, right?

Instead, I make wishes. I like ticking them off throughout the year and going back in December to see how much of them has come to pass – and a lot of them do happen, which surprises me all the time because quite a few of them requires a decent amount of faith-stretching to believe that they’d actually happen.

So here’s this year’s:

1. Climb a mountain. This is probably my most realistic because I’m planning on climbing Mt. Pulag at the end of this month. I’ve been needing to get off my ass, and it’s been too long since I’ve done a real hike, plus it’s Mt. Pulag, which I’ve been dreaming to climb since high school. I don’t want to count my proverbial chickens, but yay me!

2. More love! Not for me, of course not! [Haven't you people learned anything? When it comes to matters of the heart, I prefer to live vicariously and enjoy other people's happy relationships!] I have quite a few people in mind whose love lives I would really enjoy to watch flourishing. This means people finding their special someones, people getting engaged, people marrying… *sigh* the closer they are to my heart, the better. I would rather not name names so as not to add to the pressure they may already be feeling, but if you’re reading this and you feel that I’m talking about you… yes, I probably am. *wink*

3. Get published. I wished this last year but as I did hardly any writing and didn’t even try, I think I may have kiiiiinda disqualified myself. So I’ll be needing tons more discipline and less excuses ["I'm tired, I've been working all day blah blah blah..."]; they’re true but I have to be tougher and at least try!

4. Tone muscles. Okay, this sounds like a run-of-the-mill resolution. Next.

5. Write songs. Just because everyone’s doing it and it seems like fun. But here’s the catch: I have to write at least one good one. I am my most brutal critic so best of luck to me I guess!

6. Prepare a super-complicated meal. By super-complicated, I mean the ingredients come in more than three colors and isn’t tossed salad.

7. Learn how to knit. I need to be that creepy old lady with the cats and the garden ornaments, and I can’t be that lady without those big-ass needles.

8. Visit a country I’ve never been to!

9. Learn a new instrument. This is another regular in my New Year’s wishlists. I can’t think of an instrument so I’m falling back on the harmonica. [I think this is the third time I've chosen the harmonica as my target instrument but whatever, I haven't learned how to use it yet so it's still eligible.]

10. Run more. I hate to end the list with yet another generic resolution-type wish, but it’s not like this list has been especially epic [at best, I'd rate this list as "moderately interesting"]. But see, this is my most wishful wish because I hate this kind of brainless exercise. Let me use that strong word again: HATE. I mean, I’m outdoorsy and I like hiking, but that’s because I like the sights, and hiking’s exciting. Running’s so bleh. I aim to overcome this frame of mind by thinking of a possible zombie apocalypse and how I will probably die if I don’t get moving.

* * *

So that’s it, basically. May not seem like much, but at the end of the year, this list will either make me very very pleased with myself or depressed. So 2011, please make me very very pleased with myself!!!

Is there anything you’re hoping for this year?