Every January, the world is filled with two primary types of people: those who believe in making New Year’s resolutions, and those who are vehemently against it. I fall into the former group, with the noted exception that I find nothing more annoying then not being able to find a stairmaster in the gym in January, but come February the place is empty. That said, as an extreme type A/INTJ, I believe in making lists (oh so many lists) and I believe in accountability, which means New Year’s Resolutions are RIGHT up my alley. Plus, who said that achieving New Year’s resolutions should be so unattainable? Resolving to travel more, take more bubble baths, or make more time for reading aren’t (or at least shouldn’t be) too painful. So, without further ado…my resolutions.
Travel to at least two new countries and three new U.S. states. Like any good Foreign Service Officer, I will undeniably be struck with wanderlust even though I will be happy to be back in DC. I have an idea which states/countries these will be– but in the fear of jinxing myself, I won’t specify– except in the case of my upcoming trip to Argentina, for which the tickets are purchased and the leave is requested!
Start trail running . After a nasty injury and the subsequent two year heat/security/boredom induced hiatus, I look forward to hitting the roads of DC again and logging some serious miles. One thing I haven’t tried before and hope to start is trail running, which is a little bit more challenging then road running, but will be a nice addition to the training plan.
Join a CSA. Never one to do things half way, I already have the UBER CSA identified, which includes deliveries of locally sourced fruits, meats, flowers, honey and cheeses in addition to the usual veggies. My boyfriend is appalled at how much it is costing but after two years of living in Ecuador, I find U.S. food prices to be appalling generally (and I also haven’t paid rent for two years). So dammit, I’m going to treat myself!
Read more. I’ve tentatively set a two-books-per-month goal. I’ve taken a pretty long break from reading after college (during which I was reading 400-600 pages a week, plus news and research) and since then have been too focused on reading non-fiction at the expense of actually enjoying reading. So I’ve assembled a list that is a nice mix between literary classics, new fiction, and work-related non-fiction.
Cook more. After losing almost 30 pounds in two months (not by choice) earlier this year, my digestive system has been permanently angry with me, often preferring easy to digest foods (like M&Ms) in lieu of my prior diet (which never included M&Ms). I have lots of sources of cooking inspiration but I just have to do it. I am also going to recruit some friends to teach me their specialties, and put that CSA to use cooking new foods.
Send birthday cards…religiously. My friends and I are pretty dedicated mail-senders– and you can call me a luddite, but I think there’s nothing nicer than holding material sentiments in your hands on or around your birthday. In honor of this resolution, I am scouring the internet for some awesome cards. (Though Matt & Dad, my January birthdays…your cards may arrive on Feliz Cumpleanos cards, and will probably be late 
)
Take DC-area weekend trips. I’ve never been to Virginia Horse Country, and as a one-time equestrienne, I’d love to see what all the fuss about. Other ideas– the Virginia Gold Cup races, the Billy Goat trail, Shenandoah, Amish Country, Philadelphia, the beach in Delaware, and Baltimore– all places I have not spent enough time in. Bonus points if I can bring the dog along.
Host one get-together per month. This could be book club, game night, happy hour, what have you– but it must involve delicious food, delicious drinks, and good company (do you see how a lot of my goals complement the others?)
The other rule of resolution-making is to not make hard and fast rules. If I am too busy one month to read two books, I can catch up the next month when I’m sitting on a beach, or when it’s raining outside. Plus, I think these goals are perfectly attainable! The boyfriend would probably request to add “competently drive a stick shift in a city environment” to this list, but let’s not push our luck!! 
Even though I’m not a Resolution maker (mostly because I’m just lazy) I love your list.
I had a DC area bucket list that I was working on during language training that I put on my blog – it was really fun crossing things off. If you’re into baseball, or even if you aren’t, you should add going to a Valley League baseball game while you’re in Shenandoah – its a fun, local way to pass the time and its cheap!