Singing in the New Year: 2026 Resolutions

Every year, I relish looking back to reflect on the happy memories made, sometimes despite minor or major troubles in life. And the coming of a new year always holds such potential, I excite at the prospect of setting new goals and seeing what I can do through the twists and turns life will inevitably throw at me. 

I've been brainstorming for a couple weeks now on what I want to set out for myself in 2026, but instead of finding clarity and focus, as is exemplified by my life, I have a million thoughts in a thousand different directions. It has been helpful to look back at my previous new year's resolution posts to remember what was important to me, and which of those areas of my life may still be important. 

Let's Get Physical

Movement - whether straight exercise or more adventurous activities like hiking in the wilderness or swimming in ocean, along with dance which has a social element to it - has been a consistent theme and one that I would be remiss if I left off again this year, and perhaps all years. 

In some of my recent reading, I have been reminded that we can sort of rewire our brains by strengthening the paths of the habits we want to create or by lessening the frequency of exercising the pathways we don't want to promote. While I've had sprints of good exercise habits, and I've continued going out to dance regularly, it still has not become consistent enough and I am very good at making excuses for myself. 

So putting those ideas together, I think I need to exercise with the intention of re-wiring my brain. Reframing it in this way gives me a purpose and a way to combat the excuses I inevitably want to make for myself. Calling out the excuses for what they are, and reminding myself that fighting against the choice not to exercise is actually promoting the thing in my brain that I want to strengthen. 

I want dancing to continue to be a part of my life, and I don't think I have to set that as a resolution for that to continue idly. I have toyed with getting more serious with it - taking lessons, for example, or practicing and really becoming an expert in a routine or two. Specifically, I love the "Doin' the Jive" routine, it's not too complicated or difficult, and I think if I practiced enough, I could even possibly offer to teach it at FWSDS. I could practice the "California Orange" routine to get better at that in case it is taught again at Camp Hollywood next year, or maybe I could spy on what the LA dancers are working on and try to get ahead of it with that routine. 

I also think, beyond the comfort and convenience of indoor exercise, I should aim for more intentional outdoor hikes. I already have scheduled for myself a trip to Kawaii and a trip to Yellowstone, so those are great opportunities to not just be outdoors but to do something rigorous. This starts by simply searching for and planning things to do which would involve walking or hiking in the wilderness. And I do love a good trip planning session! 

One Song

Musical pursuits have been on my mind a lot in recent months, and I've tried to postpone it to keep myself focused on writing and publishing my book(s) for the remainder of the year, so now is the time to explore what I really want to do in 2026. 

My reinvigorated interest started as more of a fun thing: playing with generative AI to create songs that are surprisingly catchy and entertaining, even if not totally perfect in pronunciation and logical flow. I've had a latent desire to get a better recording of "Go in Peace and Love," an a capella song I sang with my Madrigal Choir in high school every year, and which had great meaning I think to all of us. Wouldn't it be amazing to get the gang back together to record it? Or to find new talented singers with whom to rehearse and record it? My niece, Anna, has a beautiful voice and expressed interest in recording - I think her Dad even got her a recording session for Christmas - so I shared my thought with her which piqued her interest. 

I've also had a latent desire to pick up on piano/keyboard lessons and learn how to play some songs that people can sing along to, or even better, learn how to sight read on piano. I recently went to a Christmas party at the house of a swing dancer I know in Fort Worth, and he was actually playing songs on his historic but surprisingly well-tuned piano, while a few of us stood around and sang along. We started with Christmas tunes and then moved onto Broadway show tunes. It was so much fun to me, I would love to do that regularly, and I hope I'll at least be able to return to that as a holiday tradition while living in Texas. 

Beyond gen AI music, I often dabble in writing parody lyrics, or even writing lyrics for original tunes. I've enjoyed these exercises and sometimes dream of writing a full musical, but the ambition and lack of focus are daunting. So trying to find the middle ground between taking on a fun project and being able to complete it is the challenge. 

I have a decent microphone and sound-dampening panels, so I think I'd like to set a goal of recording a least one vocal song. In addition, I do want to dig up the "Go in Peace and Love" sheet music and pass that on to Anna, or at least get it in front of myself again. Perhaps I could record the individual parts myself, if I am so inclined. 

Beyond creating and performing, it has occurred to me that I often feel behind on learning of new musicals, and that seems like a very solvable problem. So I'd like to find ways to be more connected to Broadway news and up and coming shows. 

No Place Like Home

Until I looked back at my old new year resolution posts, it hadn't even occurred to me that a new DIY home design project has been turning in my head. Having fully satisfied my vision for my Love Island-themed bathroom, and executed my alternative Texas styling in my family room, complete with hot pink fireplace, I think it's time I turn my attention to that boring kitchen of mine. I already have a theme - citrus - and a vision, so really, it's just about refining the design and executing at this point. 

Sorry, Not Sorry

It has weighed on my mind that one of the pieces of actionable (but annoyingly hard) feedback from my boss was that I say, "Um," too much and that my speaking could use polish. While I recognize this as true historically, I've also sort of embraced it as I've been told how I communicate is effective. I also take a little pride in being unapologetically me, and that is a part of my language. But, if I want to advance into the higher echelons of the company, which I do, then it may be worth acting on the feedback. 

Billionaire (Passive Income, Automation and Technology)

Ever since my Python script to post to Twitter stopped working, I haven't had automated or manual promotion consistently for my book(s), fabrics and blog. As such, I think it's time to dig in on figuring out a way to automate social media posts again, especially for my fabric business which is a small but steady source of passive income. It is much improved when there are posts about it, so ignoring that untapped potential seems frivolous. 

I also would like to complete my AI certification program and find ways to utilize that learning as part of my IncQueries project. 

And similar to my desire to keep up with the latest Broadway musicals, I've realized I've defaulted to books for much of my intel, but books hardly keep up with the changing technology landscape, so I should shift some of my "input" bandwidth to podcasts, YouTube channels, or news publications and the like, related to my interests in technology and economics. 

A big source of frustration and reason for procrastination in my personal resolutions for 2025 was wanting to publish my management book. I set out to establish relationships with actual publishers who could provide editorial critiques and help market my book and maybe even create a path towards becoming a writer beyond a single book. I found it to be much harder than I anticipated, and pivoted to self-publishing with a program I was willing to invest in if it worked. I got stuck, however, largely on the "building a list" based on social media posts discipline again. I could still exercise one of the features to try to get unstuck, but I'm not convinced self-publishing is the way to go for books I really care about. The topic of the book didn't explicitly have to be management per my resolution, and I did, indeed, self-publish my book on Astoria, which was a fun rabbit hole to go down. But the pivot away from seeking a real publisher relationship was unsatisfactory to me. As such, I think I'd like to give that another go, but I'm not sure I'm committed to making it a resolution this year. 

The rabbit hole I went down for my Astoria book was a fun one, and if I wanted to do a more light-hearted book again, I have many topics I could pursue, including connecting the disparate mythologies and conspiracy theories of the Bermuda Triangle, ancient unexplainable architecture, crop circles and patterns in stone under rivers, etc. When I moved from California to Texas a couple years ago, at the urging of my friend Allison, I stopped at The Thing to see the updated museum, and documented the new bizarre explanation of all of history as we know it (spoiler alert: it was all the aliens' doing). That kind of stuff makes me laugh but also is a fun exercise is challenging the "known" science and history. 

I'm leaning towards an "either/or" resolution. Either I figure out how to automate my social media, and try to build my list / audience, or I attack the challenge of getting in with a publisher. 

And if I could combine another fun rabbit hole project with the outdoor movement, that would be a reasonably efficient way to accomplish a lot with limited time and resources. 

You've Got a Friend in Me

Finally, I want to strengthen my existing friendships and develop new local friendships. While swing dancing offers a social environment outside of work, that is not a sufficiently social environment to forge deep friendships necessarily. So I think this is where I can set more discrete goals for myself, spending one day (or part of a day) a month with a friend or family member (not a romantic partner), and seeking classes or activities in which socializing could promote new friendships. 

My Resolutions

It feels like a very well-rounded list is formulating, with lots of bonus ideas or general focus areas. So, let's give it a go. In 2026, I think I'll endeavor to: 

• Physicality - Make Movement a Requirement to Re-wire my Brain
• Bonus: Make plans to get out into nature for walks and hikes
• Plan Yellowstone trip in detail
• Plan Kawaii trip in detail
• Plan for work trips
• Bonus: Learn a dance routine expertly
• Musical - Record at least one song (or continue on with an album)
• Bonus: Find the sheet music for "Go in Peace and Love"
• Bonus: Start practicing keyboard/piano again
• Optional: Try to find new musicals and stay up to date on them
• Home - Complete Kitchen Redesign/Renovation
• Bonus: Finish unpacking all boxes
• Bonus: Consolidate clothes into my primary closet (and donate the rest)
• Technology & Passive Income - Automate Social Media and/or Get into a Publisher with my (management) book
• Optional: Go down another rabbit hole to write another low-stakes book
• Bonus: Complete AI certification course
• Relationships - Spend one day per month with a (non-romantic) friend or family member
• Find classes or activities to attend with like-minded people 
• Profession - Invest time and energy towards refining my language

Here are a few fun videos that capture just some of the fun I had in 2025. 

Unlocking 2025

I want to retire from the corporate world by 2034. I make plenty of money but I also live a pretty awesome and somewhat spendy lifestyle which I'm not willing to forfeit. So to retire so early, I need to find other incomes. And I'm not opposed to working for myself after my "retirement", I just don't want to be working a regular day job that requires 40+ hours of work per week and limits my vacation and travel plans.

Instead, I'd be interested in publishing books and going on book tours, being a guest speaker and maybe even a little bit of consulting. I'd also like to have properties I can rent out to cover my own mortgage. And being somewhat tech-savvy and okay at programming, paired with what I believe to be novel and futuristic thinking, perhaps building and selling a killer app or developing AI solutions to empower income generation would be the most profitable and scalable route.

I've been writing all my life and I have half-completed works which I think could be marketable. I've even self-published a book. It sold one copy. The idea of self-publishing is appealing with its low barrier to entry, but I've been convinced for a long time that the best route, especially for me without a big social media following or the desire to put effort towards building one, is to go the traditional route with a publisher who can help promote the books but also who can provide good editing collaboration and professional artwork for the cover and any graphics in the work.

So it begs the question why haven't I pursued such a course of action? For one, I'm intimidated and a little daunted by not knowing where to start. And certainly, in my life, I've not been solely focused on publishing books. But I think there's also a fear of rejection, or maybe worse - feeling like I wasn't even given a chance - that holds me back.

Yet the math is there. If I'm going to retire to plan, I need to start developing my other incomes and sooner than later.

When Sam and I talk about AI and technology, he is quite out of the loop but fascinated. He's quite intelligent, though, and so I think there's opportunity for us to capitalize on our different smarts to create something. But what, I don't know exactly know. Perhaps when I'm back in the States, we should spend some of our weekend chats brainstorming ideas and laying out next steps.

As far as renting properties, that seems easy enough. Primarily I need to determine where I want to own such properties and then it's just a matter of finding them. Actually, it occurred to me today that I could buy a large plot of land and build small homes to try out the various weird features I want to have in my dream house, and then take lessons learned to apply to my ultimate big house. If I build a handful of these smaller homes, I can continue moving into the newest one and renting out the previous ones. They would also serve and added bonus of being available to family to stay in for visits or to move into if needed - independent living but close to me.

With Sam in my life, chasing love need not be consuming my time anymore, and we collabotively plan vacations so I don't need to do much soul-searching for retreats. The only other two things that will occupy my mental energy and time would be working on my house and the ever-present need for exercise, with dancing being a primary focus for me. In theory, with my new CPAP therapy, I should hopefully get more restful sleep which I hope will help restore my metabolism and provide the energy and mental health to exercise and make good food decisions. While health requires ongoing attention, and I don't want to diminish the effort I need to put towards that end, I think this may be the year in which I put some of these big dreams into action.

As such, I'd like to establish these tenets as my focus for 2025:

 • Develop book pitches

 • Get in contact with at least three publishers about my ideas

  ○ At least one before the end of March, and another before the end of June

 • Continue dancing and working on exercise routine

 • Develop some novel ideas to leverage technology

  ○ Explore investing tools

 • Finish family room

 • Finish primary bathroom

Interestingly, these are going back towards something like New Year's resolutions, something I got away from years ago. Perhaps returning to more structured definitions is indicative of a clearer focus, having used the last couple years to explore what is most important to me and finding myself again.

2024: Planning for Me

Water

For as long as I can remember, I have been infatuated with water. Maybe it’s a survival instinct, having grown up and then returning in my adult life to desert environments. But I think it's more about the sensory, either soothingly warm or refreshingly cool, the calming sounds, the literal lightness of being in water, that draws me in. As early as I can remember, I think it started with not wanting to transition from childish baths to grown-up showers. But even when I did, I took long showers. My family noticed and made fun of me, but that didn't necessarily deter my behaviors. I remember an early childhood vacation with just me and my parents to Shell Beach in California, my Mom teaching me how to let my feet sink into the sand as the ocean waves rose and ceded around them, and me playing in the pool as long as my parents would allow me to and pushing the boundaries at that.

I love swimming. Not necessarily swimming for exercise, although I try to do that now when the weather allows. Moreso, I love moving in water. Whether its stretching out and floating, letting the water push me around where it will, or cycling my legs and moving them around while bobbing up and down, or calmly doing the elementary backstroke while taking in the view, I love the feeling of moving in water. I have another childhood memory that encompasses this: while we were moving to New Jersey, my parents and I stayed in a hotel for most of the summer and I met a boy around my age who was also there for a long-term stay. He and I would spend hours in the pool together and, while I may have liked him romantically, I don't recall there ever being anything suggestive in the pool with him. Rather, we put together and perfected what we thought was a pretty neat series of circus-like underwater tricks which we'd perform for unimpressed adults. I think he must have shared my love of the water because we both seemed to think what we were doing was amazing, and it clearly wasn't. In my pool here in Palmdale, I find it absolutely breathtaking (not literally) to see the depth from under the water, see the crazy lines the sun and small waves make on the pool floor, it's like a secret world that's all my own. It's hard to describe but it's just one of those things that absolutely thrills me. Easily thrilled, right?

I wrote a post a couple years ago about my happy places - locations to which I've loved traveling to that make me happy. The three places all have to do with water. Oahu, or Hawaii more generally as I can now count Maui in my travel experience, is lovely because of the beautiful oceans and eternal summer allowing for year-round swimming and walks on the beach. Among many other things, I love Japan for its hot springs culture - soaking in an Onsen (hot spring) was a life-changing experience for me and I've been back many times to do just that, and I especially loved my room on the beautiful island of Miyajima which had its own private Onsen. The third location is Venice, which is known for being basically waterlocked and having canals throughout the city and bridges going over the canals. In fact, in one of my favorite pictures from Venice, I'm wearing a shirt that says, "Life is better by the water."

When I moved from Arizona to Connecticut, one of the non-negotiables for me was to have a heated pool. I one-upped this when I moved to Florida and got a house right by the beach. I loved walking or running down to the beach, stretching while the sun rose over the ocean or jumping in to the warm, clear water when the weather was good. That beach in PCB is what broke me of my terror of sand, since its sand was clean, thin white "sugar sand" which I learned to tolerate. When we moved to San Diego, I wanted to live downtown and, against my better judgment, did not buy a place with a bathtub, which I very quickly regretted and compensated for by planning my vacations around what kind of baths different places had. The bonus of living in San Diego was that we were very close to the ocean and when I went for my morning run in Balboa Park - one of the best venues for running in my experience - I could soak up that ocean air and it made me feel so good. Having learned my lessons, the house I bought in Palmdale has a heated pool, a hot tub, and a nice size soaking bathtub in the master, in addition to regular showers and tubs. Many people have commented on how I'm practically living in a resort, and I tend to agree, it's just about perfect, or at least as perfect as it can be in Palmdale, California.

Unlike most people, I can spend hours in the hot tub. I especially enjoy my own private hot tub in the cold of the desert winter - going out there  weekend mornings and watching the sunrise in my hot tub is my own private zen paradise. I'll often be weirdly productive in the hot tub - I'll bring my breakfast, listen to my audiobook or do some writing, sometimes I'll even bring my work laptop out with me and knock out computer based trainings that I'm required to do.

I like being on boats - cruise ships or speed boats or ferries or jet skis. Not only do they afford me the chance to bring back that never-dying song, "I'm on a Boat" by Lonely Island, but I just love the feeling of floating or crashing through waves, whichever the case may be. Even though sometimes it makes me motion sick, I still love it. I'm down for whale watching tours even if we don't see whales, because being on the water makes me so happy. And, I'm usually pretty lucky when it comes to wildlife sightings so we usually see something cool. Queue video of mama and baby humpback whale coming within feet of our snorkeling tour boat this past week. AMAZING! 

When I'm on the beach or in the ocean, I feel like I'm more myself - even though I hate sand. I feel healthy, like I can breathe better, figuratively and literally/physically. I can meditate on the ocean surf crashing on the beach, rising and falling, and that relieves the inner turmoil in my head and the physical pain from migraine. I can float comfortably when I'm in the ocean, and I am comfortable swimming as needed. I enjoy snorkeling when the water is clear, and I have had some extraordinary experiences with sea turtles or in the Great Barrier Reef, and most recently at Molokini Crater which has visibility up to 150 or 200 feet!

It makes me think that my life needs more beach in it. I'm like Ken from the Barbie movie, I just Beach. I don't lifeguard, and I'm not a surfer, I Beach, and I'm good at it. I've been living in Los Angeles County for over two years but have only gone out to the beach a handful of times, twice just to see the airshow and not actually, you know, beach. Being in Maui the last couple weeks has reminded me how much I love the ocean, and I think I'd be most happy living at a beach. Whether that's a Florida beach or California, or Hawaii or Australia or some other wild destination, I don't think it matters. As long as I can beach. And in the meantime, I will enjoy both my pool and hot tub, and should probably make the most of my proximity to the LA area beaches. Afterall, I used to drive 6 hours from Arizona for the chance to see a beach like that, what's an hour or two on the weekend compared to that?

 

Finding Me

I feel like 2023 was a lot about finding myself again after the decade-long relationship. I tend to like what my significant other likes, so long as I tolerated it before, and so being intertwined for so many years has made me wonder what parts of our lives were me and what parts were him.

Returning to swing dancing was a really big thing for me in 2023, and I'm so glad for it. It's still not convenient in any way, but every time I go, even if I wasn't feeling it, I end up deciding it was worth it. The irony is that my ex- and I had met swing dancing, so you'd think that wouldn't be something he'd have taken me away from. But in our breakup I learned he was still, STILL holding onto this wild idea that I had cheated and would continue to cheat with another swing dancer I had been seeing before him, even though I had never once cheated on him and stopped talking to the guy once I found out how much it upset my ex- that we were still friends. Insane, right?

I doubled-down on my love for Lego, I guess that's staying. That was one in which my ex- and I sort of enabled and magnified in each other's habits, so I wasn't sure if it was mine solely after the breakup, but I also recall that I did love Lego before I met him, and I have continued to enjoy building when I make time to do so, so I'm claiming it.

Walking outdoors has been another thing I continue to return to. I was never stopped from doing that per se in my relationship, but it got more challenging when I was torn between that and spending time with him, or just so exhausted that the simple distraction of the TV shows was enough to deflate any motivation I had in me.

Resolutions for 2024

This has been a long, winding and perhaps somewhat disconnected path to get to where I want to go in 2024. Having learned some devastating news related to work a couple weeks ago, I already know that my job, work life and potentially living location may be in flux next year, and I'm living with a lot of uncertainty going into the new year.  I often take inspiration from Pantone's Color of the Year and their description of their selection, but this year I found it too soft and uninspiring for the way I plan to take on the year I turn 40. I am not ready to let life just pass me by, I want to maintain and double down on the themes I started in 2023: living with intention, getting into space and nature, reconnecting deeply and creating ease in my life. But I also don't want to "just" do those things again. I was reminded whole on my vacation in Maui that family time is fun but not to lose myself or forget to carve out time for me to relax, and that was much needed then and will likely be needed over and over again on 2024.

I feel like all signs point me to water, and I need to find myself, no, make myself, live with water as a prominent part of my life, whatever that means. And now that I've rediscovered what I love, I want to do more of that. I want to write more, and I want to lose the weight. I am frustrated that the Milky Way has alluded me when I seek it out, and it makes me want to see it even more. I don't know how I'm going to accomplish all the things I want to do, but I know I want to make things happen in 2024. I want to be the person who I envision for myself. I want to make me who I imagine I could be.

I feel like I'm still rebuilding my life and making me. When you make something, you usually don't just wing it, you have a plan. So I think what I can do, right here, in 2023, to make sure I feel good about 2024 in a year from now, is to make a plan. I've also found that planning a vacation or roadtrip, even if its short, has been therapeutic for me. So I think my general theme for 2024 is to plan time for me. And the specifics are:

Have a Plan for Every New Moon
Make Plans to Write Each Month
Plan for Swing Dance
Get to the Water
Fix What's Broken
Spend Less
Eat Well
Move

Happy New Year, everyone, and I hope you find inspiration in these posts and have a fantastic 2024! 

A Year in Review: 2023

I set out at the beginning of this year to focus on four themes, which I'll summarize as:
(1) Live intentionally
(2) Re/connect deeply
(3) Get outdoors & "into" space
(4) Create ease

These four items have been starring at me from my little letterboard on my mantle, in plain view when I'm sitting in my favorite recliner sofa seat and where any guests can easily see it. I think I've done a pretty damn good job of all of them, although of course I could always do more.

Live intentionally

I started this year with a bad boss and was able to secure a position with a fantastic manager. That was a big deal for me; although it was a very tough decision in the moment, as time went on it proved to be one of the best decisions I could have made. Some ideas I had originated when I set my 2023 themes were also directly accomplished. I bought land, specifically 2.5 acre in the Mojave desert - I just absolutely fell in love with the location, situated just up to a mountain and looking down on the valley but isolated enough I could camp there and not see a single soul. Book and plan a vacation also was done in spades, I'd say. I just came back from a terrific holiday in Maui with my whole family, which I had largely coordinated. I had also had a great time in Las Vegas with A.J. while we were seeing each other, and then with Deric shortly after we became a couple. A fantastic trip to Colorado in August ties to the next theme, reconnecting with a childhood friend, Laura. I spent over a week in North Carolina with my sister, continuing our tradition of being the first to visit when one of us moves. I completed my downstairs bathroom wallpapering and installed a new light, and completed my master WC wallpapering. Some of the other ideas, though, weren't accomplished or adhered to, such as increasing my health routine discipline, having a mindfulness weekend retreat and a blog-a-thon. I'd still like to do those things regularly, and they would probably be good for my stress and health as I face new uncertainties next year.

Re/connect deeply

I've never been very good at maintaining relationships, but I did make an effort this year. The most triumphant being spending a week or so with my childhood friend, Laura, in her home in Colorado Springs. We had been friends in first and second grade, she lived only a few houses away from me, but after I moved away and even when I moved back, we had never really been close. We even went to the same high school and our circles of friends loosely intersected, but her and I were mostly acquaintances I'd say. Through one positive example in a world of negatives, I would credit social media for helping us to reconnect, as we followed each others' adventures and talked about getting back together some time, and this was the year I finally made good on that notion. I think we were both a little nervous about suddenly spending so much time together after years of barely knowing each other, but we had a brilliantly hilarious time and vowed not to wait so long to do it again. I also tried reconnecting with long-time friend and short-lived romantic partner, Rick, and we did have dinner one night while I was in Arizona for a charity walk I've tried to do with Allison most years, but that relationship still feels strained. It was great, of course, to see Allison, and she's another one I’d like to be a better friend to. Also on that visit, I went to swing dance with my favorite instructors, and they made me feel like a celebrity returning home. One of my previously favorite dance partners there, Miguel, encouraged me to go to Camp Hollywood and I knew I should, since dancing was also a thing I was investing more of my time into. I am so glad he encouraged me to do - it was amazing and I'm already booked for next year.

I also did a lot of dating this year, trying to find my next Mr. Right and it's been tougher than I imagined. I've had a lot of great memories and far too many
heartbreaking let downs. When I started this blog long ago, it was a dating blog, and I thought it would be fun to return it to one being single, but when I reflect on it, dating was fun back then and it has a more serious tone to it now. I'm not dating to make fun of it, I want to find my someone and that doesn't feel like something I want to poke fun at. Well, after months of ups and downs on the dating front, I am now with Deric, who may not be perfect, but he's at least my Mr. Right Now.

Get outdoors and "into" space

I never imagined how much of nature and space I would do this year. Shortly after the year started, by mere happenstance as far as I can tell, I saw a post - was it an

ad? - inviting volunteers to support the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. I knew about the reserve - my sister and I had visited it out of season but I had missed the blooms the prior year. I mentioned it to one of my employees who happened to be traveling for work with me when I saw the post, and she got so excited about it I cemented the idea in my head that this would be a great thing to do. And it was! I loved my trailwatch shifts - four hours, and I usually hiked about 5 miles, stopping to educate guests or take pictures for them. It was a great way to get my butt out of the house and into nature, and I intend to do it as long as I live here. I even got to bring several friends and employees out with me!

I did also do the space-y things I wanted to do - I visited the Griffith Observatory as a sort-of date with Kevin during one of their events, Above, and started watching their monthly show All Space Considered. I also managed to finagle a private tour of the Lockheed Martin Space site in Littleton, Colorado during my personal trip there.

I also set out on several stargazing quests. In late January and early February, I was watching weather and visibility to find a time when I could perhaps see the green comet. Conditions were poor over and over again, until finally, towards the end of its time in our sky, I camped out on my land in Mojave and was able to capture a view of it through my binoculars. Later in the year, Nadine and I camped out at Amboy Crater and watched the Perseids and Orionids meteor showers, catching dozens of shooting stars and one fantastic fireball. I was not so fortunate in my last attempt - I had booked a private stargazing and astrophotography tour in Maui but when we climbed to the summit at 10,000 feet, the stars were barely out and were quickly covered up - no such luck at capturing the Milky Way as is usual up there. Nevertheless, I learned quite a bit about the relationship between the Hawaiians and the stars, how they navigated by the stars and drew the first celestial maps, and all stars have a Hawaiian name as homage to their contributions.

Create ease

I probably did the least of this - certainly not all the things I aspired to do. But I have utilized AI and automation in ways to make my life better, and that was the objective of the theme.

Life List Update

While many things went well this year, I was worried that this would be the first year since I started my Life List in which I wouldn't have completed at least one thing from my list. Many years I complete several items all in one big vacation, or I complete a few items from various little efforts. To be fair, many of the easier ones are completed and that leaves more difficult ones or items that are specific to a location to which I haven't yet traveled. But, after my nephew joined me in Maui, we decided to go hiking on Haleakala. So I made the trek in the convertible once again through the twists and turns, but this time in the daylight and with company, and when we stopped in the visitor center we learned that the local Ne ne birds are the most endangered species of goose. We spotted several of them both while hiking and while driving, and managed to take a few blurry pictures of them, which I'll consider as checking off Life List item #93: Photograph an endangered species. So not a minute too soon, December 21st was the day that ensured this was not the year in which I didn't complete something from my Life List.

Final reflections

There have been many years with drastic changes in jobs and where I lived, but this year seems like even more change even though I stayed put in Palmdale. Starting with ending a nearly 10 year relationship, reconnecting with old friends, a small job change, investing in my swing dancing like I hadn't in several years, and really just finding myself again has been tumultuous. I'm not sure that I've fully found myself yet, but perhaps that is an ongoing journey always. I've cried a lot, sometimes for silly reasons, sometimes because life is just stupid hard, and sometimes for no real
reason at all. But I've also had the best of people around me and great times, amazingly beautiful moments and laughter that made my cheeks hurt. And I guess that's what life is all about, isn't it? As the last year fully in my 30's, I can definitely say that I lived.

Ringing in 2022 - Resolutions in the Pandemic

I usually start all New Year's posts with a reflection on accomplishments for the last year, and general status of my well-being. But it's no secret that 2021 kind of stunk, and much of 2020 was about the same. Nearing two years in a pandemic means we've missed out on some really big Bucket List / Life List achievements, we're limiting travel and get-togethers, and we're meeting more virtually than in person at work. For an extreme extrovert, it's been rough. And despite some positives like my new 4/10 schedule, I'm not healthier or more productive in my personal life than usual. I'm tired and anxious and bored and stifled. 2021 will be the first year since I started my Life List in which I didn't complete at least two things off my list. One of those items was literally cancelled because of COVID-19. So, while I'm usually the eternal optimist, I'm coming into 2022 a little defeated.

 

Not all is bad, as my 2021 photographic recap indicates. 

 

In January, I treated Jaiman to a falconry experience for his birthday that was pretty neat. Then the San Diego Zoo re-opened and we were there 45 minutes after little Eleonor the giraffe was born, kicking off one of my favorite things to do - visiting and walking around the huge local zoo. 

 

In February, I went to the zoo a lot, and with the mask mandate in place, I got a cute giraffe mask! 

 

In March, we fed the giraffes at the zoo, and my friend Laura visited from Phoenix. We then found out that we wouldn't be going to Japan for the Olympics due to COVID, so we went to the Japanese Friendship Garden at Balboa Park as a tiny consolation. 

 

In April, we went to Yosemite and Disneyland, and in a little bit of foreshadowing, I visited the Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park and took a picture by an old Skunk Works airplane part. 

 

In May, Danielle and William came to visit and we went to multiple museums and the zoo, as well as fun places to eat and drink. We also went to Las Vegas and ate at Hell's Kitchen. 

 

In June, my sister Linda and her family visited, and we rented a boat and explored Coronado Island with them. We househunted in Palmdale and visited Sea World, and had countless farewell dinners with colleagues and team members as I departed GKN. Then I started my new job at Skunk Works. 

 

In July, we checked off Life List #11 by renting a tandem bicycle back in San Diego and rode that around for the Fourth of July weekend. Then we went back to Phoenix to celebrate Grandma Clote's birthday and see Jaiman's family. Jaiman's cousin Brittney and her sister came to Six Flags with us. 

 

In August, we went out with my colleague, Andrew, and his girlfriend, and visited Tucson to see my family for Dad's birthday. We got the keys to our new house in Palmdale, and started working on it right away. 

 

In September, we went to a show at Hollywood Bowl and got great tickets for Hamilton at the beautiful Pantages Theater. 

 

In October, I took a business trip to Marietta, GA to meet with some of my employees and colleagues. We also went to a local arts festival with Andrew and Tiffany and went to an Air Show in LA to see (and hear) F-35's among other great showings. My sister, Christy, and her friends came to visit and board their cruise, and we showed them around Rodeo Drive and went to an NBA game. 

 

We started November with a Lego Brick Fest and then traveled to Orlando for IAAPA and Universal Nights, then onto Raleigh to celebrate Thanksgiving with Christy and Matthew. 

 

In December, Andrew, Tiffany, Jaiman and I went to the California Science Center to catch the Lego exhibit before it left. Dinner with my boss and Andrew ended our short business relationship, as my boss is retiring. My parents came to visit for Christmas, and we hiked around the Vasquez Rocks. 

 

 

 

 

 

2021 by the numbers:

1 Life List Achievement Completed for Me 

(Tandem bicycle ride)

1 Life List Achievement Completed for Jaiman 

(IAPPA)

3 California Bucket List Achievements Completed 

(Yosemite, California Science Center, Vasquez Rocks)

7 Theme Parks Visited 

(Sea World, Six Flags, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Universal Orlando, Disneyland, DCA)

8 Museums Visited 

(Balboa Park: Model Train Museum, Art Museum, Automotive Museum, Air & Space Museum, Museum of Us, Museum of Natural History; California Science Center, Blackbird Air Park)

12 New Roller Coasters

(Air Grover, Cobra's Curse, Kumba, Montu, Scorpion, SheiKra, Tigris, Velocicoaster, Manta, Electric Eel, West Coast Racers)

43 Roller Coaster Rides Total

 

31 Books Read

(See list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2021/50404019) 

 

All in all, I guess it's not been terrible. Nevertheless, I am hoping for 2022 to be an improvement over the last ~two years.

 

Here are the things I want to work on in 2022 (dare I say, Resolutions):

• Improve my Vocabulary and Professional "Polish"
  
• Double savings (and manage investments to minimize potential losses if stocks go south)
• Work on "Smart" innovations / automation
• Complete at least 3 Life List items 
• Could include:
• Recumbent bike
• Penny farthing bike
• Golf in Cabo
• Press grapes
• Ice skate in snow
• Be an extra in a movie
• Send in a Postsecret
• Drive a race car
• Ski in Colorado
• Learn to use a slide rule
• Underwater hotel
• Eat at a Winger's
• Complete some "moderate"-level home improvement projects
• Such as:
• Staircase railing / front room - paint
• Downstairs full bath – wallpaper and replace light
• Laundry room – wallpaper
• Dining room – paint and replace light
• Craft room – Paint and organize
• Office area – Organize and fix up cabinets
  

 

 

What are you hoping to do in 2022? Given the pandemic, I suspect resolutions will look a little different this year. Maybe you want to reconnect with family or friends, or get engaged with charity or mentoring. Maybe you want to get your home office organized with a refreshed style. Maybe you want to try something new, cook a new dish or try a new art form, take an online dance class or study a language. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!