Accomplish. Resolve. Adventure.

     Yep.  Here it is.  Your stereotypical New Year's blog.  I have a few accomplisments to share from 2011, four official resolutions for the new year, and several adventures I'm looking forward to in 2012!

Accomplishments

1. {Moving out of my parents' house}  Not long ago, I swore I would never move away from my parents.  I wanted to build an apartment on the back of their house to live in with my future husband.  BUT, I've grown up (just a bit) and now I live with my sister.  She bought an awesome house and offered me a room to rent at a great price.  
2. {Adopting a puppy}  Her name is Penny Lane, she is a one year old white labradoodle, and I am completely smitten!  She is adorable and sweet and mostly well-behaved and I love her!
3. {Whitewater rafting}  Over the summer, I went to North Carolina with two of my best friends.  We went rafting on Section IV of the Chattooga River, and...  It. Was. INCREDIBLE!  We spent the whole day on the river with our awesome guides, saw some waterfalls, jumped off rocks, and conquered Class III, IV, and V rapids. Easily one of the most extraordinary things I've ever done.

           

Penny Lane's Christmas photo :)                   That's a Class 5, right there.

Resolutions

1. {Use the word "outrageous" more often}  I guess it's because I'm a "language" person, but I love words.  I recently realized that I rarely, use the word "outrageous" and I want to do so more often.
2. {Stop using my cell phone while I'm driving}  I am that horrible person who endangers your life because I just have to respond to a text message...  I know it's awful, so I'm going to stop.
3. {Exercise two days a week}  Two days sounds almost pointless, but I need to start with something attainable.  Hopefully, I'll work up to more, but for now I'm only holding myself accountable for two.
4. {Eat really healthy two days a week}  Every time I try to get on a healthy diet, I get burned out within about a week and give up.  So, like exercising, I'm only going to make myself accountable for two days a week.

Adventures

1. {Finish my golden year}  So far, 23 has been pretty great.  And I'm going to make a sincere effort to live up the rest of this golden year!  Luckily, I still have about 7 months left to do it! 
2. {Read the Twilght Saga}  I can't believe I'm even announcing this publicly. I was determined not to get caught up in the whole vampire/werewolf nonsense. Alas, I stubbled upon the first Twilight movie on TV a few months ago and I got curious.  I've now seen the first three movies and I got the whole book series for Christmas. Ashamed? Incredibly. Excited? Unfortunately.
3. {Katie & Luann's Asian Adventure Tour 2012}  My friend Luann is about half-way done with a year of teaching in China. When the school year is over for both of us, we're goin' adventurin'!  Our tentative schedule includes India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.  Besides our major flights, we're not planning much in advance.  From what I know, Asia is disturbingly dirty and reeks like your sweaty brother's old gym socks that his pet turtle used as a toilet. It's going to be a grungy, disorganized, smelly, "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of trip, and I am SO OUTRAGEOUSLY STOKED!!

Asia: get ready to be ROCKED!!

Happy New Year!

Keep calm and carry on...