New Year!

How can it be 2012? And how is it possible that I spent nine months of 2011 living in New York. Woot woot!

I read Beantown Prepster's blog post about her year and thought I'd copy her format for reflecting and looking ahead:

What did I do in 2011?
Well, obviously, I moved to New York! But I also...
Got rid of a whole lot of stuff and didn't miss it
Played a part in helping someone achieve a dream
Served as a teaching assistant in a writing class
Worked on a memoir
Began to appreciate certain artfully-made whiskey-based cocktails
Improved my tolerance for spicy food
Went to Brazil for the ninth time
Concluded a successful three-year campaign to raise $150,000 for my favorite nonprofit in Rio
Let go of bitterness and resentment I'd carried for far too long
Danced at Robin and AJ's black-tie wedding at The Pierre
Read in Meghan and Drew's wedding in Chicago
Relaxed in the Hamptons and Martha's Vineyard

What didn't I do in 2011?
Make a job change
Date anyone
Push ahead with my memoir project after my move
Get stronger or pursue any physical challenge

What did I learn in 2011?
I learned that I had the courage to make a big change. I learned that I could recapture my adventurous spirit and let it lead me. I learned that it feels better to take risks than to wonder "what if?" I learned that, as Martha Beck puts it, "The difference between success and failure isn't the absence of fear but the determination to pursue your heart's desires no matter how scared you are." I learned that Albert Schweitzer said, "At times our light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." And I gave thanks to those who helped rekindle my light when I felt it had gone out.

I learned that I can be a good roommate and that having your own place is sometimes overrated. I learned that I need a lot less space and a lot less stuff than I expected.

I learned that it's less important to be right than it is to be nice. I learned that perfection is elusive...we can't control for every possible variable. Instead, we simply do the best we can and hope sunshine and grace will take care of the rest.

What are my 2012 goals?
Take another big, bold leap and follow my heart
Travel
Write more and pursue publication
Make the most of being single and independent
Be healthy and strong
Volunteer and serve others more
Live a life that honors my purpose on this planet
BE GRATEFUL EVERY DAY