Happy 2013!

Happy 2013! I rang in the new year with a few close friends last night at one of my friend's chocolate shop in Alexandria.

It was a pretty perfect night- sparkly dresses, best friends from college, Cards Against Humanity (best game ever) and a last minute scramble to find the Times Square countdown online. Am I the only person who really likes watching all of the performers and commentary going on in Times Square? If I don't see an official countdown and the ball dropping it's hard for me to say Happy New Year.

I find the transition from one year to the next to be fairly non-significant. It is just another day, although it is nice to think that you've got a clean slate each January. 2012 was both a great and frustrating year, and who knows what 2013 will bring. Kind of fun to guess at where things will be this time next year?

Anywho, I do have a few goals for this year- a mix of silly and serious and a few that won't really make a difference if I don't accomplish them. It's the first time I've put my resolutions/goals out there for the world to see, so here's hoping that makes me stick to them better!

1. Save. A lot. I'd really really like to buy a place in the next two years, but saving for the down payment in DC for the type of place that I want (nice and not in a crummy part of town) has been a bit of a marathon attempt. I'm SO close to having enough saved to begin looking seriously when I get back from Australia, and I don't want to be disappointed next year and feeling like I have to save for another full year.

2. Make a budget and stick to it. This ties closely to number one. Sydney is an EXPENSIVE city, so if I don't budget I have a feeling I won't be able to save much at all. I'm actually pretty excited for the challenge of writing down all of my expenses and what I think I can comfortably live on each week and to see how closely I can stick to it. I'll be posting my budget when I finalize it and giving a weekly update-- knowing that the internet will be able to check up on me is going to be a powerful incentive to stick to it!

3. Take five trips. I know I want to go to New Zealand, Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, and somewhere in Asia while I'm living in Australia. The fifth trip can be anywhere else, but I think I'll really kick myself if I don't carve out time to experience everything living down under has to offer. I'd REALLY like to go on a trip into the Outback, but every time I propose this I just get a bunch of laughs???

4. Wear heels at least once a month. I hate heels. More specifically I hate how they make my knees feel the next morning. But I love how they make my legs look. Narcissistic? Yep. I figure I wore heels maybe 5-6 times in 2012 so once a month seems pretty reasonable.

5. Do a handstand. This has been on my "to-do" list for a few years. No clue why I want to do one, and no clue how you go about trying to learn how to do one, but I'm making 2013 the year I'll finally get it done.

6. Set a new PR. I don't care what distance, but I want to do more races this year and I want to do them faster. My "personal bests" are all from about 3-4 years ago when I was running a lot more so I'm thinking this may be my toughest goal for the year. My first race is at the end of March and is a half marathon-- based on what I did at the Brooklyn half in May in 2012, I'd have to run 9 minutes faster to get a PR. I have a problem of not pushing myself hard enough, so I'm excited to try a new running group in Sydney and to hopefully find some fast friends to help me push myself further.

7. Eat organic meat. Yes, it's more expensive, but as I read and watch more about the various meat industries and get more and more grossed out I know it's better for me to commit to not eating the gross stuff. Based on what I think my grocery budget's going to be, I think this means eating more of a vegetarian diet with the occasional "meat splurge." Am I going to refuse meat that's not organic? No. Do I think that I'll realistically be able to stick to this 100%? No, but I am going to bite the bullet as often as I can to only buy organic meat.

8. Say yes more. My friend Kelly and I were talking last night, and she brought this up- the idea of saying yes to friends, yes to families, yes to experiences over a set schedule or plan. I'm terrible at this-- if I've got something in my mind that I need to do or want to do and someone asks me to do something I'll usually say no in favor of my plan. So I want to say yes more, especially in a new city where saying yes can lead to making friends and making sure I don't regret missing out when I leave.

There you have it- my goals for making sure that 2013 is the best year yet.

What are yours?