Resolutionizing: 2018

Hi team...I know I've been ghost-silent around here for far too long, but I have a good excuse, per usual. And that good excuse is that I have been on the brink of death - slight exaggeration, but not really that extreme. My family cut our planned ski trip to Tahoe short by several days due to my delightfully phlegmy lungs, and I've spent the last week more or less tucked in bed doing next-to-nothing while coughing, sleeping and reading to kick off 2018. BOOOO. 

With that said, I never let a year turn without doing two things - recapping the year past and appreciating all its goodness, and making resolutions for the year ahead. Being a basic bitch, I couldn't let a little sickness stop me from starting 2018 the same way, so without further ado, a few small resolutions and, as usual, my bigger goal for the year! 

1. Explore more of the Bay Area. 

I LOVE CALIFORNIA, and I am so glad I moved here. That said, I've quickly fallen into my usual patterns of having "my" spots, and while that's an utterly lovely feeling, I can't let one of the biggest cities in the country go unexplored. Here's to a 2018 full of more time in SF (and Oakland and San Jose and Berkeley and all over the Bay!), new wineries, different restaurants, and most of all new outdoor adventures in this wild, gorgeous area I call home now. 

2. Try harder at dating. 

I hate Millennial dating, and I am terrible at it. In 2018, I may not want to date, but I need to put more effort into that - whether that's trying harder to build on existing connections, biting the bullet and getting back on the apps (UGH), or even just seeking more opportunities to meet people. I may be fine with things the way they are in my personal life, but I also know I won't be fine with that forever, and practicing dating is a painful but necessary exercise. 

3. Do more yoga.

I have fallen so hard for yoga in the last year and a half-ish, and with a plethora of opportunities for yoga in my day-to-day life, I have no excuse for not hitting the mat more often. I'm currently averaging 1-2x a week, but would love to increase that to 3-4x over the course of the coming year. 

4. Write more regularly.

This was a resolution last year, too, and I'm sad to say it's the only one I truly failed at. While my lack of time writing has been due in large part to living a life that is fuller and more lived off-paper, I truly do treasure the archive I create here and the feeling of connection this blog gives me. I plan to stick to a more stringent writing schedule this year, and to be better about chronicling things - even if it's a "quantity over quality" exercise from time to time. 

And my big intention for 2018: 

Be open. 

I don't know why this felt like such a necessary intention for the year, but this has been stuck in my head since I started ruminating on this year's goal back around Labor Day. Last year, I set the goal of "being intentional," and it was honestly the most successful goal to date. The way it manifested itself was definitely unexpected - choosing to let some friendships go, focusing on what fulfilled me, and, most significantly, taking the giant leap of moving across the country - but I can genuinely say that as 2017 wound to a close, I found myself extremely contented with the amount of thought and consideration I put into what I do. 

As for "be open?" It's a tough one. I think very few people realize how private and closed-off I really am, despite the seeming transparency of, you know, writing a blog and sharing thoughts with hundreds of people on a regular basis. I am extremely protective of myself, and I think that often leads to me closing myself off to a degree - not just from new people and experiences, but from sharing how I really think and feel. I protect myself by holding things back, and at the end of the day I think that sometimes bites me in the ass when things go unsaid or unexpressed. 

In 2018, I want to teach myself to be less afraid to open up - to seek and savor new experiences, to cultivate new friendships and relationships, and to be more candid and less guarded along the way. While the thought/phrase "be open" is, inherently, open-ended, I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing - I feel good about seeking out a year that is a bit more undefined at the outset. 

Happy 2018, campers - here's to a year of yoga and writing and love and openness and adventures ahead :)