New Year Goals (Hello 2018!)

So here we are on the first day of 2018 and I love how shiny new a new year feels.  There is sun and sparkly light in Seattle today and already that is something to be thankful for.  And how many of us are still trying to savor the blur that was 2017?  (Both my hands are raised!  How did it fly by so fast?) Hopefully the hubby and I will make the goal of getting a photo book together one of these days so we can actually hold onto some of our memories a little tighter-a friend makes a book every year for her parents and brothers and sisters and I can’t imagine a more precious gift.

For 2018 we have a few goals- one of them is making our lives more simple and I guess that’s why we haven’t got around to making our book yet.  We are trying to live more with less-a lot less clutter and a lot less waste and we really try to make a conscious decision before we go out and buy something.  (Please remind me of this next year when it’s advent calendar shopping time!) My husband totally swears by Marie Kondo and I’m still trying to read her book.  Have you read it?  I might just end up listening to it on Audible when I work out.

And yes, I have to work out in 2018.  I keep putting off my running time, my exercising time, my me getting healthy time and it’s not a good pattern to be in.  Do you do this too? Yes, there might be more seemingly important things but we don’t need a TON of exercise minutes and I waste so many 30 minute chunks of the day in other ways.  A friend suggested Fitness Blender last year and I’ve loved the workouts I’ve tried so far.  I also need to start running again and get back to my Core Power Yoga class.  Do you have a workout that you love?  And along with exercising I probably need to make more home-cooked food.  My sister made these gluten-free pancakes today from Goop for New Year’s breakfast and they were spectacular!

We also have a ton of travel goals and we have set our sights on a few trips.  We are definitely headed to Kauai and San Diego this year.  (If you have been please send all your recommendations!  I’d love to hear!) We are also considering Thailand, Singapore, Greece and Italy but we have a lot more research to do and who knows what will come up in the mean time but for now it’s fun to dream.  Of course we’ll also be hanging out locally in Seattle and Vancouver and up in the mountains in Snoqualmie Pass.  We are tempted to drive our electric car to California and back for our longest electric road trip yet. On road trips the hubby, kids and I often chat about life and the places we want to visit next and the world just seems so big!  How is there time to see it all?  I still haven’t fully debriefed or written up our epic Australia/New Zealand trip but sometimes I’d rather pack my bags and see where the next adventure takes us than spend our precious time reflecting.  There will be more time for that one day so I’ve been dumping our photos in my Amazon Prime Photo account.  I’m excited when they pop up as “This day in 2017 or 2016 or 2015 you were…..”

Do you have goals for 2018?  And do you look ahead or do you like to reflect?  Wishing you and and your loved ones all the best!

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)