'17 REFLECTIONS; '18 goals

This blog began in December 2013, when I created a list of 14 goals for 2014 and vowed to write a blog post every day of that year. I failed miserably, of course, but it got me writing more regularly and began this project. So, I have stuck with the tradition that got it all started: creating a list of goals to guide me through the year ahead and allow for a more interesting self-reflection once it has ended. In this blog, I'll look back on all the things I've done this year, see how many goals I was able to achieve, and create a new list for 2018. 

my 10 for 2017:

1. Visit three countries I've never been to before - Yes! This year I visited Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, and Germany - five of which I had never been to before.
2. Learn to play a musical instrument - Nope. I dabbled with my ukulele and guitar a bit, I even attended a harmonica class for an article I was writing, but ultimately I did not learn a new instrument or become fluent in any of the instruments I have experiences in. But, I did refresh my previously-established skills 
3. Buy a van I can live in - Yes! In October I purchased a 2004 Toyota Sienna and I now has a bed, a side table and a collapsable desk. By this weekend, it will be almost complete and the move will begin.
4. Do something I'm really proud of  - Yes! I’d say most of the things I did as hut croo this summer I was proud of. Even just being accepted into the job I was proud of, let alone packing food, cooking for a hundred people, becoming a stronger hiker, learning new plant species, etc.  
5. Make some new friends (not that I don't like those I'm friends with now) - Yes! This goes hand in hand with a new job, especially one that entials living with your coworkers for three to four months.
6. Hike and hike and hike some more - Yes! Again, hut croo for the win. I tried to do the math at some point and I’m pretty sure I hiked somewhere between 200 and 300 miles while at the huts.
7. Get back into reading again - Maybe? This year I read Americanah, The Man Who Heard Voices, Notes from the Wild, Norse Mythology, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and a few others. But I wish I had read more. Much more. 
8 & 9: Find comfort in my own body & Focus on the positives in life -  I think I'll keep these goals as a more personal reflection. 
10. Meditate regularly - I'm going to need it to stay sane during Trump's first year as president. Yes! Though, perhaps not in the way I had expected too. I am the kind of person to use crystals on necklaces or while meditating and I often listen to meditation videos at night. More than anything, though, hiking is what has helped me most with filtering my thoughts, working through them, and finding a much-needed escape. And living on top of a mountain all summer definitely helped with presidential coping, as I was far from the news and social media. 

my 10 for 2018 

1. Read 15 books 
2. Learn to identify 10 species of plants on Mount Washington
3. Go on a road trip in the new car 
4. Take a risk
5. Start that project you and your cousin talked about 
6. Cut all your possessions in half 
7. Write something substantial 
8. Go to at least three new countries 
9. Do something you're proud of (yes, this is a repeat from last year, but I like it) 
10. Open up more 

A look back on 2017

Hut Croo at Lakes of the Clouds Hut Summer 17 and Fall 17

Exploring Barcelona

Returning to our favorite NH escape this summer

Volunteering with KnockEveryDoor, NextGen America, Larry Krasner for DA, Stephanie Morales for AG, and the Institute for Humane Education

Hiking in Scotland (after couch surfing in Ireland for a few nights)

Driving around Iceland on the Ring Road and sleeping in our car

Exploring many museums in Denmark

Concerts this year: Passenger, The Paper Kites, Dermot Kennedy, Mt. Joy, The Head and the Heart, Charlie Cunningham, Blind Pilot

Visiting Montreal...and driving home in a blizzard...

Berlin!

Freelance writing for local newspapers and the Appalachian Mountain Club's magazine.

Weekend escapes after weekend escapes to the White Mountains.

Thanks to everyone who made 2017 so amazing and so influential, and to all the new friends I made this year. 

Cheers to an even greater 2018. 

Thank you for reading, 
​Amanda Lucille