HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Looking back at 2013, I have had a fantastic year! And looking in to 2014, it seems to be a pretty great year with some plans being made for upcoming trips and visits!
I wrote this in Feburary of 2010:
"Also, with this time, I have created my five-year plan. Hopefully,
after PC I will travel through India and Southeast Asia, go home for a
couple of months, and then take a job teaching in an international
school or with the Department of Defense School System! Who knows!"
First, I am astonished that I wrote that (almost) 4 years ago, I am even more astonished that what I put in writing is what I am doing and have done (travel, go home, and then go teach abroad). Four years ago Me was pretty prophetic. Now if current Me could see the next 5 years, that would be helpful! Hehe. Maybe add some Lotto numbers in there too...
The next five years I dont see changing much in terms of jobs or traveling. I fully expect to keep teaching internationally and traveling on breaks. China for the foreseeable future but after that, its pretty open. It is comfortable to have a job that affords such opportunity.
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Another piece in that post was a bucket list I started. I mentally started it before I went in to Peace Corps, finally wrote it down in that blog, but decided to revisit this list for this coming year.
So now I have updated the previous list and crossed off things that I have finished. Some of these look like New Years resolutions but they aren't only for this year. They are life things to do. They include:
- Be happy. This article says that we need to choose to be happy and strive for it through my emotions, activities, and those I surround myself with.
- Get healthier. The older I get and the older those around me get, I realize how much more important this is.
- Be nice.
- Learn Mandarin. Simple to say, harder to do, but worth it.
- Be better about staying in contact with friends. Even with social media sites, skype, email, and my blog, it is still hard to keep up with people but when I do, I feel so much better. So I need to be better with that.
- Below is the updated list from PC.
Get Masters DegreePeace CorpsBackpack EuropeSpend every birthday in new country (probably not possible every year- but something to strive towards)(almost every year since, a few times have been in the same country but haven't had a birthday in America since 2007 maybe?)- Swim in every ocean, yes even the Arctic, I am thinking off the north coast of Alaska?
- Visit every continent (So far Europe, Asia, and North America are crossed off. Still need: Australia, South America, Africa, and Antarctica)
- Visit Hawaii and Alaska
- Take an Alaskan cruise
Get certified in diving- Dive the Great Barrier Reef
- See a World Cup Football Match
- Go to an Olympic sport
- Learn Spanish fluently
- Travel to every country in Central America
- Write out a life Bird List
- Take a road trip from Florida to Alaska
- Macchu Picchu in Peru
- Ayers Rock
Backpack IndiaTeach in another country, not including PCLearn to appreciate wine- Run with the bulls in Spain
- Participate in the tomato fight (Spain?)
- Go on an African safari
- Route 66
- Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Mt Rushmore
Get more tattoos!- Whale watching
- Spend a month in the United Kingdom
- Travel around Greece
- Swim with Sharks off the coast of South Africa
- See Silverback Gorillas in the wild
- World Wildlife Fund trip
- Go to a Super Bowl game
- Be involved in Girl Scouts
- Never have regrets!
- Other things to add:
- Dive with whale sharks
- Visit Maldives and go diving
- Travel around Australia for a month or more
There are so many more countries or experiences that I would like to add to my list but I dont know if that is necessary. I might add more later... Its cool to see your goals/desires written out and crossing them off when you accomplish the task or experience.
With that, I will end by saying I hope you have a wonderful 2014! Much love!
