Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I hope that 2011 is a great year for everyone.  With the New Year comes the New Year's Resolutions...which I never really make, as I feel as though we should be continually living our lives as we feel is right, and if you aren't happy with something, anytime is good to make a change.  However, with the spirit of the New Year and new beginnings, I have a few things that I would like to get back into doing for 2011.

1.  Music

I have played the piano since age 4 and used to be in a post-rock band a few years back playing both guitar and keyboards.  While I no longer really have the time in my life between work and other interests to play tons of live concerts/go on tour/be in a band, I really need to get back into playing the piano and maybe even recording a few songs.  I used to record my own music all the time and this hobby seemed to fall by the wayside.  Music and playing the piano used to be among the key things that defined who I was, and it would be truly unfortunate if I were to ever lose those abilities. 

2.  Japanese

I took a full semester of Japanese language courses last year in night school.  When the classes were finished, I continued to learn on my own from a wonderful website called Japanese Pod 101.  When Paul and I bought the house together, nearly ever spare moment in my life was spent either going to work or going to paint the house...now that we have moved in and only have a bit of painting/organizing/unpacking to do, I'd love to get back into learning how to speak, read, and write Japanese.  It is a dream to travel there and it would be fun to have some basic language skills to get around.

3.  Exercise

This isn't a terribly difficult "resolution" for me, as I have worked out at a gym for many years and I love to do yoga, swim, go for long walks and a bit of running.  I joined a new gym near the new house and look forward to going on a regular basis.  I'm thinking of setting a goal for myself of training to run a 5k...I started the Couch to 5K Running Plan back in September, but got side-tracked when we were moving and I didn't have a gym membership when moving between homes.  Now that I have my gym membership again, I'm ready to get back on track!

Those are the main hobbies that I'd like to get back into this year, in amongst all of the other things that I enjoy - knitting, scrapbooking, learning how to sew/do embroidery, cross stitch, collect postcards and Re-Ment sets, read, write my penpals, play video games...hmmm, what else!  I'd also love to plan a vacation at some point this year if the finances are in check and we are able to do so!  I'd also just love to spend some quality time with my fiancé, Paul, as our work schedules seem to continually conflict and we don't get as much time together as I'd like!

Plenty to look forward to in 2011!