What a year it has been. 27 was an interesting age to be; there were certainly a lot of ups and downs. I feel very proud of what I’ve accomplished in this year, and it makes me hopeful for the year ahead. Though there were some losses, I also feel like this year brought me some amazing new experiences. I always start the year with a list of goals correlating with the age I turn, and my list of 27 goals proved to be quite the challenge. I think I did pretty good considering. Here’s the breakdown:
- Canadian Adventure – DONE! – I went to Toronto and Niagara in Ontario in October. Read about that trip here, here, here or here.
- Take a Trip on an Amtrak Train – DONE! – An Amtrak train transported me in style from Union Station in Chicago to Union Station in St. Louis.
- Run a Race – My friends, I tried my best to make this happen. I signed up for two different races this year and couldn’t do one due to an injury and the second one was cancelled on me due to a crazy storm. This one will have to be added to next year’s list.
- Have an Article Published in a Magazine – DONE! Magnificent Mile– It was an online magazine but it still counts! I wrote something for Viva Lifestyle & Travel this summer about the here in Chicago.
- Read More Non-Fiction – DONE! Out of the 25 books I’ve read so far this year, 15 of them were non-fiction.
- Be Better About Networking – DONE! – Thanks to Shapr and attending local events, I can confidently say I am better at networking than I was at the start of this year.
- Find a Collaboration – DONE! – I started the year with a new blog, co-written and edited with a friend of mine (which is now no longer a thing, but that’s totally fine – live and learn!) and am now endqqing the year as one-seventh of a wonderful group of women that host fundraisers for charities in the Chicago area.
- Figure Out my Personal Style – DONE! – It was a lot easier to work with a personal style when I don’t have to spend all my fashion money on suits like I used to. I utilized Stitch Fix and shopping all the good sales to get some key items that suit my simple style.
- Invest in a Solid Wardrobe Staple – DONE! – As I said in #8, I was able to get quite a few key pieces like some great black booties and a camel colored trench.
- Go to Mexico – HALF DONE! This trip is booked but I won’t be going until next month.
- Write More Fiction – There was not enough time this year to work on fiction writing, but I’ve got high hopes for the future of my fiction writing.
- Make & Sell Some Candles – This was a lofty goal. I made the candles but just ended up burning them myself, so at least I did half of it.
- Take a Yoga Class – DONE! – I found a yoga studio by my old apartment that I absolutely loved (Yoga for All Beings in West Town) and went to frequently. Now, I’m attending a gym in Wicker Park that offers a multitude of other classes that I’ve been exploring.
- Learn to Meditate – DONE! – I tried out the Headspace App to work on this one and I’m not entirely sure that sitting still for so long is for me, but I’m happy that I pushed through to make it work.
- Get a New Tattoo – DONE! See for yourself:
- Explore a New Chicago Neighborhood – DONE! – Lincoln Square: neighborhood guide coming soon.
- Get a New Job – DONE! – I started a new position as a Catering Sales Manager back in February and have been much happier since.
- Go to a National Park – DONE! – The Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
- Master Conversational French – I wish I could have accomplished this one! I’m switching over to Spanish now though in anticipation of my Mexico trip.
- Get a Massage – DONE! – I visited the Spa at the Four Seasons for a massage and dinner by the pool earlier this year.
- Buy a Piece of Art – DONE! – Technically I won my pretty flamingo print in a raffle, but regardless of how I got it, it’s here and it’s lovely.
- Make Homemade Pasta – DONE! – This was not the most delicious meal I ever made. In fact, the homemade noodles looked more like soggy french fries than anything, but I’m glad I tried and I think it will be much better next time.
- Take an Educational Class – DONE! – I’ve already talked about my creative non-fiction class quite a bit here but I would be happy to take another class with Gotham Writers any time.
- Go on a Trip Without Writing About It – DONE! – It was our yearly trip to Wisconsin but it was still nice to travel without the pressure of having to come up with new content.
- Organize a Clothing Swap – Nope. Just didn’t happen.
- Make Something for the Apartment – DONE! – Two woven yarn wall hangings, one for over the bar and one for over the bed.
- Go to a Play – DONE! – A Winter’s Tale outdoors in Forest Park in St. Louis.
21.5/27 GOALS DONE – I think that’s pretty good!
This year’s list includes a classic literature reading list, a few travel goals (a mother-daughter trip, a beach vacation and visiting a new country), seeing a favorite musician in concert, checking out some new Chicago attractions and mastering some new recipes. Here’s hoping 28 is my best year yet!
What are your goals for this upcoming year?
okay I think. I missed a couple of things, like “go camping”, (which I really wanted to do but couldn’t fit it in anywhere) and “Chicago Boat Tour” (no excuse for this one, it’s literally just a CTA bus ride away), but I also accomplished more than I thought I would. I checked off “
work. This year, the list is 26 items long of course, and I fully intend on completing each and every task on this one. After all, now that I’ve written about here, I’m holding
rebeccawanderlusting 