I'm a bit concerned about my lack of mobility due to my ongoing hip injury though. Normally on holidays the Yorkshireman and I like nothing more than to completely knacker ourselves by walking miles and miles each day... after all, walking around is really the best way to see everything and it also helps counteract the beer and cupcake calorie intake. However our itinerary this time doesn't really give us much leeway for meandering slowly on most days.
I'm starting to get around a bit easier now but it's less than 3 weeks til we go and I'm a bit concerned that I won't miraculously heal before then. Or worse, maybe I'll feel ok before I go and then push myself too far in the first couple of days and end up in agony the rest of the trip. I remember on my way to the doctors I could barely walk and every time someone walked too close to me or I had to dodge out of the way of someone trying to walk into me, I winced and tried not to scream. And that was in Belfast… New York sidewalks are just that wee bit busier! So the crutch might be coming with us, I fear! I feel like I should give it a name!
Trip planning aside, not much has been going on the last couple of weeks, which has been a blessing. Work is still a bit of a nightmare because although new boss is lovely, there is no way to instantly transfer my years' of knowledge into his brain, so the learning process is slow and in the meantime I'm still doing the majority of his work as well as my own and my former underling's.
However when the work day is over and I've done the hour-plus commute home on public transport, the evenings are mostly my own. I should probably be doing something more productive than watching Judge Judy and playing The Sims Social on Facebook, but it's nice to have no major commitments or catastrophes to attend to for once, so I'm enjoying the down time. The winter blues have not yet started to shift but at least the days are getting longer again now, so hopefully my mood will lift a little as time goes on.
It has also given me the chance to reflect on the aims and objectives I had this time last year for 2011. I wanted:
- To try and stop stressing out so much about things I can't actually do anything about (tricky for a worrier like myself)
- To seize every opportunity to do the things I really want to do (be it to relax with a book in a coffee shop or to visit somewhere new and exciting)
- To spend quality time with those I love and care about
I have semi-succeeded with the first one, by becoming more assertive when there is something I can do about a problem. Unfortunately by becoming increasingly vocal when something is pissing me off, I have gained a reputation for being difficult and grouchy. I'm not sure if that's better or worse than having a reputation for being constantly anxious, but I feel more empowered and less like a doormat at least. Perhaps this year I could work on tact.
I think I did pretty well with the second one, which has led to an exciting year full of great experiences, but has also led to spending more money than I could really afford on a few occasions. This year I'd like to continue to do things that make me happy but also get a rein on my finances again. I already have a good budget sorted out so the problem now is sticking to it!
I also did pretty well with the third one, mainly as part of the second one. After all, it's all well and good to sit by yourself for a couple of hours in Starbucks reading a book and sipping lattés, but most experiences are made better when they're shared with people you care about. I hope to continue to do that this year.
What else would I like to achieve this year..?
- I'd like to follow through on ideas I have, even when the thought of actually doing something is scary.
- I'd like to visit new places (already in hand with Washington DC and Boston in February but maybe somewhere else as well).
- I'd like to try a new experience.
- I'd like to try a new food.
I think that should do it. And so, on with 2012 and let's see how well I do!
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