You say you want a resolution...

Happy (belated) New Year, everyone!

Now, I'm not someone who gets into New Year's in a big way. I don't go to crazy NYE parties or brave the cold to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Growing up, I always spent New Years' Eve at my grandparents' house, eating finger foods and watching the ball drop on TV, and that's exactly what I did this year... save for staying up for the countdown. After a six-hour drive, I was exhausted and wound up dropping long before the ball did! But it was still nice to welcome the new year, surrounded by family in my hometown.

[This is not my hometown. This is where I live now. But it's pretty. :)]

But I don't consider the mere change in calendar date to be cause for celebration, or even a time to make new goals. You can set and accomplish goals on any random day of the year, after all. I am constantly making lists and attempting to check things off, one by one, finishing things as I'm able to. And I tend to mark the passage of time by birthdays or, when in school, by semesters. Or, since I've switched occupations many times in the past few years, by a job's start and end dates!

So I'm not going to bore you with a list of my New Year's resolutions, because I don't have any. Around my 26th birthday, however, I was inspired (by a few other bloggers) to make a list of 26 things I'd like to do before I turn 27. After reviewing this, I was surprised that few of my goals have anything to do with work... I found myself writing things like "learn French" and "create comic book."

Career goals have consumed me for a long time, but when I get to the heart of things, the desires that are nearest and dearest to me have more to do with personal enrichment than professional advancement. I always was less ambitious and career-oriented than I was passionate and creative. As I've gotten older, I figured that was bound to change, but I'm happy that my creative spirit is still alive and well. Somewhere, my inner songbird still chirps happily! As stupid as that sounds... But, hey, maybe one of these days I'll get around to sharing some of my songs with you... Wouldn't that be fun? Something I think my blog definitely needs... guitars! And kittens! Yes. I promise to deliver both of those things!

Ok. So this picture happens to have both those things... Yay!

What are some of your goals - we won't call them "resolutions" - this year?