Definitely time well spent with my family!
What a nice break we had, spending time with our families,celebrating holidays, and ringing in the New Year! Ah, January 1. You know what that means. It’s New Year’s resolution time. A tradition that has roots dating back to the Babylonian era. I’m talking about the classic resolutions–hit the gym, study more, cut down on carbs, eat healthier, hydrate more, and the list goes on. Although all of those resolutions are surely ways to make my life better, I really wanted to figure out a resolution that would push me to go outside my comfort zone and do something different every once in a while, or more so, every week!
I was racking my brain trying to think of something I am truly passionate about that I could use as a jumping off point for my blog this semester. Everything that I consider myself to be passionate about was expressed in my last blog. But then I thought to myself, rather than focusing on one of my concrete passions, I thought about taking a more intangible route.
And then it hit me. New Year’s Resolution: to try one new thing every week, whether that be a new food, or a new coffeeshop downtown, or reading a new book, or picking up a new skill or hobby.
I drew inspiration for this idea after reading, hearing, and seeing a plethora of New Year’s resolutions posted everywhere. Most of them were aimed at becoming a better person, which I’m all for, however, I wanted to do something a bit more adventurous. Rather than creating a blog highlighting each and every one of my resolutions, I wanted to pick a single resolution that would encompass many aspects of my life, allowing me to grow as a person!
Sounds cliche, trust me I know. But, I really think that establishing such a broad resolution really allows you to adventure in all aspects of your life! Not only does it allow you to have crazy cool adventures that bring about the most amazing stories, but trying new things helps you to overcome fears and figure out who you really are as a person. Those are just a few of the benefits that trying new things brings into a person’s life.
And with trying new things, you can find out what you’re truly interested in. It allows you to have an open mind and you are more prone to stepping outside your comfort zone, which is definitely what I’m trying to do.
Fun, but would not recommend to a friend!
So here I am, week one of the semester, and the only new thing I have tried is the most disgusting jelly beans known to mankind (if you’ve played Beanboozled you know exactly what I’m talking about). Let me tell you, would not recommend to a friend. But that’s just fine, the year is very young and I already have plans to do something new this weekend that mostly scares me to death.
This weekend I am taking a skiing trip to Pittsburgh with my closest friends from Penn State. I have never skied in my life. I can barely ice skate, so I think this is shaping up to be quite the weekend. I’m definitely scared, but my resolution is keeping me in check. Beyond that, I’m excited for the experience, because I know that it’s going to make for so many stories, both good and bad. And I think that that’s what resolutions are really good for–creating stories that you otherwise may have not had, had you not put yourself out there in the first place.
That being said, I’m really excited for this year and this resolution to take shape! 2018 I’m coming for ya!
Make sure to check back next week for an update on my skiing adventures coming up this weekend!