TW: Death mention.
I’m just going to say it: when we think of bucket lists, we think of death. I mean, that’s where the saying comes from–“kicking the bucket.” Often times, people don’t even seriously consider creating a bucket list until they have a near-death experience. But this post is about living. Living life to the fullest, more specifically. After my stay last week at the Virgin Hotel, I have been thinking a lot about my bucket list:
It’s the first post of 2021! ❤
As tradition would have it, we have to start the new year off discussing goals and expectations for the year. I hope you all got a chance to view my 2020 review in my last blog post, but today I want to talk all things 2021. Obviously, we are treading lightly into this new year with life still being a big question mark. Though there are a number of things to be optimistic about, we don’t want to be overly ambitious with our expectations. However, I will never stop being overly ambitious with my personal goals.
I think we can all collectively agree that the last thing on our minds is a New Year’s Resolution. Although I’ve already caught glimpses of morning news broadcasts talking about losing quarantine weight, I like to think most of us are fully aware that COVID-19 doesn’t expire at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Though it is exciting to have almost-certainty that an effective vaccine is coming our way in 2021, I know I’ve learned my lesson about great expectations. I certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong with goal-setting as I have been making vision boards for the past two years and may even do one next month; however, I don’t have to be the one to discuss the harmful effects of setting overly ambitious goals at the beginning of the year and falling into a pit of self-pity three weeks later.
Happy March, everyone!
First and foremost, I should apologize. I am sorry that I disappeared without a trace after making a declaration about 2019. There wasn’t a particular reason except for the fact that I have not had any new content. Aside from continuing to regularly update my YouTube channel, life has been very slow and quiet.
Per my last post, I have been diligently trying to center in on improving the quality of my life, so I have been setting monthly goals. For January, it was all about fitness. I signed up with a gym after losing the motivation battle to work out at home and I have been loving it. I am still struggling to find the confidence to explore the weight-side of the gym because the other gym-goers are pretty intense, but this fitness journey is about small steps. Even on days when the workout isn’t great or I desperately want that extra hour of sleep, I am proud of myself for getting up and going. It has been two months of a fairly regular routine and I have reignited that desire to workout and no longer see it as a chore. Since this journey is about small steps, I am not measuring my physical changes so that I do not obsess over it and take myself down a self-deprecating path. But I like to think I am making strides.
I also decided to do dry-January just because. I don’t drink heavily and unless I am out with friends, I rarely drink at all. However, I wanted to challenge myself in social settings. I only went out with friends a couple of times that month and saw a noticeable difference in how I interact. It was at first a more negative response because I felt left out of the ‘social high,’ but I eventually learned to navigate it to where I still have fun and know when my version of last call is. I have a more well-rounded understanding of my social ‘battery life,’ for lack of a better description. While I can say I much prefer to join in on the fun, I am able to now go out in social settings and not give a second thought to the decision to stay sober. My body also thanks me the following day.
February’s goal was to go somewhere new. I had not been on a plane since October and I started to develop anxiety about flying again. Part of that anxiety, however, was because I felt an itch to get back out there. Since my job is in operations (a.k.a. no company holidays), I didn’t get that time-off refresher between Christmas and New Year’s. Not to mention, I was trying to save as much time off for a trip this summer (America, am I right?). I felt a little burnt out and needed to see some new sights. Unfortunately, all of my plans to hop on a plane fell apart, so I had to improvise. Technically, I accomplished my February goal on March 1st, but I still managed to go somewhere new: Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, popularly recognized by Americans from HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” with Chip and Joanna Gaines.
I will have a post about that mini road trip on Thursday (March 7th), but I am actually really looking forward to this month. I have a couple of concerts I am going to and a potential international trip (fingers crossed!), so it feels like I’m finally starting to have a life again. I am making it a point to find things to write about on here because I have ideas, but I am curious if people would be interested. I really want to write more about pre- and post-travel experiences because there are obviously times like now when I am not traveling. Overall, I want to have relevant and interesting content. What do you guys think? I’d love to hear any suggestions you may have!! Let me know in the comments or on my Contact page 🙂
xx, AE
Lex in the City 