New year's resolutions - part 2

I actually can't believe I'm writing down my new year's resolutions - the sun is shining outside and it is at least 12°C... it feels like April, or October, but certainly not January!

But every day is a good day for new plans, so here we go!

Mind and knowledge I generally enjoy learning new things and I feel keeping my mind and spirit challenged is a very important part of keeping myself happy. Currently, I'm working hard to fill up the immense gaps I have accumulated in my common knowledge.
I'm keeping a list of things I come across in my daily life - in discussions, in articles or on the internet. Usually some of the questions or topics will group together into a bigger theme. For example "Lenin", "Marxism", "October Revolution" result in me sitting down for a day or two and trying to understand the history of Russia. There are a lot of things out there to know and it would take too much time to go into big details for everything, but I'm constantly working on it and it is actually quite awesome how interesting it is - didn't feel like that in highschool!

Since I've been doing this in the past year already, it doesn't count as a resolution, but I've made two more specific ones that I hope to be able to keep quite easily.

- Read at least one book a month that is considered a 'classic'. I have made a list of books that I haven't read yet that I think one should know as they play an important part in our cultural background or are important witnesses of times and events to remember. If you're interested I can publish the list as soon as I can use my laptop again. But don't be shocked, the list is much too long to work through in a single year!

- Try at least one new activity This one is a bit tricky, as it is not only a matter of motivation and time, but also money, to do most of these things. But I would like to try a new hobby. These things have been on my mind:

- Some kind of dance: Rock'n'roll, swing, jazzdance or maybe another try in bellydancing
- A sewing class - learning to make my own sewing patterns for clothes would be great
- A new form of martial art. I have missed it ever since I stopped swordsfighting and I would like to find a more 'popular' martial art that suits me (I have tried Judo and Jiu Jitsu but didn't like it much).
- Rugby - It's almost like a martial art, isn't it?
- Volleyball - I absolutely love this sport but have never made it into a hobby - quite sad actually.
- Rollerderby - I've only seen this on youtube so far, but it looks so fascinating and I think rollerskates are SO cool!

Spirituality

I still need to have my initiation ritual and I think this will be the next big think I'll be planning for. The whole moving has made it a bit complicated, because since I want my friends to participate, I'll need to have it in Switzerland. But it will definitely happen.

Personal
- Visit at least 5 new places in Europe. I have made a list of places that I really want to go to, but I'm not sure if I will make all of them, finances will have to decide that. There is definitely a lot of exploring potential around where we stay here, so I'm confident I will make the five anyways. This is my wishlist of places to see this year:

- Prague
- Santiago de Compostella
- Talinn
- Helsinki
- Rome
- Ljublijana

I know it's six places, but Ljublijana doesn't really count, because I've been there before. ;o)

- Go to Australia Trev has been talking about settling down there as long as I know him and I never had much doubt that I will like it there. As we are moving closer to that point in our lives (well, not very close yet, but still closer than before ^^), we're talking more about it and I figured I should like to see the place for myself first of all and decide if it is really so wonderful. So we have some kind of downunder holiday in planning towards the end of the year.

Blog
Jap, I've thought about the blog, too. There is always a certain duality in my blogging. On one side, the joy of blogging for me is much about sharing what is dear and important to me at that very moment, it is a kind of online diary. On the other hand, I do like structure, and I like to have a goal or vision, a sense of meaning in the things that I do. And my life and personal thoughts are not so outstanding that it would be meaningful to put them on the interwebs for everyone to see. I do like writing, I like sharing my experiences, and I'd like to inspire and help people who feel similar to me about life.
So what I want to have is a kind of theme and structure to the posts that give the blog an identity. We've seen where it leads if I try to stick to a publishing schedule. It doesn't work, it puts me off. So a structure that still allows me to share personal thoughts but gives the reader a feeling of meaning behind the whole website would be the best.
I don't have a masterplan for this yet and I'm not quite sure where to begin, but I have ideas and I'm working on it.

Do you think this list is way too big? Oh you blessed, ignorant person! How lucky for you that I didn't share my secret to do list for this year that contains at least another ten points, from becoming a photographing pro to designing a tattoo down to world domination. Muahaha!

Thanks for reading!