12 in 2012

So I'm well aware that I totally owe you a ton of updates on my first month living in WA, starting my new job and the new digs but I am a slacker and I'm thinking about 2012 already. I'll rewind this weekend but I have seen on a few other blogs (this post inspired mostly by The Young Retiree) people making "resolutions" of sorts or really goals to complete 12 tasks in 2012 and I want to articulate those before I forget and stop being ambitious. When I think back to my resolutions for last years which I stated them as being "In general I would like 2011 to be the year of doing and of starting my real life and career" with specific goals to:

1. Graduate with latin honors (ie magna, summa, cum laude etc) Completed...in theory because turns out graduate programs don't do this, but by ungraduate standards I would have graduated summa
2. Secure Employment in Military Behavioral Health or Hospital Social Work I secured employment in community mental health but I still consider this a win.
3. Start and Finish Couch to 5k- Not a win, I started but I didn't finish
4. Grow and cut hair to donate- Again not a win, I grew my hair but then realize I got kind of attached to it and I don't want to cut it right now! Selfish I know!

For my 12 in 2012 I'd like to accomplish:

1. Learn to ski. One of the mountains around here offers a $120 3 weekend learn to ski package including rentals. I think this is totally in my budget and something I'd like to at least try! I'd like to be able to go skiing with The Happy Wanderer once they PCS closer to the correct coast.

2. Start and Finish Couch to 5k- Finishing being the emphasis here. This leads into goal 3

3. Run weekend training runs with Run to Remember  they currently do 3 mile training runs so once I get my couch to 5k skills I will feel confident to start going to the weekend runs and possible do some fundraising runs with them.

4. Begin my chemical dependency certification. I found a program that I can complete in 3 quarters and it would open up a lot of doors for me professionally and to get back into the military community doing work. I could do it all in 2012 but I think that I will probably not start until summer quarter at the earliest.

5. Read more. The past few years I've managed to read 29 books despite grad school. I'd like to get closer to 40 or 50 books

6. Be more crafty. This is alternatively titled spend more time on Pinterest. I have made this and these. My next project will be these once I figure out how to do the tiles without the fancy program.

7. Move into my own apartment and make it not look like a college apartment. Have a cohesive decorating theme, spend time and money making it mine.

8. Eat more veggies. I cut veggies out of my diet basically entirely when I first got sick due to their fiber content. I've pretty much only added back in olives, pickles/cucumbers, tomatoes, and potatoes (these only kinda count as a veggie). I need to work on getting in more fruits and veggies as my health tolerates.

9. Explore the Puget Sound. I'd like do kayaking, squid jigging, fishes etc. on the Puget sound. This area has so much to offer in terms of outdoor activities and I'd like to spend more time on the water where I know I feel very zen.

10. Explore the Pacific Northwest. Other than Seattle/Tacoma, Portland and Vancouver I haven't seen much of this area. I would love to go to Astoria (where Goonies was filmed), Eugene (home of the Oregon Ducks!), I'd even like to go Idaho or Montana and explore.

11. Travel some outside of visiting my family. I'd like to save enough vacation time (and cash) to take a good trip at least once this year. Possible the trip to the Slothpital if with The Happy Wanderer if her husband is deployed for Christmas 2012.

12. Be satisfied with what I have. Strive for more but don't long for things I can't control. This one is much more metaphysical but I think that I really have a lot going for me and I have to continue to remember that and not think about everything I long for rather then enjoy what I have.