It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Oh Hey, Friday! link-up from September Farm and 5 on Friday from A. Liz Adventures, but when’s a better time to start than the first of the year? However, committing to doing one of these every Friday is NOT one of my resolutions.
5 RESOLUTIONS FOR 2016
1| Say yes to more things that scare me.
Moving to another country is bound to create more opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone. I’m not crazy enough to commit to saying yes to everything, all the time. An introvert needs to reserve the right to say “I’m staying home, thanks!” But I don’t want to let the chance to expand my comfort zone pass me by, so whether it’s hanging out with new people past midnight, jumping into the ocean, or giving up my weekend for an adventure, I want to say yes.
2| Focus on health.
I’m really enjoying my new life of mild exercise and occasional healthy meals. I want to continue to make smart decisions that will help me be strong and feel good, without letting the compulsion overtake me or keep me from enjoying delicious foods or lazy days on occasion.
3| Learn enough Greek to go shopping, navigate public transportation, and carry on basic conversations.
UGH, this is like, an actual resolution with measurable goals. I hate learning new languages, but I have to. And hopefully the motivation of being able to communicate with new friends in their native tongue will be strong enough to make this bearable.
4| Visit at least five countries during the year.
I’m actually hoping for a much higher number (Ryanair! Eurorail!) but this is my base goal. Greece and the United States don’t count.
5| Decide what I’ll be doing in 2017, and where.
That’s….not really a resolution, but I couldn’t think of anything else. It’s going to happen whether I make it a resolution or not, but I do want to be intentional about evaluating my time in Greece, my time with House of Damaris, and figuring out if it’s a good fit or if it’s a step toward something else.
Happy 2016, everyone! If you’ve made a resolution, I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment and let me know!
It Is Trish 
Resolution #3 is far and away the most important one…only when you can comfortably speak the local language will you be able to really broaden your horizons and take advantage of the location. I learned the Russian alphabet prior to a business trip to Russia, and it was invaluable to me even though I could not speak Russian. I rode the subways in Moscow all over and could read the station signs readily. (The Moscow subway is beautiful!) Learning the Cyrillic alphabet was once described to me as “going through the looking glass”. Likewise in Morocco after I learned enough French to converse, doors and opportunities opened to me. My Spanish was a necessity because my first wife was Mexican-American and the family spoke both English and Spanish at home. Spanish opened my view into the Mexican culture and let me be accepted.
You MUST learn Greek to really take advantage of your opportunities!
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LOVE this, especially #1!
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