New Years Resolutions

Jumping into a new year! (That's me and Jessica, our Bible/ESL teacher)



For me, my new year really begins in August. My birthday is on the 3rd and a new school year begins a few weeks in to the month. Now that I'm back home, at the start of this new year for me, there are couple of changes I want to make. So, my list of new year's resolutions, and my progress so far (I originally posted this list in my Interference online journal when I was still in Hawaii):


1. I want to be less busy this year. Without realizing it at first, I got healthy this summer. I would wake up feeling truly rested (and this even though I was going to bed late and getting up late). My skin finally began to clear up (this past spring I started getting breakouts on my forehead. I've never ever had skin issues before and I truly believe it was stress related). I felt WELL and it wasn't until I started thinking about going back to work that I realized how much of the time last school year I felt vaguely sick. I realize now that despite some improvements--more regular sleep hours and a more positive outlook--I was still way, way too busy and too stressed out last year. I'm going to say no to more "extra" activities, I'm going to pace myself better. I absolutely REFUSE to do private tutoring this year. No amount of money is worth it.


Progress So Far: The first week back did not bode well. I plunged right into a crazy, hectic, harried schedule and felt awful. I was actually a little depressed, to be honest. I couldn't believe I was right back in my old habits. . .it was as if summer vacation hadn't even happened. Of course the week before school starts is supposed to be nuts, but I was finding that after ten years in the "mission field" I didn't have the resiliency I once had. However, this past week, our first week of school, turned out fantastic. The crazy work the week before paid off, and I was able to have a nice relaxing Sunday which was vital to begining the workweek well. I felt like I had a good handle on my schedule and a nice balance to my life. Even with a sudden last minute decision to go to an all day workshop on Thursday and Friday (and tomorrow) on the U.S. Constitution didn't phase me too much. My goal is to continue this good, reasonable pace for the rest of the year.


2. I will continue to trying to avoid making decisions that aren't mine to make and worrying about things I can't control. I tend to want to take on a lot of the Barbara's administrative worries since I'm privy to all the school issues that come up (financial etc) and it's not healthy for either of us if I start making her job issues my job issues.


Progress So Far: So far, so good.


3. I want to be more active this year. Saipan is such a beautiful island and I miss so much of it with my largely inactive lifestyle. I want to hike, bike, swim, snorkel, and even dive this year. I will go to the beach more.


Progress So Far: I'm proud to say that I've already begun to keep this resolution. This past Wednesday, I did my first ever "tank swim." The "tank swim" was something last year's teacher's used to do all the time, swimming out to a World War II-era tank that didn't quite make it to shore during the American invasion of Saipan in 1944. Now the tank is rusted over and swarming with tropical fish. To tell the truth, you could just do a "tank walk"--the water is shallow enough, but what fun would that be? So we swim. It felt really good, the water rushing over me, the late afternoon sun glinting on the surface, and when I got to the tank, breathing hard, muscles burning, and climbed up on it's massive, rusty surface, and looked back I was rewarded with a fresh new view of my island home. I wish I had more pictures but none of us had a waterproof camera, so the shot below, taken with Mai's camera was on the beach after we swam back. If you look carefully you can see the tank in the water behind us. It's the small dark shape to the right of the two ready ships in the background.


Mai, Vero, Me, and Jessica after Mai led us in our inauguaral tank swim. The Piersons were there also, though they continued out to the second tank, and Amy, Eva, and Riki hit the water just as we got out.

I'm looking forward to many more tank swims (there's actually a second tank even further out that we'll swim to next time) and lots more physical activity this year!


4. I will go to bed and get up at the same time, six days a week.


Progress So Far: In bed by 9:30 or so for some reading and lights out between 10 and 10:15 every night this past week except last night (Friday night). It's made a HUGE difference, I think. And an added bonus is I've been waking up earlier too, usually between 5:30 and 5:45 A.M. The first two nights, when I woke up at that time feeling rested and ready to get up, I would make myself go back to sleep till 6 because it was "too early" but I found I ended up sleeping too late then and re-awoke feeling groggy and exhausted, as if I'd begun a new sleep cycle and was paying the price for interrupting it.


5. I will start saving money and spend less.


Progress So Far: Hmmm. . .well, September is when that's really going to start. . .


6. I will spray the house for roaches on a regular basis. The occasional cockroach skittering across the floor has been bothering me less lately, and THAT bothers me!


Progress So Far: Afraid I haven't done this yet. The roaches have a reprieve. For now. But their time is coming, oh, it's coming. And when it comes there will be destruction, and great shall be my wrath, and great shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth and the beating of nasty roach wings in the cockroach community when I descend upon them.