(I tried to post this earlier, but the internet wasn’t working)
I say this with the least self pity possible: I have never had a good New Year’s Eve. Okay, not quite true. But I’ve never had a romantic, celebratory New Year’s…. I wasn’t so popular in high school, and of course there weren’t many ladies around to date, and now that I’m in college, my manly love and I are always in our respective home states when the moment of the kiss rolls around every year. And for me, that means being back in a small town full of people I’d rather were strangers.
This year, all my friends are gone except one sweet mormon. So, I’ll be out with him for a bit, and then I’ll head home to work on my French thesis. A romantic and wild evening indeed.
Honestly, though, I’m happy to have at least one dear friend in town, and I’m so grateful that we’re reunited after 2 1/2 years of separation while he was on his mission.
Anyway, all this quiet time alone has given me some time to think of New Year’s Resolutions. A tired tradition it may be, but I could really use some new commitment in my life. So, here they are:
1. Stop procrastinating. I have a lot of ideas for how I’m going to do this, but I swear to god I’m going to graduate college with some real discipline. Most importantly, I’m going to waste less time on the internet. It’s not getting me anywhere.
2. Do my stretches/physical therapy… This will make not procrastinating easier anyway, since when I don’t walk around like a hunchback, I’m less tired at the end of a day, which means getting my work done earlier rather than later is less of a challenge.
3. Pay attention. To myself, to my friends, to the news. Just pay more attention. Mostly by spending less time online.
4. Be more frugal. This means having a tighter budget because my hours at work are being cut back by a third, but also just spending money carefully, and if I can, DIY as much as possible. This starts when I get back: I’m going to replace the brakes on my car. Carefully. Hopefully with some help. But it will save me at least $100, so it’s worth it. As long as I don’t do more damage than is already done.
5. Spend time with people I love. (and less on the internet). Just as simple as it sounds. Cook and eat with my roommates, not be holed up in my room online all the time, call my parents more, etc etc etc. Maybe I’ll have more time to knit this way, too.
6. One more that’s private, but important so I’m just going to say that here so I’ll remember.
So that’s that. And now, in the spirit of resolution #1, back to my thesis.
