Goals

2012: The Year of ?

by Jessica on December 31, 2011

in Backpacking, blogging, Camping, DIY, Exercise, Food, Goals, Health, House, Jessica, Neil, Paleo, Racing, Running

Yay! It’s that time again, New Year’s resolutions! I’ll be honest, I totally forgot what we even resolved to do last year, so it has obviously not been at the forefront of our priorities. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t move any mountains. Let’s first tackle our list from last year:

1983 Peugeot UO14

{New Bikes this spring!}

  1. Take Small Trips: We had some great weekend adventures, but not as many as we would have liked. The big purchase, coupled with the insane summer heat kept us at home more than we would have liked. Lesson learned, utilize the early spring more.
  2. Ditch Our Cars: We made some progress in this area, but again were hampered by the insane summer heat that seemingly went on forever. We bought bikes, and rode quite a bit this summer, but once the temperatures hit the eighties for our morning commute, we were forced to return to auto-commute. Nobody likes to share an office with a smelly coworker.
  3. Start From Scratch: I’ll be honest, I have no idea how I thought I’d quantify the success of this resolution, so to make us look better, let’s just go ahead and say we succeeded. In all honesty, we did some cool stuff in the kitchen. In the first half of the year, we experimented with bread, making our first boule and perfecting an amazing thin crust pizza recipe. This fall, after going Paleo, we’ve almost eaten our weight in vegetables, and come up with some great ways to infuse veggies where we didn’t think we could add any more.
  4. Run More Races: We ran 3 official 5k’s this year. I’d hoped to run more, but the combination of intense course work in the last two semesters of grad school coupled with the long and unforgiving summer heat really hampered our training. Additionally, since joining CrossFit, it’s been the focus of most of our time and attention, and other types of exercise have kind of fallen by the wayside. With that being said, given our amazing progress in CrossFit, I can’t really say that our lack of races is indicative of any kind of failure for this resolution. I think we ended better than we started, a lot better.

Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Pull-Apart Bread

{Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Pull-Apart Bread Recipe}

So overall, I think we did okay. We exceeded in some areas, and were a little lackluster in others. But we’re leaving out one big goal we talked about last year: to move.

It was originally our goal to relocate out-of-state after my graduation a few weeks ago (or as soon as we got jobs). After New Year’s however, everything changed very quickly. Neil got a job in a new field. Because he enjoyed that field much more than his previous one, gaining more experience became a priority. Additionally, we randomly stumbled across and fell in love with our house, which happened to be in a price range and location we would never be able to afford in a bigger city. Practicality won, and here we are. Relocation fail, overall life win.

So where to begin for 2012? We honestly have no idea. Now that I’m done with school, everything feels very open-ended. So much so, that we’ve jokingly dubbed it “The Summer of Neil and Jes.” (Seinfeld reference). A lot of people have been asking us about our plans, obviously hinting toward finding out whether or not we’re thinking about kids in our immediate future. The answer is quite literally Give. Us. A. Break. Not in a bad way, we just seriously need a break. We’ve been going full bore since 2006, moving several times, working what feels like two full-time jobs each, starting a business, completing a master’s degree, and buying a house. We’re overdue for some “us” and “me” time, and we’re taking it. So, how do we want to spend it?

Skiing: This feels like a given goal because the trip is already booked and we’ll be in Colorado next week. Having not taken a vacation since our trip to Montana in 2010, we are long overdue for a vacation, and we can think of no better way of spending it than in Breckenridge with friends. Neil will be hitting the slopes and learning to ski for the first time, so pray for soft powder because we all know he likes to go fast!

{Floating the Current River this spring}

Backpacking and camping: Because most of our weekends were filled with homework and business, we’re itching to get back on the trails. We’re shooting for one trip a month, and are hoping to get back to Estes Park this year with some friends and family. Neil has declared this to trip to be backcountry, so I’ll be testing my fear of being eaten by bears.

Racing: After the devastating close of Gateway last year, we were worried how our decision to stay in Missouri would affect Neil’s racing. Luckily, a buyer for the track was found, it has reopened and event dates are on the calendar. Neil hopes to get his car back on the track and get a lot of seat time in this year. With the transformation from street to track car, he has a lot of re-learning to do with the car. He also hopes to document his track time better so look forward to some fun videos in the future!

Kayaking: After several float trips last year, we’re definitely hooked on floating. So much so we’ve decided to buy a set of Kayaks. Fingers crossed for some fun times on Missouri’s rivers this year!

Kitchen

{The soon to be “renewed” kitchen…}

Renovating: When we moved into the house, we decided to just live in it for a while, and let it all sink in and wait to make the big decisions once we knew truly what it was that we needed and wanted. Well, it didn’t take long, and we’re ready to begin small projects and kitchen renovations this winter and bathroom and electrical renovations later in the year. The long list is definitely loooong.

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Brand new pic I took of part of the “fam” down at CrossFit United

CrossFitting: We’re hooked, and because we started at such a busy time in our lives, we’re looking forward to giving our progress in more dedicated attention.
Jessica’s personal goal: 5 unassisted pull-ups
Neil’s personal goal: Muscle Up and consistent attendance.

Nook Color

Reading: I’m embarrassed to say that in 2011 I completed only ONE non-school/work-related book. Shameful! While I am making no specific quantifiable reading goal (that would quickly kill the enjoyment), I’m just going to read for enjoyment. Neil is also hoping to reading more, and you can follow both his and my progress on GoodReads.

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{Pork With Almond Sauce (Cabezada con Salsa de Almendras) Recipe}

Eating: It goes without saying that we love to eat, and we plan to keep on keeping on in 2012. While our methods and diet may have changed a little over the course of 2011, we think there’s no shortage of fun and creativity to be had in the new year. Our goals are to continue to create fun and Paleo-friendly meals and hopefully, maybe, create our own collection of recipes. Still just ideas swirling in our heads at the moment, so stay tuned. Remember, we’re still newbs!

Running: Despite being physically wiped out at CrossFit in nearly every WOD, we still love to run, so we’re going to keep working toward our running goals (a shiny half-marathon) as time and energy allows.

Definitely a lot to accomplish, but in a feel-good fun and exciting kind of way. The list of things we want to do and have in our lives seems endless. We were raised to believe that if we worked hard we could have and do whatever we wanted, and we definitely live our lives by that motto. Our biggest connundrum seems to be how to do as much as possible and balance our goals and desires in order to still feel like we’re really fulfilling them. Definitely not a bad problem to have, and we feel so good that our life is finally in this place.

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New Year, Big Changes Ahead…

by Jessica on January 1, 2011

in Goals, Jessica, Neil, Relocation

IMG_4603 [1024x768]

First of all, we want to wish you a Happy New Year! Whether you’ve had a relatively easy year, or it was tough just to make it day to day, there’s something to be said about making it to the next year, becoming older, and hopefully a little wiser. It’s also good to feel like you get a second shot or a fresh start.

New Year’s resolutions are always a weird beast. On one hand you’re setting goals and benchmarks to keep you on track with things that you might easily put off or forget about throughout the year. It’s important to do this, I think, because its extra reinforcement and a way to put your feet to the fire on things you’ve been meaning to try or may feel intimidated by. On the other hand though, there are so many things that can happen throughout the year which, many of which can be unexpected, unforeseen and a complete surprise.

No I’m not pregnant.

Sawhorse Desk

Our makeshift studio set up in our den.

But I did feel like we created something big this year: our freelance business. Looking back, I feel like we didn’t talk about its emerging presence in our lives enough this year, but that is honestly because the magnitude of its growth in such a short period of time, and completely by mouth mind you, is still a complete shock (as evident by its complete absence in our 2010 Resolutions). What I thought would be just a few projects every few months now has us booked several months in advance. Did I mention we haven’t advertised at all?!

Not to devolve and get all corny on you, but it’s been a complete blessing in so many ways. We’ve not only diversified and expanded ways to sustain ourselves in a tough economy, but we’re meeting so many amazing people, and learning so many new skills. We’re also expanding this blog. What started as a way to entertain ourselves and kind of document the many things that might be easy to forget in our first years of marriage, is turning into a genuine way to communicate our interests and knowledge to other people.

Clive

Clive, our little buddha and muskateer!

We did become parents though, albeit to a dog and not a child (I continue to insist they’re the same). We adopted Clive, a rescued Boston Terrier in April and he has fit right in to our weird little circus. Much like living with an old man, he groans, farts, snores and sleeps a lot and aside from a few issues with separation anxiety has been a perfect gentleman.

Aside from those glaring surprises, we made some real effort toward the goals we set in 2010. Here’s a brief recap:

Jessica:

  • Run a 5k Using the Couch to 5k method: COMPLETED! It took all year (thanks to endometriosis), but I ran my first 5k, the Springfield Turkey Trot over Thanksgiving break in a blistering 38 minutes.
  • Learn to Bake Bread: HALF COMPLETE! Although I’ve baked bread this year (evidence: here, here and here), I have yet to master a sandwichable loaf. There’s still time right?
  • Camp and hike at least three times this year, including a trip to Montana to see the Continental Divide: HALF COMPLETE! We camped only twice this year, including a week-long trip to Montana. I think the third camp/hike got lost in the shuffle after an accident in our jeep and adopting Clive this spring.
  • Lower my eco-footprint through the elimination of unnecessary plastics and disposable containers: HALF COMPLETE! We eliminated a lot of our footprint by drinking less soda and using less overall. 2011 Goal: Less plastic, more reusables!
  • Pay off my Jetta Loan, which is currently around the $4k mark: NOT COMPLETE! It was ambitious, but in 2 or so short months it will be paid off so I’m not too disappointed.
  • Eat and buy more organic and fair trade: COMPLETE! Although we’re not perfect 100% of the time, we have made major changes to our lifestyle and are much more conscientious about the purchases we make.
  • Grow More Food: COMPLETE! Despite having no success with our tomatoes this year, we had a successful garden.
  • Take GRE and finish school: HALF COMPLETE! Took the GRE, applied and got into grad school, 5 classes left!
  • Be a better helper to Neil and a good wife. Start a Journal that documents our marriage: COMPLETED! …I think? I guess only Neil can really speak to my progress. The journal never made it off the ground, but I think this blog suffices right?
  • Take a knitting/embroidery class: NOT COMPLETED. There had to be one, and this one just didn’t make it.

Neil: (added by Neil):

  • Work harder/faster in my undergrad classes: NOT COMPLETE. With the explosion of our freelance and Jessica in classes, I’ve decided to wait until she’s done and we’ve completed our move.
  • Work harder at the gym to maximize the time I do get to work out: COMPLETE! I’m really ramping up the running, diversifying my cross-training and feel great!
  • Work on spending more time doing outside activities: HALF COMPLETE! While I spent a good amount of time outdoors, freelance took up a lot of our time.
  • Do more camping/hiking (Montana cont divide maybe?): HALF COMPLETE! Had an amazing trip to Montana and a great spring trip, but life got in the way of more trips!
  • Do at least 3 track days and improve my driving: HALF COMPLETE! I did one track day, then decided to allocate money toward installing the roll cage in my car. I wanted to have this done before we relocated.
  • Put more money into savings (around $500-$1k/mo): COMPLETE! We’ve been doing really good, and still allow ourselves some fun sometimes.
  • Pay off the remainder of our Jetta loan (currently around the $4k mark): NOT COMPLETE! We didn’t get this knocked out but we only have a few months to go.
  • Be a good husband: COMPLETE! At least this is what I’m told.
  • Eat organic and/or cage free only (esp. any meats): COMPLETE! We’ve really made a life change this area, and I’m proud to say I’m sure 85% of the meat we eat is organic. It’s hard to be perfect, but we make all the effort where we can.
  • Take the time out to have fun, even if it accomplishes nothing: COMPLETE! Through all the challenges and hard work, it’s been a great year and a lot of fun!

So that brings us to our 2011 goals. This is going to be a busy year for us. Our top goal for 2011 is to relocate. We always knew we’d never settle here, but we decided that, rather than continue to put it off for all the reasons we were placing in front of it, that we’d pull the trigger and dedicate this year to making it a reality. We’ve been persistently nomadic and in temporary living situations for years and we’re craving a bit of permanence. We’re officially vested in our late twenties now, it was bound to happen at some point right? Over the past year we’ve been discussing our goals and long-term plans and a list of the places that would be well suited to them. Then we began to narrow them, down to our three favorites.They each have different perks and reasons for being on our list, but in the order of desire to move there, they are:

1. Denver, CO
2. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
3. Springfield, MO

It was a daunting task, but not as intimidating as the coming year we’re going to spend downsizing, applying and planning this move. It’s scary and exciting at the same time, and we can’t wait to share the process, and what we learn and glean from the experience along the way.

Tikvenik

New and challenging ingredients we’ve challenged ourselves to master…and enjoy!

With such a huge goal already on our list, we decided to make some of our other goals a little lighter and more fun. While we still want to make progress on a lot of the goals and hobbies we’ve been working on, it’s easy to overstack the odds and set yourself up for failure. Additionally, goals should be something you want to do, not things you dread and see only as arduous tasks. A few of our goals:

  • Take Small Trips: While it’s fun planning epic adventures, it’s important not to underestimate the scenic locales that are close by. So while we might forgo a big backpacking trip this year while organizing ourselves to move, we can still have some fun weekend adventures!
  • Ditch Our Cars: With Neil’s new office being closer to mine and only 2 miles from our house, there’s really no excuse for us to be driving all the time. We could use the additional exercise as well as the gas savings.
  • Start From Scratch: It’s one thing to know how to cook, it’s another to know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. We’d like to go back and learn some fundamentals and hopefully improve some of our ideas and technique.
  • Run More Races: Now that i’ve got a pesky 5k under my belt and Neil’s well on his way to a half marathon, we’d like to run more races and challenge ourselves to better distances during the week.

So there you have it. Big news and lots of change coming this year. Stay tuned, it’s bound to get a lot more interesting around here.

Are you ready for 2011?

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