Saying Farewell To 2019 and Hello to 2020
Ned and Caitie on the Gualala River
On January 1, 2020 I woke up and looked through all the photos I took throughout 2019. It was so nice to be able to look back and remember everything that happened. And I felt a true appreciation for the past year. It motivated me to make 2020 another great year. It's not even the big moments that resonated the most with me. It was all the small moments throughout the year that I had forgotten about. Like remembering when my friend came to visit me with his fiancé before shipping off to boot camp or paddle boarding for the first time with my dog on the Gualala River. I want to make sure that 2020 holds plenty of those first time moments.
It's challenging the older you get to have first time moments. You either get comfortable in a routine and forget or you begin to run out of things that you haven't already done. However, I don't think it's possible to really run out of first times. Even if it's a small thing like trying a new food, it is the act of breaking away from what you know to discover and learn more that helps you appreciate the experience. I filled 2019 with lots of first times and appreciated every moment of them. They helped me grow, learn, and feel a gamut of emotions.
Fushimi Inari Taisha Temple, Kyoto
When I took my first solo international trip in March of 2019 I felt so many different emotions; I was nervous, excited, sad, lonely, invigorated, curious, happy, elated, offended, angry, calm, stressed, satisfied, and so much more. I learned that traveling alone has its benefits and drawbacks. Ultimately, if I had to travel alone I would, and I would be fine, but if I had my choice, I prefer to travel with my boyfriend. If I hadn't taken that trip, I would never have known this is my preference. I would have assumed my opinion but would never truly know. It's scary to step outside your comfort zone. No one likes to feel uncomfortable and we naturally try to get back to that feeling of safety. However, the more you force yourself to do the unknown, the easier it becomes. Opening yourself up to something new, leaves you temporarily vulnerable, but from my experience, I have seen it have some of the most awesome benefits.
I always remember that Jim Carrey movie, Yes Man. It's a silly movie and of course takes the storyline to an extreme, but the underlying message, to open yourself up to saying yes to new experiences, is one I hope everyone can keep with them. And the other side of the message is to pay attention when you experience something for the first time. Like I said earlier, it doesn't need to be a big first time. If you really want to get philosophical, every moment is a first time since no moment is every truly the same. But it's more the moments where we are faced with a choice. Yes, we could resort to a familiar place or why not take a risk and try something completely new. Nothing guarantees that choosing the new experience will leave you happier or lead to something great, but the action of saying I am going to make myself uncomfortable so I can learn something new is powerful.
It can also be a fun exercise to proactively think about new experiences that you have wanted to try but talked yourself out of doing. One first time that I have committed to this year is to run a marathon. I've run in 10k's, half marathons, a 10 miler but have always been scared of the full marathon. However, I'm done talking myself out of it and now I'm talking myself into it. I can't predict the future, so I don't know if life will throw a curveball. But until something derails my training, I'm going to believe that I will run my first marathon in 2020.
We are all familiar with the saying that life is too short. It really is true. The future is unpredictable and things can happen at any moment to change the course. I would personally rather not waste any moment thinking I have all the time in the world. As Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Choosing new experiences forces you to stop and look around. And who knows you may discover something fantastic.
Images: Left: Fushimi Inari Taisha Temple, Kyoto. Right: Caitie & Ned on the Gualala River.
