298. 2017

I am already looking ahead to 2017. I know that’s a little bit dangerous. It’s good to live in the now. It’d be good to try and salvage what I can from 2016. Personally, 2016 has been just fine, but I guess it’s the Apocalypse on any sort of national scale. Actually, let’s check back in after Tuesday. I guess I’m just so sick of talking about the election. I don’t think I’ve heard a single person by joyful about it. It’s all dread, fear, and anxiety. There is no joy in their voices. There’s no joy in my voice either. So I’m going to look forward to something else: 2017.

Here are things I’m thinking about making my New Year’s Resolutions:

1.Get to Spain. I’ve been talking about this Europe trip for far, far too long. I just about have the money I need saved up. I’m still not married and don’t have any kids. More and more of my friends are moving into the lifestyle where they have spouses and kids to think about. That’s fine and great, but I want to take advantage of the freedoms that bachelorhood entails. I’m not sure when just yet, but hopefully in the first few months of the year. It’s still settled in somewhere deep and I haven’t quite lifted the feeling from me. It’s time. I’m hoping I can get to a Barcelona soccer game. Or a little bit of the Camino Del Santiago would be nice as well. I’m going to start looking more closely at what deals and times I can go. It’s time.

2.Run a half marathon. Running may have been the breakout activity for 2016 for me. I made a New Year’s resolution to run 500 miles this year. I only have about 50 miles left to go. I’ve enjoyed seeing my progress improve. I love the feeling of coming back from a five mile run. It feels like it’s just more than the average trip I used to do. I think a half marathon would be a good next step for me. I did a 10K this year. I followed a rough training plan and finished in under my goal time. That felt cool to accomplish.

3.Try to get published in Modern Love. One of my guilty pleasures is reading the “Modern Love” column in the New York Times every Sunday. Readers submit stories about different aspects of love. That involves a whole swath of things: dating apps, relationships in old age, love of family, etc. As a hopeless romantic, I’ve always thought I’ve had a few good stories to tell in that area. I need to set an official timetable to get them in. I submitted one a while back. At the time, I thought it was pretty good. I read it back a few weeks ago. Oof. Not great. Just keep trying and things will happen.

If I’ve learned anything from 2016, it’s that one should keep things simple. Do just a few things well, as opposed to trying to do everything. I think if I focus on these three things, it’ll work out.