On the HORIZON

**Updated on January 4, 2012.**

I have chosen HORIZON as my one word theme for 2013. I have some pretty big changes happening for me at the end of the year and I want to take in everything that I can. This means that I have so many things on the horizon that I'm doing, planning, preparing, etc. I want to make 2013 about enjoying those moments and experiences with everyone or just for myself. It's going to be a busy year for me and I look upon it with excitement.

This represents the horizon for me. Looking out at the endless ocean and the possibilites.

I choose not to do New Year's Resolutions, but instead I choose to set goals. The following list are things that I want and expect to accomplish by the end of the 2013. Some of these will include items from the Last American Hourah List (this list was finalized January 1, 2013). I will NOT add stay injury-/sick-free to the list since I think that was my curse for 2012. So, here you go...

1. Run a marathon. My goal was twarted last year, but I'm determined to get this done.
2. Run a 5K in under 30 minutes. I was so close last year with 35 minutes (give or take a minute since I can't remember).
3. Lose 10 pounds. This will be a normal and healthy weight for me, but so much harder now that I have mass quantities of Terry's Chocolate Oranges in my kitchen (and no I'm not throwing them away).
4. Add a meatless day at least twice a month to my diet. This will force me to learn new and exciting recipes.
5. Learn and master a new recipe.
6. Use fruits and vegetables that are in season as much as possible. I hope this will get me out of my comfort zone of eating and then learn new recipes in the process.
7. Buy my produce from a Farmer's Market as much as possible.
8. Get my plate hung at Flying Saucer by September. Thanks to McLuvin's calculations and lots of visits with Jim over the holidays, I can so accomplish this. I'm already at 82 out of 200.
9. Take a Mexican food class. I'm going to need this.
10. Visit a new U.S. state. My plan is to finally visit Memphis, TN, for my birthday. I'm hoping to hit more than one since these may be harder for me to visit after 2014.
11. Visit a new country. I'm planning on going to Grenada to visit MaloRee for carnival in August. Scotland and Wales are also on my list to visit.
12. Race at a DE track event and qualify for solo driving. This is a must for me.
13. Learn to stay positive no matter how many negative things are hitting me at once. It was very very very (did I mention very) hard to stay positive when I kept getting sick or injured as soon as I tried to get myself back in to training. It was hard to stay positive when other things out of my control were happening in my personal life. I just have to learn to accept them as they hit and try not to get down or take them out on anyone.
14. Run on the beach more.
15. Hike a mountain with Ashley. Can we for the love of all that is holy make this happen this year? I don't care if we do California or Colorado (although I would  prefer CO since that was our original plan).
16. Visit Hiroko and Gianna. This is a must, because it's been too long since I've seen both of them (Gianna even longer) and I haven't seen Hiroko's new baby girl.
17. Go kayaking along the Buffalo Bayou.
18. Get my CHL. I know my stepdad will be happy about this. As soon as this cast is off, I'm going to spend a few days really working on my aim and then the plan is to take the class in February. I hope he's satisfied.
19. Perform trapeze swinging and ropes performance with Sara.
20. Reach at least 50 followers on this blog. There is a possibility that I'm changing over to Worldpress soon since it seems easier to follow someone's blog than here on blogspot.

And after feeling gloomy yesterday, I put on my Monster Ballads CD. Because seriously, who doesn't like to listen to monsters of rock singing some slow songs when you are missing your man? Well, Scorpions Wind of Change came on and it made me feel better, because this is what I have on the horizon for me. Granted this song was written about the Berlin Wall coming down, the end of the Cold War, etc., but it still applies. I remember when this song was played on MTV (when MTV still played music) live from Moscow, Russia at the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989 (although I thought it was early 90s and I'm still getting conflicting info on the internet of 1989 vs. 1991). It was the first time for Russia to have a big time rock concert like this after Gorbachev lifted the ban on rock music for one night only. It was the theme for the concert and a theme for things to happen. It still stirs in me emotions and that's why this song applies to me right now and for 2013.