I usually do a year in review, but this has been a different kind of year.
We did travel, LOADS of travel, out west twice and to Virginia twice to see the ponies. 22 states. It's been a year for 2, I guess.
I started a couple things I will likely keep up in the new year. One is learning Swedish. I am just shy of level 4, about 1500 words. I am still flat amazed that I can remember even half, but I did a 300 word quiz on Tuesday and only missed 3. That's a 99, or, as Chan would have once graded her own paper: an A++
The other is book reviews and listing what I read. Not all of it, I have read some books so crappy that going BACK over it in my mind afterward would be like raking nails on my mental blackboard. But it's been good for the brain. With just Ben left homeschooling and him doing nearly all his own work now, I have less mental stimulation than I'd like. It's been good for the old noggin to get some use.
I did not hike 1000 miles this year, and I am a night short of camping 30 nights. So, neither of those happened. But, I did work toward my goals which is more than I can say for myself some years. Ha!
Okay, I guess I did a review.
For 2017, I have (surprise) hikes planned with friends old and new. I am ending the year with 35 new FB friends. I'll eventually freak and unfriend half or more, but they are local (in the state anyway) and like to hike so I will see how that goes. I need something to focus on with the kids getting older and finding people who are active seems like a better idea than some I have had.
I am planning to start the AT in April, no plan to finish it, though there's this little back-of-my-head voice that sometimes cheerfully pipes in with 'but we COULD'. Yeah. Right NOW the plan is to hike to the Smokies, though I have to say hiking to Hot Springs is appealing and I really want to do all of VA. Maybe half this year? I'll start with the first 167 miles and see. Baby steps.
No other big travel plans yet. Matt wants to do a long trip in the summer, J has stirred up my interest about a visit, Ben will graduate in the spring and that will change a good bit. So lots of potentials, which is good for a new year.
