2015 A Look Ahead

Holy Crap it is 2015 already, and I just got used to writing 2013 on my checks.  This year like any other is full of promise and the ability to try new things and have new adventures.  The key is transferring the idea from potential to kinetic and actually doing those things and getting where you want to go.  Here are some things that I want to continue from 2014, some new things that I want to try in 2015, and some adventures that I want to have.

2014 was a big year for personal growth, as covered in my 2014 Year in Review.  I had the opportunity to try a bunch of new things and I really want to keep doing them.

• I starting doing comedy and enjoyed taking a class, did open mics and a few showcases and scheduled performances.  I plan on continuing with stand up and have already been booked for gigs on January 4th and February 14th.  I will also be doing more improv and will be starting a class on January 6th.
• I would say that I enjoy running, but that would be a lie since nobody enjoys running.  That being said I am going to continue running during the new year and will actually be trying an adventure race in January.  I plan on doing a 10k some time and probably more 5k races, but I don’t plan on doing any of those where you get pelted in the face with colored corn starch.  A few months ago some of my friends got me drunk and took advantage of my good will and convinced me to sign up for a “winter adventure race” which is basically a 6 mile Tough Mudder in January.  I am going to do terribly and it is going to be miserable, but you can bet your ass that I will finish.
• I will however try to branch out and try other new exercises.  Last year I did a little bit of yoga and boxing and lifting, and I want to get into them, mostly because anything is more fun than running.  Hopefully by doing these other activities I can continue on my path to health.
• I don’t think that I am going to continue online dating.  It was a good experience to put myself out there and I made one really good friend, but it was a big drain of time and energy.  I learned a lot and maybe I will start up again, but right now it is not a priority.
• I will continue writing.  I have found writing and exploring some of the things I discuss on this blog to be very therapeutic.  While writing is a lot of work and takes a commitment to get words on a page on a regular basis I think that I am up for the challenge.  I will also be branching off from my 1200 word dialogues into some shorter comedic writing.  Who knows maybe one day I will be heralded as a humorist.

There are a lot of new things that I want to try during 2015, overcome some fears and explore some new possibilities, it should be exciting.

• I have never been a big fan of guns and had a bad experience when I was younger, but 2015 will be 10 years since the last time I have shot a gun.  I plan on taking a firearms course and getting comfortable with the idea of guns.  I hope to draw on some help from my friends and would like to shoot pistol, shotgun, rifle, and possibly even an assault weapon.  I don’t foresee myself ever becoming a gun owner, but having the experience and the comfort level will help to assuage my fears and make be better at surviving the zombie apocalypse.
• I was told that Vermont has a healthy scene for Moth style storytelling, which is something that I have always wanted to try.  I plan on hitting a few events and giving it a try.  My delivery style is pretty perfectly suited to telling a 5 minute story and God knows that I have enough of them.
• I haven’t hiked much over the past few years, but with a return to the southwest in my plans I am hoping to do a little bit of hiking.  I enjoy being outdoors and having the opportunity to take a lot of photos and get some alone time, so I am going to set the goal of hiking 12 mountains this year, even if they are just short hikes up Rattlesnake or in Breadloaf.
• Professionally the most important goal that I have for 2015 is to take the exam to become a board certified Geriatric Pharmacist.  This is a pretty big step for me to go from the guy who got tossed out of pharmacy school and eventually graduated with a 2.4 GPA to becoming one of less than 2000 people with a CGP in the country, and only the second CGP from the great state of Vermont.  There are going to be some professional changes for me in the coming year and I am glad for the learning experience that I have had, but getting this certification will be a nice accomplishment that will hopefully carry through on the next level.

There were a number of trips that I was planning for 2015 but it looks like some of them won’t be happening.

• January- Gatlinburg: I am still planning the normal trip with a detour to spend a night with family in Richmond
• March- Tampa: Still going to do this one, in part because with Hunahpu day falling during Saint Patricks Week it is a great opportunity to get out of the northeast and spend some time drinking with my friends.
• June: Finger Lakes: Who doesn’t love a wedding in wine country?
• June-Seattle/Portland: This is something that unfortunately has to fall by the wayside.  I don’t think that I am going to have enough CTO to pull it off so I am going to postpone until 2016 and move my plans for an Alaskan cruise back until 2017.  I am sad that I am missing this opportunity, but I swear I will make it out there some day.
• August- Grand Council in Albuquerque: I am looking forward to a glorious return to the desert (invest in Coppertone).  I celebrate my 30th birthday the previous Friday so I may head out early to do some hiking and explore a place that I haven’t been in more than 5 years.
• September- I am planning on going out to Wyoming for a friend’s wedding reception.  Not sure of the details, but I am going to make it happen somehow.
• October- Tampa: Heading back to the Sunshine state to celebrate another wedding, I am hoping that there will be a Jack Daniels fountain and an ice sculpture.
• On top of all this there will be my normal trips to Albany and camp, and possibly a few trips to Connecticut, Boston, Maine, and maybe even NYC.

It looks like 2015 will be a year with a lot of promise.  I am sure that everything will not go exactly as planned and there will be a lot of other changes that I am planning for but don’t want to talk about in the is forum.  When I set out for 2014 I wasn’t planning for it to be so successful, but even if 2015 doesn’t live up to the hype I am glad to have a plan in place and things that I want to work on.  That is better than any half cocked resolution.