Feeling pretty productive

Ever since coming back from Hawaii, I've been getting up pretty regularly at around 6AM without my alarm! Perhaps it was jet lag or because my body got into a rhythm of getting up early and rushing out to do something awesome (after only 5 days?) but whatever the reason is I'm doing my best to use it to my advantage and keep it going.

I had a good jumpstart at studying this weekend. I have way more material to learn than I initially thought but I can do it! Right now I'm reviewing but I hope to be done with review in early February.

I've also decluttered my computer quite a bit though i think I'm only about 10% done going through all my digital media.

I've also finally cleaned up my inbox. I've unsubscribed myself from all those worthless newsletters and notices and I've made filters, etc to organize the mail I do allow. Now I get about 5 or 6 emails a day maybe.

I've also started emailing friends and family. I've decided that I am tired of depending on "social networks" to try and keep in contact with people. I've lately been in a "facebook crisis" wondering what's the point and pondering how to use that resource for "good." But I can't resolve anything and just have to accept that facebook is just a vanity.

I'm being proactive and emailing someone every day. This may become overwhelming but I don't think it will.

I miss my friends and family- I mean I miss knowing what they're up and how their day was. I am of course informed of all the big things but it's not the same. I don't feel homesick or anything like that. I just disconnected. It's not as disturbing as it sounds. I just know that I don't have to live with it so I should do something about it.

This week my creative project will be making birthday cards. I have already filled in people's birthdays on a special calendar and for January I have around 5 people to make cards for! That and I have things to send to people that should have been sent already! So this week is dedicated to sending things abroad.

Hm. Might conflict with my other goal of figuring out the best way to burn the video of the preschool kids that I made and if I want to include a slideshow or something else on the cd.

Well lots to do!

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I wrote that after lunch today and now it's 11:44PM and I wasted an 1.5 hours on the internet. Damn it!

Hello 2011!

Well, December flew by with nary a word from yours truly. Nothing much I want to write home about. I mean, we were super busy and then Christmas came! Yay! We skiied for a week (well, 6 out of 7 days) and then I went to Hawaii with my coworkers. It was pretty awesome.

But what I really want to do now is move forward!

I feel really optimistic about this year. 27 is going to be a GREAT year.

This year...

I'm going to travel.
(Still in planning stages but I AM.)

I'm going to run a half-marathon.
(I pretty much have myself convinced that I will and that's the biggest hurdle...well, next to finding the time to train properly but really, once I'm mentally prepared, I will make the time.)

I'm going to get into the best shape of my life.
(Assuming that because I'm going to run a half-marathon, I will be in good shape is bad. When I say shape, I don't mean my fitness. I am actually pretty proud of how fit I am. I just don't like my shape. It's high time I bring my fat percentage down!)

I'm going to speak Japanese and pass the next level of the JLPT.
(I speak a little but I would like to be a more convincing rude Japanese girl. Seriously, people must think I'm really rude or stupid before they realize that just because I've got black hair and dark eyes doesn't mean I'm Japanese. Well, armed with a better grasp of Japanese, I will trick them for longer periods of time!!)

I'm going to be creative.
(This is vague.)

I'm going to get organized.
(People that know me know that I'm messy! But it's time to get a grip on this problem that I've had for pretty much my entire life. Seriously, if you open up a journal of mine from when I was 10, you'll see on January 1st I would have resolved to "clean my room." And so it goes for any other New Year journal entry. Ryan has seen it with his own eyes.)

And nearly 3 weeks into the New Year, what have I done to work towards my goals?

Well, first of all, I count the New Year from my birthday. Is that egocentric? I don't think so. It just makes sense: "When I'm 27, I will..." I guess I could say "In 2011, I will..." But I like going by my birthday. So what?

So a week into my new year...

I've looked over my study materials and have made a plan of attack. I have A LOT of studying to do.

I've been keeping up my cardio with high intensity interval training workouts and I think it's paying off. First of all, my body feels great and I can see a difference in it too. Second, I ran 5K in Hawaii (ON VACATION!!) uphill and then hiked up a mountain at a fast pace WITH EASE. The topping on the cake was that my coworker, who ran with me, said that I ran faster than he expected and that I underestimated myself. Yatta!

I plan to run a 5K in early spring, a 10K in early summer and then the half-marathon is in October. It's the same event that I did my 5K in last year. It's going to be interesting to see the difference between 5K and 21K. Now I just have to find a 5K race and a 10K race to join.

Today I also started walking to and from work. That's 5K total! It's not running but it's something. Plus it saves money on commuting. I'll probably walk home more than walk to work but I'll try my best!

As for getting organized, I'm currently cleaning out my computer. I'm going through all the pictures and deleting ones that I don't need (5 shots of the same scene?!) and then I have to organize my portable HD and transfer them all over there. I'm quite a virtual hoarder.

As for the travel, I've got a few options. I know I can't do everything but some places I'm thinking of: Kyoto, India, France and other parts of Europe (to see my darling Dollie), Australia (a Japanese friend of mine is going for 5 months so I was thinking of visiting her0, and New York (A really good friend is getting married and I will be pretty sad if I couldn't make it).

As for getting creative, I just think I need to give myself time to make things. I have so much art stuff and craft stuff...and nothing to show for it. I also have this guitar, collecting dust and in need of new strings. Plus nothing beats the satisfaction of making something beautiful.

On that note, I've got to run- time to roll around with sweaty Japanese men! (BJJ class!)