30 Day Challenges

For me personally, 2017 was a year. It wasn’t a good year, it wasn’t a terribly bad year, it was just... a year.

So on to bigger and better things in 2018. Instead of making New Years Resolutions that I’m sure I would eventually break, I’m splitting up the year into 12 convenient chunks (otherwise known as months) and giving myself a challenge for each one. I’m starting in January with a food journal. Other challenges coming up this year (subject to change): 30 min workouts, Facebook free (this will be a hard one) knitting, meditation, sugar free meal planning, 10,000 steps, letter writing and a few more to be determined. I’ll update you all on my status and completion each month. Let’s go 2018!

For anyone curious, here is my complete list (still subject to change) and thanks to everyone for the encouragement!

January- food journal (track everything I eat)
February- 30 min daily workouts
March- No Facebook
April- No added sugar
May- Read everyday
June- 10,000 steps
July- Letter writing
August- Meditation
September- Strength training
Oct- Knitting
Nov-  workouts agian
Dec- Gratitude

A very Wet New Year

I've always wanted to go to Venice. I've been dreaming about it for as long as I could remember. I knew that I was already too late to see the "real" Venice and that it was just a touristy amusement park, but I wanted to go anyway. Venice is unlike any place in the world. And it was basically just a touristy amusement park, but it was great anyway.

We arrived in town on the evening of the 30th and found our hostel- a big, real, hostel with dorm rooms and shared bathrooms and a cafeteria full of backpackers- set aside on an island just a few minutes by boat from St. Marks Square.

On New Years Eve, we decided that we were a bit museum-ed out and that we wanted to do something a little different so we planned a trip to Murano- the Venitian island famous for it's glass. I fell in love with Murano glass. If I was filthy rich, I would decorate my house with it and buy a full set of dishes. As it is that I'm not rich at all (filthy or otherwise) I had to make due with a few necklaces. We went to the glass museum and saw the progression of glass making in Italy from before the Roman period to modern day. Glass really is an amazing substance. Especially impressive were perfectly preserved blown glass bottles and jars over 2000 years old. We then wandered around the island a bit before having a rushed dinner and heading back to the main part of town to get ready for the evening.

New Years in Venice is WET. Winter in Venice is wet and the tide is highest in the middle of the night. When we got to the square it was full of people in gum boots and plastic bags splashing around in the high water. While my hiking boots are waterproof (the most waterproof boots I've ever had in fact) they only cover my feet and as soon as water goes over the top, it's all over. We found a place out of the water on some steps to watch the craziness. As midnight neared, the water rose, the excitement rose and we got ready to give the world a New Years kiss. At midnight I shared a few sips of champagne with an Italian (who was of course horrified that I lived in Albania) and then made a dash for the dock to get a glimpse of the fireworks. One thing that Venice doesn't have to worry about is the fire danger of the fireworks. With wet feet we made it back to the hostel (after a bone crushing crowd to get to the boats) and slept contently into the new year.

On New Years day I had planned on trying to go and see my friend Marcos who is stationed nearby in the Air Force, but the plan fell through and Connie and I decided to just wander around Venice instead. Walking around Venice was fantastic. We walked on raised walkways trying to avoid the now receding high water. We shopped for letter openers and necklaces. We walked over bridges and along canals and just wandered. We stopped for coffee and tiramisu. We got lost and then found ourselves. We saw a sign advertising a Vivaldi concert and found the church. We had a wonderful salad people watching in a small square. We went to the concert and sat with a couple from Oregon and enjoyed as beautiful violin music washed over us. We walked back to the hostel barely able to believe that it was our last night in Italy . . .

New Years- Shpiperia style

New Years- Shpiperia style
For the almost 50 years on Communism in Albania, religion was basically eliminated and all religious holidays were not celebrated. Additionally, about 70% of the country and 99% of my area are Muslims (if they are anything), so Christmas is not exactly a big deal here. This doesn’t mean that you don’t see Santa (Babagjushi- literally father-grandfather) everywhere and there aren’t trees, decorations and lots of fireworks all over the place. The Albanians have adopted all of the things that we normally associate with the commercialization of Jesus’s birth for New Years.

I decided to spend the big holiday of New Years in Peshkopi, to see how a real Albanian New Years Eve would be. I was invited over for dinner to my friend Merita’s house to spend the night with her and her parents. She made way too much food; we had wine and counted down to midnight together. It was a lovely way to spend the holiday and I felt like it was a fitting way to finish what has really been an amazing year.

We could hear the fireworks going off all night, but I think that it was much calmer here than in the bigger cities. For a video of what a crazy NYE is like in Durres, check out my friend Matt's blog here.

A year ago I don’t really think I could have imagined what this year would be like. A year ago I had just accepted the invitation to come to Albania, but I really had no idea what I would be in for. A year ago I didn’t know a word of Albanian and now as my co-workers say I understand nje qind per qind (100%). A year ago I was partying with all my friends and cutting off Chronic’s long hair. A year ago I was a substitute teacher.

Last year my resolutions were a little bit open ended:

1. Be brave.
2. Follow through.
3. Go to yoga classes.
4. Get out of Denver.

Being brave and following through are things that I work on all my life, and I think that I have done a pretty good job of doing those things this year, but they will always be on my list. Getting out of Denver. Check. I think I’m about as far out of Denver as I can get right now . . . ok so the yoga . . .

So now for some New Year’s resolutions- Peace Corps style:

1. Always wash dishes and clothes when you have water, there is no telling when the water might cut out.
2. Remember to bring shopping bags whenever I go out so that I don’t have to use plastic.
3. Make visits to my landlord’s house more often for social calls and not just for business.
4. Get the Outdoor Ambassadors club started.
5. When it is warm enough again- start doing the pilates and workout videos again.

Gezuar Viten i Ri 2009!

Me and Merita (don't worry, she was actually happy, she just doesn't like to smile in pictures!)

Last year's new years resolutions:
1. Be brave
2. Go to yoga classes
3. Finish my Peace Corps app.
4. Follow through
5. Get out of Denver

Progress- I finished my application, which is following through and getting out of Denver. I didn't go to yoga very much. Maybe that will still be on my resolution list.

Being brave? I quit my job before I knew if I was going to the PC. I accepted the assignment to Albania. I didn't go after any of the guys that I liked. I rationalize those actions in a lot of ways: in the second half of the year it was because I knew that I would be leaving soon. In the first half of the year I convinced myself that they wouldn't like me back or thought of another excuse not to be brave.

My resolutions for this year are pretty much the same:
1. Be brave.
2. Follow through.
3. Go to yoga classes.
4. Get out of Denver.

I think that I can do all of them. Except maybe the yoga. :)

new years-late post

My family has Solstice. My friends have New Years.

Get Kurt (and everyone else) UP!
(2007)














Take it to the streets! (2004)













Dance!(2006)














Drink! (2004)













Dress Up! (2008)


















Get Crazy!

Here's to a great '08!