Kontan Jou

Happy New Year to the blogosphere.  Today is a day to reflect on 2008 and look ahead to 2009.  Several are not bothering to make resolutions for ’09.  What is a New Year’s Resolution anyway?  According to Wikipedia:   A New Year’s resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous.  It’s the word commitment that people struggle with.  It’s so depressing when you break a commitment and let’s face it, life gets in the way sometimes.  Let’s change it…no resolutions, just goals.  I do not have resolutions for ’09, but I have continuing goals.  These are the things I hope to accomplish, but am realistic enough to realize that the road may diverge.

This was my post for January 1, 2008.  No need to click there, I will summarize.  I reviewed the ups and downs of 2007.  The beginnings of a life change, the loss of a close friend, the beach, selling our house, a move, teaching my first college class, the deaths of my dad and stepdad…the year.  With good times and bad times, we entered 2008 in a new state, new jobs, and a realization that we were not happy in Alabama.  We started chatting about the possibilities of moving on to NC, where we really wanted to be.  We weren’t too serious about it in January, but knew it was a goal within the next year or so.  I was determined to find a job with a classroom and at a school where fellow teachers would open their clique to newbies.   It is what it was, but I keep up with about three people from old school…the three that would talk to me when I was there.   Moooooving on… I participated in Blog 365 until March.  It was my best effort.  By spring break and April I was seriously considering NC and had started the licensure process.  Going to a few job fairs before summer, getting a nibble here and there, I was not making as much progress as I had expected to make when the process began.  By June I was losing hope and had given up in July.  Then I received a call that would put us on the path to the Eastern Time Zone. 

Great new school. Great area.  We are on the right track, and waiting for the “big” opportunity that I know awaits.  I pray 2009 will bring great things for our family. 

My goals for ’09:

• More time doing family things. 
• Explore this great state and experience all it has to offer.  The beach, the mountains, and all in between.
• Hike more. 
• Find a hiking buddy so I can hike more.
• Geocache, it sounds like so much fun!
• Visit family every three months.
• Make moves toward being settled here.  It is out of my control, but I can pray for it.
• Get involved. Make friends. Establish roots.

Happy New Year to you.  I pray that it brings something special to your life and you are able to attain your own goals.