My "NEW" Five Year Plan (revised from 10-year plan)

So I have been thinking a lot lately about my “10 Year Plan”, I have decided that revisions must be made. I have been reading a lot lately about how people who have goals written down and are more likely to be actively working towards them, but that you should revisit and revise your goals at least twice a year. Plus, I have decided that 10 years is just too long, I am anxious to do these things now, so I have made this into “My 5-Year Plan”. Once a few things are done and crossed off my list I will figure out what I want to put on the list so that it is always sitting between 10 - 15 things.

So I have been asking myself – what is it that I really want to do? What is important to me verses just what I would like to do? I would love to travel the whole world, but is there one or two places that I just NEED to see? What are some of the experiences that I just really want to have? Life long learning is important to me, so what do I really want to learn?

I have been working on my 10-Year Plan since I made it, but to be honest, I have been working more towards some goals then others – for example, a smart monkey could still beat me at chess, but on the other hand, I have read 5 classic books.

So I have re-looked at my goals with these questions in mind and have chosen 15 things that I really want to do.

1. Read 20 classics – I have picked out 25 that I am choosing between, I have already finished the first 5

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Jane Ere by Charlotte Bronte
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Villette by Charlotte Brontë
Shirley by Charlotte Bronte
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Montgomery


2. Learn another language

I have decided that knowing more than English is important to me. I took French from Grades 4 to 10 in school, but I hated it and have retained very little. I still have not decided if I want to learn French or Spanish, but I am leaning towards Spanish first, and then maybe trying to pick up some French again. I want to be able to speak it well enough that if in a country that is French/Spanish speaking I could do basic things like order dinner, find a bathroom, get basic directions…that sort of thing.

3. Learn Sign language

This is something that I have wanted for several years now, so I don’t know why I haven’t done it before now! I have started this and can count to 20, sign the alphabet, sign 25 or so words consistently (but am familiar with 50 or so more words), but I can sign only a few phrases consistently. I am going to be practicing all summer.

4. Learn my geography

This is still on the list and it is important to me – I feel foolish and somewhat ignorant when I do not know where things are. I will be honest, most of the time I couldn’t even guess where places approximately are. I am bad, very, very bad!

5. Learn to play chess – or should I say learn to play chess well! This is still on the list.

6. Run a marathon

Still on the list - I don’t have any dreams of becoming a “marathon runner”, that is beyond me and doesn’t really interest me, but I want to be able to say that I have “run a marathon”. I just think it is kind of cool and something that not everyone does. I am still running and plan on making running one of my life long habits and hope to never give it up again.

I am trying to get my kids and husband to join me, but with no real success. My son Jesse fractured his knee this spring and it still bothers him when he runs for any distance, my other son Justin is only interested if Jesse is involved, Tia is a bad runner (she really is!) and my husband just laughs at me and says “NO”. I didn’t even bother to ask Brandon!

7. Learn to golf

I have always wanted to know how to golf; I have only gone a few times in my life, but have really loved it each time. Plus, my husband and three of my kids (Jesse, Justin and Tia) all enjoy golfing, so it is something we could all do together!

8. Learn to ski

This too is still on the list. I am still a bit afraid of it though, going down an icy hill with two long sticks strapped to my feet seems a bit silly and very dangerous with respect to my lack of coordination.

9. See every province in Canada - Drive across Canada

I have combined my goal of seeing the Maritimes (Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island) and driving across Canada. Other than the Maritimes, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are the only provinces I have never been to – and although I have no burning desire to spend any amount of time in either of these two provinces, I would like to drive through them so I can say I have been there.

10. Learn how to drive a motorcycle – This is still on the list!

11. Go sailing

I do still kind of want to buy a boat, but I have realized that what I really want to do is go sailing, and not is some silly little lake, but in the ocean. In the romantic, unrealistic part of my heart I would really like is to go sailing around the world - like a pirate - but the realistic part of me will accept sailing for an afternoon.

12. Canoe across Gull Lake

I don’t know how many times I have stood at my parent’s patio window and thought about that! Too many that is for sure! So why not? It can’t be that far can it?

13. Go somewhere tropical on vacation

I really don’t know where I would go, maybe Hawaii, but I don’t think it really matters to be honest. I just want to be able to sit on a tropical beach, someplace hot, that serves drinks with little umbrellas in it.

14. Start planning/Go on an oversees trip – either to England, France or Italy

I really want to see all of them – plus Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Israel, I could go on…but I will be happy if I can just plan and do one in the next 10 years.

15. Go to Vegas

Who hasn’t gone to Vegas??? Me. Really I don’t think I know anyone who hasn’t gone, most people more then once! I am not a gambler, but I want to roll some dice and pull on that machine that has the cherries on it. Plus, I have heard lots about the buffets, shows, lights – all of which I think would be fun and exciting to see and experience.

So there it is. I could add about 100 things onto this list of things I want to do, see and learn, but I have tried to keep it realistic and within reason. But, I am tired of just sitting back and thinking that someday I will do all the things I dream about doing, someday I will find the time/money/etc. Some of these things I can start now, or at least start planning for now.

Christine

So Bored...

Are you ever just bored with your life and no amount of planning, vacationing or even warm weather (after a very long winter – or so it seemed) seems to pull you out of your funk?

It seems like I have had a hard year. Nothing major happened that I can point to; it was just all the little things that were the same this year as they were last year, and the year before that, and the year before that…well you see my point. It is not that I don’t like what I am doing per say, it just is a lot of sameness and fringed with a lot of small disappointments.

Life often makes me feel like I am a hamster on a wheel, always running and never getting anywhere. I am ready for a change, that is certain…and I have to say that I am a girl that typically does not relish change.

Maybe I just want to feel noticed. Do you ever feel like you go about your day completely invisible to everyone – well until supper is suppose to be on the table or someone needs a drive somewhere? But honestly, even when I go shopping now I will typically just go through a self-checkout counter, in and out totally unnoticed. Most days I seem to spend more time talking to my dogs then humans. Some time days will go by where the only people I have spoken to are my kids, which I guess the kids are an upgrade to the dogs, but with teenagers sometimes I have to wonder if the dogs are smarter! Well less hormonal for sure! And does arguing count for a conversation?

Today I was so bored that I ran my cart down a Costco isle and jumped on the back – my son Jesse just rolled his eyes and said, “really mom, everyone is going to think you are high”. As I said before – teenagers are a special breed. All the other bored moms watching me probably just thought I feel off my rocker, that the stress of Costco finally made me snap.

Since some of you know, I am an emotional cooker and eater, I am going lace up my shoes, and go for a quick run before I whip myself up some comfort food tonight – actually a comfort drink. I am leaning towards something cold and sweet, something frothy with just a twist of hmmm…rum??? I even have little umbrellas that I can put in it if I want to. So I will sit on my front porch and watch the world go by while drinking my umbrella drink while dreaming that I am really on some fabulous island, watching a breathtaking sunset over the ocean, with a party all around me!

Hope your evening is even more exciting...

Christine

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my mother! xoxoxox

Love Christine

"Ten-Year Plan" Update - What am I doing??

So I have had some time to think about my ten-year plan and I have decided that all the traveling may be a bit ambitious. I haven't decided what to strike out yet, but I will keep you posted on what I decided to take out and what I may decide to put in instead.

#4 - Run a marathon: I have started on this, I am now running 6 km in about 35 minutes, which I do 3 - 4 times a week. I do strength training only 1 - 2 times a week, but I really should be doing it 2 - 3 times a week. I will work on that.

#6 - Learn how to play chess: I got a book, Chess for Dummies, I haven't opened it or looked at it, but hey, I got the book! I should open it this weekend...

#7 - Learn my geography: I have been paying much closer attention and now have a firm understanding which is the Pacific ocean (left of me) and the Atlantic ocean (right of me). Baby steps...Actually I am looking for a world puzzle that is around the 1000 piece mark (I need to extend my search out of my city, think I may need to find a specialty store), we like to puzzle and I figured this would be a good learning opportunity for all!

#8 - Read at least 20 classics: I have started on this, but will talk more about the books in a separate post.

#19 - See a whale in the wild: I will on my Vancouver Island trip!!

I am actively working on 5 - not bad I think!

To see my sister's progress on her list check her out at 6blockswest!

Have a great weekend,
Christine

# 19 - See a Whale in the Wild

I am serious about my ten-year plan, I may not get to do all the traveling that I want to, but I am going to diligently try to do everything on that list!

So as I was planning our Vancouver Island trip I noticed several Whale Watching Adventure Tours, particularly on the Pacific rim of the Island out of Tofino and Ucluelet. As I was reading I found out that from early February to the end of April, approximately 20,000 gray whales migrate along the western coast of the Island. Being that spring is not peak tourist season, I was able to find many discounts and specials at a completely affordable rate.

I am having a hard time narrowing down all I want to see and do on the Island, but a whale watching tour has made the final list!!

Christine

Vancouver Island

We are going to Vancouver Island over spring break this year. We have a friend who has a vacation house in Campbell River who has graciously offered to let us use it so we will be packing up and driving the 16 plus hours to spend a glorious week on the Island.

My husband has driven out a few times (he has family in Vancouver) with the boys, but Tia has never been, and I have not been out since 1997. Wow, that was a long time ago!

I have never much cared for the city of Vancouver (sorry all those from there!), too much traffic, too big and it definitely encroached on my space issues - but the Island was another story. I loved it there! My husband and boys spent two weeks in Campbell River in August and my son Jesse fell hard. He phoned me and said that he felt that he belonged there, like it was part of him and that he never wanted to leave. He was ready to leave all things in Alberta behind and move.

My husband, knowing our love for the Island, is a wee bit concerned that Jesse and I will revolt at the end of our trip and refuse to come home, so he is currently working on updating his resume, researching local airports, and planning appointments with possible employers - but also storing extra ropes in the trunk in case he needs to take Jesse and I back to Alberta by force!

He knows that Jesse and I want to move, and being the good husband that he is, and wanting to make us happy, he is attempting to find work on the Island - not easy for a pilot without a float endorsement. But who knows, maybe at the end of 10 days the only reason we will be coming back to Alberta is to put our house on the market and pack!

I am currently planning out our trip - trying to pack as much sightseeing and fun into that week as possible! If anyone has any suggestions of "must see/do" activities I am all ears!

Blessings,
Christine

Why Learn To Sign??

Have you ever been in a crowded place with someone across the room that you are trying to communicate with? Maybe doing silly hand signals or mouthing the words real slow in hopes that they can figure out what you are saying and you have a stupid expression on your face because you have no idea what they are saying? Maybe it is just me, but this seems to happen a lot to me. I have always wanted to be able to speak to my children without shouting over noise or making hand jesters that only gets me confused looks. Sometimes though, I want to be able to give a command - like "enough" - that my children know, but that I am not expressing to all those around us.

Who will I sign too then? Mainly my daughter; Tia has been practicing her sign from kindergarten. She is naturally gifted at it and able to retain a lot of it, even though she is not using it much anymore. Sign got introduced to her because of some students in her class that had hearing difficulties and the teachers throughout the years have always seemed to incorporate sign to varying degrees throughout the years. I think that this is a good skill for her to have and I am afraid she will loose it if she does not have anyone to sign to. The college in our city offers two sign classes on a regular basis and right now I am watching for the spring/summer courses to come out to see if they are offering the beginners course over the summer, as that is when I have the most time to schedule something for me.

Have a great day,
Christine