Welcome, New Year

It's 2010, and I'm amazed. How did we get here?

I ended my year the way I intend to continue into the next. I ran a 4 mile race yesterday, the longest I've done in many years, and I had a few people over to celebrate the turning of a decade. We talked, made a meal of some light and healthful appetizers, and toasted to ourselves and to new beginnings. We decided that yesterday was a day for reflection on the past year and today was a day for looking forward, for facing up to the scary unknown and choosing how to step into the light.

I will be starting my new year with some activities that I can't wait to get started. I'm signing up with a local running store to be on a team training for a half-marathon in May. It's with not a small amount of trepidation that I have decided to do this, but I'm so excited about it that I know it is the right choice. It's the right time, I'm in the right place, there's nothing to be gained by saying "next year, next year." So, this year, my first resolution is to run a half-marathon.

I have been interested in yoga for a while now, but purely from afar. I have decided to add occasional yoga classes to my training regimen. With all the running and pounding my body will be taking, some stretching and soothing will be just the ticket. There is a local studio where I can by a punch card and decide week to week which class will best fit my schedule, and on Sunday nights they have apprentice-taught classes for $5. Where's the down side in that, right?

Both of these activities will get me out and meeting new people. I have been living a very isolated existence these past few months, and I'm excited to be finding ways to get out.

As far as crafting goes, I'm not sure what 2010 holds. I have very few concrete plans, except for the Knitting Olympics. I already have my project picked out, but more on that another time. I received a sewing machine for my birthday and Christmas, so I will probably be spending a bit more time at the machine than knitting, and I'm ok with that. Learning to properly fit a sewn garment is going to require some trial and error, I have found out the hard way recently. I think I might just stock up on yards of muslin....

All in all, I'm thrilled to step out into a new decade, into the unknown. This has been a difficult year in many ways, and I'm not sorry to leave it in my history and to embrace a shiny new year.