My favourite New Year's resolution, which I've been making for several years now and is really the only one of last year's resolutions I can remember, is to do five things I've never done before. I've been aiming a bit low, as it turns out. While on the train home from from Venice yesterday, I jotted down a quick list of things that I did for the first time in 2014. I hit ten before we'd even reached mainland.
Here is the list, in no particular order.
1. In 2014, I visited Slovakia and South Korea for the first time. Also Venice and Prague (though I've been to Italy and the Czech Republic before). My travels took me to a Buddhist temple, where I attended meals and an evening prayer service with the monks, to a cat cafe, to a church decorated with hundreds of human skulls, and to the graves of Good King Wenceslas, Monteverdi, and Stravinsky.
Here is the list, in no particular order.
1. In 2014, I visited Slovakia and South Korea for the first time. Also Venice and Prague (though I've been to Italy and the Czech Republic before). My travels took me to a Buddhist temple, where I attended meals and an evening prayer service with the monks, to a cat cafe, to a church decorated with hundreds of human skulls, and to the graves of Good King Wenceslas, Monteverdi, and Stravinsky.
2. I flew over the handlebars of my bike for the first time. Not intentionally, and fortunately without lasting damage to anything other than my front brake pads. Incidentally, I also superglued a power adaptor to the back of my hand. Yes, intentionally. It was for research purposes, though it's not an experiment I intend to repeat.
3. I was a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding.
3. I was a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding.
4. I bought a new bike. Daisy is the second bike I've purchased, but the first new one.
5. I roasted a goose and a turkey. I'd never been in charge of Thanksgiving dinner before, but in 2014 I did it twice. No fires broke out and no one got food poisoning, so I consider both attempts successful.
6. I skied at the top of the treeline in Austria.
5. I roasted a goose and a turkey. I'd never been in charge of Thanksgiving dinner before, but in 2014 I did it twice. No fires broke out and no one got food poisoning, so I consider both attempts successful.
6. I skied at the top of the treeline in Austria.
7. I gave an academic presentation to an entire audience of non-native English speakers.
8. I bought a smart phone.
9. I got into a honeybee hive (and didn't get stung).
8. I bought a smart phone.
9. I got into a honeybee hive (and didn't get stung).
10. I deliberately bought and fed myself cauliflower (don't get excited, Mom - it was horrible and I consider it a failed experiment). I also deliberately ate meals containing cooked carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, and chick peas. I continue to remove any and all peas from foods placed in front of me, however.
Bonus number 11, added after I arrived home: I welcomed a new year in Vienna. The train was a few minutes late arriving, so we pulled into Spittelau station right at midnight. I came outside to find the city erupting in fireworks all around me. There were probably two dozen or more bunches of fireworks that I could see from just outside the station, including some from the bridge a few meters away going off right over my head. It was a most brilliant way to ring in the New Year! I have high hopes for 2015.
Bonus number 11, added after I arrived home: I welcomed a new year in Vienna. The train was a few minutes late arriving, so we pulled into Spittelau station right at midnight. I came outside to find the city erupting in fireworks all around me. There were probably two dozen or more bunches of fireworks that I could see from just outside the station, including some from the bridge a few meters away going off right over my head. It was a most brilliant way to ring in the New Year! I have high hopes for 2015.