HELLO 2013!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I think I was drunk on either happiness or the four glasses of rum and coke that I had. Being the walking contradiction that I am; I was in a drunken stupor, but fully aware of my surroundings. I was in the south of Bogotá, enjoying the company of those lovely people who I have come to regard as my Colombian family. We had just welcomed the New Year; we hugged, we wished each other all the best, and we ate 12 grapes each while simultaneously making wishes. I had already spoken to my family back home an hour earlier, and was happy to know that they were fine and did not break away from our New Year tradition, although I was not there. As my New Year high started to wear off and I zoned out of the conversation that the others were having, I started to think about the year that was.

2012: the year that the Mayans predicted the end of the world, and Obama was re-elected the President of the United States. It was the year that I successfully completed my First Degree and graduated from the University of the West Indies, was given another opportunity to live and work in Colombia, came to understand and truly accept myself for who I am, and learned the true meaning of family and friendship. Most importantly, it was the year that I fell in love with Rihanna and her music, again. 

So, what does 2013 hold for me? It may be a bit premature, but I will dub this year: the Year of Garvin because I hope to become a better version of myself, become more marketable, live up to my full potential, experience new things, and start my post graduate studies. Under these broad topics, I've started to create my list of resolutions, which I intend to stick to for the first time in 23 years. Below, I share a few that I've come up with, thus far. 

I want to lead a healthier lifestyle. I have been saying this forever, but it truly hit me recently just how unfit I am. I mean, climbing two flights of stairs leaves me gasping for breath, two minutes of table tennis gives me quasi- cardiac arrest, my belly hangs over my pants when I button it, and my legs rub together. Sometimes, I eat bread, juice, and chocolates all day. Plus, my idea of being active is washing wares! Basically, something needs to be done. I have been thinking about ways that I can become more active; I can join a gym, take a dance class, practice some form of organized sport, or start jogging on mornings. Also, I should change my diet. 

I need to become more spiritual. I feel like the journey of self discovery and acceptance I undertook in 2012 sort of took me away from God. I've come to accept that I'm not religious, but that doesn't mean that I don't believe in God. Thus, the fact that I don't pray often is troubling to me, since I feel ungrateful. I mean, God has been so good to me, and the people I care about. I should give thanks, build this relationship, and re-connect with the Father. 

I need to become more disciplined. For years, my teachers and closest friends have been telling me the same thing. However, I think it was my thesis adviser who really put things into perspective for me, and helped me to commit myself to realizing this goal. She told me that the only thing I was lacking is self-discipline and that I would need to develop this skill if I am to ever reach my full potential. Yikes! I started taking baby steps in 2012 by timing myself doing mundane tasks, like taking a shower or the amount of time I spent on Facebook. I have been getting better, and I feel the change. I suppose my challenge where self discipline is concerned for 2013 is to apply it to the studies I hope to undertake. 

I don't want to bore you with more details of my Year of Garvin plan so, I will end this blog post after a few words. These words are: Happy 2013 to all my readers! I hope that all your dreams come true.

CHAO!