The Calm Inbetween Two Storms

It's that weird time between Christmas and New Year, no one has anything to do, no one even seems to know what day it is (Wednesday apparently). There's lots of sitting around and doing not very much. It's the calm inbetween two storms. But for me it's the most exciting time of the year (save for New Year's day, but those of you who know me will know how excited I get about that).

At the moment, I'm sat on my friend Mel's sofa, under a duvet, watching Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (one of the best cartoons EVER). But my mind is still whirring. Not that I'm doing anything about the whirrings yet, that won't happen until I get back to Greenwich later. But I love that they're there.

Whirring and whirring. Asking me what's going to happen next year. What's going to happen? What's going to make 2010 kick ass?

And whilst I'm not a fan of New Year resolutions (if there's a sure fire way to get me to do something, just tell me I'm not allowed to do it - surely you know this by now?), I'm still a big fan of making good things happen. I've spent the last year (thoroughly loving) being caught up in work and Domestic Sluttery. But I need some balance now. I need to start doing things that I want to do. Because my work is so much fun, and the website is awesome, but I do need to realise that it's just a website. It's not my whole life. It's not who I am, it's what I do, if that makes sense. Basically, it's time to kick 2010 into gear.

So in no particular order, here are some things that I want to do this year (there are more, but you'll have to wait for those, this is most definitely a two-parter):

• Read more! Sure, this is mostly because I want to start my MA next year, but it's mostly for me. I've stopped reading. I don't have a commute into town every day, and because I work from home, I have to make an effort to read. Working from home means that you kid yourself into thinking you have no free time. I have to stop working to read. I don't like this balance. It's about time it changed. (This was mostly inspired by Dan Worth who is never ever without a book and has read at least a billion in the last year). Luckily, my folks bought me lots of books, and I'm reading my friend's copy of The Book Of Lost Things. It's brilliant, so I'm off to a very good start.
  
• See more bands. I go in waves and bursts with music. Mostly because I don't listen to music when I work. Listening to music when I work generally ends in air drumming and dancing about. Which is fun, but not exactly productive. So if I'm busy, I forget to listen to any new stuff for ages, and by the time I find out about a new cool band, they've either split up, or they're not cool anymore. But the thing is, I love live music. I just need to find my groove again. I've kick-started this by buying tickets for the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in April.

• Finish the book. The early part of 2010 will be known as the year of the book. Just you wait. It's too cold to go out anyway, that damn novel is going to be finished very very soon. Luckily, this month I can either procrastinate writing the book and do my tax return, or vice versa. Both will work in my favour.
  

• Learn how to use my camera properly. Someone very lovely gave me a Canon 20d late this summer and it turns out that I can take a pretty decent photo (this one of Jess is probably my favourite of 2009). But I still have no idea what all of the buttons on my SLR do. And I really should use my camera more. So, after James reminded me of Noticings, I've realised how much I want to get better at photography. Get to see London in a different way, do something new. Whether I'll play along with Noticings, or make up my own rules is yet to be decided. Probably a sprinkling of both.
• Go places. I know travelling is a cop-out. That's not what I mean. Everyone wants to travel more. But there's a list of places I've wanted to go to for years. You want that list? OK then. Croatia, Ireland (nay, Galway), Maida Vale (I know it's bloody ridiculous that I've never been, but in my defense, Greenwich is really really far away), Cornwall, Athens, New York, San Fransisco and Port Merrion. I imagine I'll start with Maida Vale. Seems sensible. It's more about being willing to put down the laptop, grab my camera and notebook and jump on a plane or a train. All of the places I've been this year have been very last minute. That's made them more fun.

I think that's my plan for 2010. Have more fun. Take more risks. Jump at more opportunities. Have more conversations, make new friends. Be happier, judge people less. More of the good stuff, less of the bad. Making the most of my time. Seeing what happens. Being more willing to say yes. The year two thousand and ten is very much about doing.

I can't wait.

Fabulous picture of Greenwich Park by Hozinja. I hope it looks like that when I get home.