2017 Wrap Up

So I realize that we are half way through January, but I still wanted to get out my 2017 wrap up. This past year was the worst and most discouraging year I have ever experienced. My lost someone who I never thought I would be without and my career never really went anywhere. I started the year thinking that I knew that would happen and that things would just all fall into place; time kept moving forward but my plans did not. There were quite a few take aways from last year though and I think there was a fair share of growth.

Books

I met my book goal. My goal was to read 20 books and I completed that. I feel pretty good about the variety of books I read and part of that was thanks to the public library, I’m a sucker for all of those librarian recommendations. Here is the list of books that I read:

A Case of Need- Michael Crichton

The Martian-Any Weir

Kite Runner-Khaled Housseini

Fight Club-Chuck Palahniuk

The Martian Chronicles-Ray Bradbury

The Strain-Guillermo Del Toro

Micro-Michael Crichton

I, Robot-Isaac Asimov

Jurassic Park-Michael Crichton

Four-Veronica Roth

The Rope-Nevada Barr

Carry On-Rainbow Rowell

The Last Season- Eric Blehm

Brida- Paulo Coelho

The Noonday Demon-Andrew Solomon

Into the Wild- John Krakauer

Foundation- Isaac Asimov

Eleanor & Park- Rainbow Rowell

The Evening Road- Laid Hunt

Track of the Cat- Nevada Barr

Next- Michael Chrichton

Island Beneath the Sean- Isabel Allende

Cats Eye-Margaret Atwood

Roller Girl- Victoria Jaimieson
Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides

Hiking

I hiked a lot of trails, though not as many as I had hoped. My goal was 52 hikes (one per week), but only made it to 32. Not bad at all, but not my goal. My initial goal was to take part in the 52 Hike Challenge, as I had mentioned in a previous post… then life happened. Given my personality type, it is hard to not see this as a total failure since I can get to caught up in the metrics of it all. There were quite a few positives that came out of the mission over all thought. I tackled many new trails in my area, trails I wasn’t aware of. That really allowed me to find a better appreciate for my environment and not always feel the pressure to have to travel far and wide for a good escape. However, far and wide I did travel! I also had the opportunity to travel to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons National Park. I had never hiked in bear country and it was for sure a thrilling experience and my mom and I got to camp in snowy conditions for the second year in a row. Here is my list of 2017 hikes:

The Brownlow Trail	4.16 Mi
Summit Trail	4.00 Mi
Constellation Trail	1Mi
Iron King Trail	3.79Mi
Watson Lake Trail	2.01Mi
Thumb Butte	2.07Mi
Summit Trail	4.06Mi
FT 62	3.7Mi
Granite Mt Wildress, FT 349 to 351 to 350	4.23Mi
Little Granite Mountain	7.43Mi
Spruce Mountain, FT307	9.57Mi
FT 384	4.71Mi
Fossil Creek	2.4Mi
Mingus Mountain	5.34Mi
Beaver Creek	1Mi
Granite Mountain	8.51Mi
Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial	7Mi
S. Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon	7.73Mi
Bright Angel Trail	9Mi
P-Mountain	2.65Mi
Mt.Humphrey's and Harts Prarie	14.82Mi
Summit Trail	4.06Mi
Willor Lake Trail	4.19Mi
TR 62 to Seven Mile Gulch	8.31Mi
Mt. Humphrey's Peak	9.6 Mi
Tavasci Marsh	3.5Mi
Colter Bay-Grand Tetons	2.33Mi
Lawrence D Rockefeller Preserve-Phelps Lake	3.1Mi
String Lake Look-Grand Tetons	2.89Mi
Death Canyon Trailhead-Grand Tetons	3.74Mi
Norris Geyser	2.5
Obsrvation Point-Yellowstone NPS	2.2Mi

Fitness

Aside from hiking, I didn’t exercise much at all. While the hiking kept me moving and fairly in shape, only going one day per week (sometimes) just isn’t enough. I am the type of person who used to go running every day to feel better and not be such a grouch. I had so many things going on that I often didn’t get a chance to run at all. Hence, I was a real grouch most of the year. And my body just doesn’t feel as strong as it once did. There were some new multi-use paths in my town that I was able to take advantage of, so that was a nice change of scenery from the same old path I usually run. And a lot safer as well. My community isn’t incredibly pedestrian friendly. But the absence of running has at least taught me that I need to make sure that I make time for myself to run, even if only for a short distance. And to accept that sometime, we can’t run for an hour, but that running for 30 minutes is good too.

Media

I played less video games. Usually when I get a new game, I don’t go out, I don’t see or really talk to my friends al that much, for at least a couple of weeks. I get pretty intense…maybe not the healthiest way to be. My getting so involved in my games is a real stress relief and it’s mindless fun. There is no take away there is no lesson at the end of it. I don’t feel the need to really discuss the meaning of it all. Perhaps the exception being Skyrim, down with Ulfric! For the first time ever, I play an online, social game, Overwatch. Usually I hate playing games with other people. The exception being my brother because we made the best team, so playing Overwatch was a big deal. It’s still not my favorite game, I still prefer the likes of the Elder Scrolls series (the exception being the online platform), Fallout series and the Borderland series. I think I just got too caught up in making time to meet my reading goal and hiking goal that some of my other hobbies fell by the wayside.

I started watching too many shows and not finishing them. At the end of the year, I had almost all the shows I start watching still pending. That may not seem like a big deal, but then I end of thinking about watching them and feeling like I need to accomplish them more than I need to actually enjoy watching them.

I can honestly say that I overexerted myself in 2017. I tried to do too many things at once and balance became non-existent. My take aways from last year:

For sure tell people you love that you love them (cliché I know)

When you are upset about something it’s ok to be upset but for sure speak with someone about it.

If you need help don’t be afraid to ask, we all need help at some point

Live in the moment.

Don’t be afraid to say what you need from a relationship.

Take things one at a time, multi-tasking is over-rated.

So here is to starting off the New Year hurt and damaged, but knowing that there is room for growth and healing.

Cheers,

MC