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
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
Hey, you forgot about the 5K we ran together. That counts for something! And maybe we can hike some together this year, because I need to go out and do it more!
ReplyDeleteAnd definitely no shame in being where you are. Life is HARD and it's honest to say so. If only more people would be honest....
Yes! The 5K was actually a good catalyst for wanting to get back into running! And I think it would be great to explore some new hiking areas around here
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