This year was my first holiday season in the mainland USA in a LONG time... like. 20 years. Being a military child, my holidays were spent at our overseas station or in a nearby country. Since I got a new job and moved, I didn't have time to go home to see my parents.
What I did get to do though was spend time with new friends and old friends - new friends I made here through networking such as Greek Life, soccer supporter groups (from American Outlaws to Sporting KC/MLS games), women in aviation; and old friends from school, internships, and family that are in the area.
It was really different being in the mainland for the holidays and I couldn't do my usual tacky joke of "hey guys, I'm in the future because it's already the New Year here!" but I got to really appreciate the people that surround me and I was able to count even more blessings. Although I did miss my parents, I was so glad to have others around me and I learned some things.
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| First Sunrise of 2014! |
* I learned that sorority sisterhood really does go beyond the "four years of college". Because of sorority netowrking, I ended up spending Christmas with a sorority sister from another chapter. Her chapter helped mine during recruitment, and we became facebook friends after that weekend. Social media kept us in touch - and we both saw that we had great passion for our sorority. During a work trip she had in Dallas on Christmas, we got to meet up and have dinner together. It meant the world for me to spend time with a sister on a holiday. Plus, we discovered that we were pretty much twins by singing Legally Blonde the musical lyrics together from memory. I'm glad I got to see a fellow squirrel and spend time with her! Sisterhood really goes beyond your four years of college.
* New Years was spent with a friend I met through Women in Aviation - true Texas style! I've always loved country music since I grew up on classic country like George Jones, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn (I once sang Coal Miner's Daughter for a talent show), and more. Plus with ball room dancing parents and as a former ballet dancer, I LOVE dancing - the fact that almost everyone here knows how to two-step just makes me SO. HAPPY. and live country music? LOVE. Ringing in the new year with a friend from women in aviation and country music was wonderful. I can't wait for more adventures with her!
SO, it's 2014!! I can't believe it. Weren't we worrying about the new millennium and computers rising against us in 2000 or something like that just yesterday?
As everyone does with the New Year, I made a few resolutions. Some are private, but I figured I'd share some public.
1. Eat healthier. Okay, yes I know, everyone does this resolution. I'm going to make it to a reward system where I can eat "unhealthy" or enjoy a guilty pleasure like fast food or ice cream on the weekends.. but during the week I'll eat healthy and avoid eating out. Packing a lunch, making dinner, etc. This worked for my friend so I'm thinking of trying it too.
2. Stop using my phone while driving. Entirely. I'm guilty of it, I'm sure many of you are too. I tried to be "good" and use it only at stop lights but this year I'm going to put my phone in my purse and keep it there till I get to my destination. I have hands free calling, and if it's a call I must take, I'll do so. Other than that, not using the phone. It can wait.
3. Get my flexibility back. I've gotten out of dancing and yoga, so I'm stiff as a rock now. Since I live in a big city, finding a good yoga studio shouldn't be hard, as well as a good ballet studio that has intermediate adult classes. The goal is to have a complete splits and cambre (bend backwards) with more movement than now. It's going to be tough, but patience is virtue.
4. Work on my Spanish! Texas has more of a Spanish speaking population. I studied Spanish in high school and did the minimum in college - but I've lost a lot of it. Being in an area that has a better concentration of Spanish speakers, I'm hoping to get better at speaking, reading, and writing Spanish. Perhaps immersing myself fully in Spanish speakers would be good - it's how I learned Japanese fluently (although that was when I was 4..).
What are yours?
XOXO Blue Skies!
明けましておめでとうございます。もう新年、早いですね。
去年の末に引っ越した末、まだ日本にいる親に会えず、新しい仕事の都市でクリスマスと年明けを過ごすはめになったんですが、運よくこっちにも友達が多くって一人ぼっちでいる時間なんてなく、本当にすばらしい人々に囲まれてるんだなって確信できました。
クリスマスはソロリティで知り合った友達と会って、夕飯を一緒にできました。大学そのものは違ったんですが、ソロリティで知り合ってフェースブックなどで連絡を取り合ってたので、彼女がダラスに来たから一緒に食事して、色々話しました。ソロリティはすばらしいと実感できました！日本にはソロリティがないから、日本人の友達に説明するのはいつも難しいんだけど…とりあえず、映画とかテレビに出てくるソロリティとかは、結構嘘っぱちですね。というより、たいていテレビとか映画って現実と大変離れていますよね。
年明けは航空学の関係で参加したセミナーで知り合った友達と過ごせました。テキサスは、カントリーミュージックが豊富な州。私も小さい頃からクラシックなカントリー（ジョニー・キャッシュなど）を聞きながら育ったものだから、カントリーが平日でも生で聞けるレストランの多い町が新鮮ですばらしい！年末は有名なカントリーバンドを聞きながら、踊り明けました。親がソシアルダンスの先生、私もバレエを習いながら育ったものだから踊るのはもともと大好きです。ダンスホールつきのバーやレストランにいるテキサスの人々はほとんどが二人組みで踊るのが結構上手です。いつか素敵な人をダンスホールで見つけるのが、ささやかな夢だったりします。
ところで、新年の目標を少し立てました。個人的なのは公開しませんが。。。
１．もっと健康的に食べる！ 外食は週末だけにし、お弁当をつめ、野菜と和食中心の食事を心がけます。アイスやファーストフードはどうしても食べたいって時は、週末まで我慢！って心がけるようにします。外食の数も減ればお金も節約できて、一石二鳥！
２．運転時のケータイ禁止！ アメリカは州によってケータイが運転中に使えます。よく赤信号でメール打ったりしてるけど、もうそれもやめます。安全第一！
３．柔軟体操を再開！ 昔バレエをやってた時は体が柔らかくって、ヨガも達者だった時代が。。。今は運動不足手体ガチガチ。毎日柔軟を続けるように心がけます！
４．スペイン語をもっとがんばる！ 高校時代学び、大学も少し勉強したんですが、テキサス州はスペイン語を話す人が北のほうの州よりいっぱいいるので、もしかしたらこっちでも達者になれるのかなと。
皆さんの新年の目標は？ 今年もよろしくお願いします！
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