NYR: 2011

Happy New Year!!!

We take New Year's Resolutions pretty seriously here in DNortonLand.

Well, we didn't until 2010, but then, things got real: I actually completed a resolution and I'm not about to back down now. As you may have read here, 2010's Great Letter Project was a rousing success (by New Year's Resolution standards, which means that it lasted through December). So I decided to try to make the 2011 NYR even more awesome. And by awesome, I mean legendary.

December was kind of a rough month in Madrid. Not going home for the holidays made me realize that I haven't really built a strong community in Spain. Whatever love I once had for Madrid is evaporating in the stress of PhD applications and a Master's thesis. I want to fall in love with this city again, and I'm using New Year's Resolutions as a way to achieve that. This particular NYR has 3 parts.

Part 1:

Row at the Retiro 3 times a week.  I'm living much closer to the Retiro than I was, so I don't have laziness as an excuse, and I joined the club way back in September. Also, I love rowing: it's a great way to meet people, like the cute guy who is always biking. We're just a few months away from a real, audible connection.

(This is where the Pioneer Woman would say, "Name that movie!" but in this case, it would be "Name that internet sensation!")

Part 2 is a little more complicated. A friend found a list on the internet: 100 things to do in Madrid before you die.

For those who can't (or refuse to) read Spanish, I'll be posting an English translation of the list in a separate post. Some of the items are a little ridiculous, like build a snowman in the Retiro, or throw a snowball at a stranger. It can get cold in Madrid, but it rarely snows, so chances are, I will substitute these two items with others that I find more doable.

The 2011 NYR is to complete this list by the time I leave in July. I've already completed about 30 of them. That leaves 70 to complete in approximately 24 weeks. I think I can handle that.

And Part 3:

I'm now living 15 minutes walking distance from this church. I plan to go there every Sunday that I spend in Madrid. (Note: This does not mean every single Sunday. It could be that I travel somewhere one weekend and can't make it to church. that's cool. but if I am in Madrid, I'll be there at 11:30AM for services.)

We'll see how these go!