2012 was a pretty crazy year for me, in lots of good and bad ways. It was certainly an improvement over the last half of 2011, but it was far from my best year. I’m hoping 2013 will be a lot less extreme and a whole lot happier. So here’s what I’d like to do in the upcoming year. (Okay, so it’s two weeks into January, but better late than never!) 

1) Go see new stuff in Barcelona more regularly.

My first summer in Barcelona, I was instantly charmed by how much stuff the city had to offer. Of course, as time goes by there’s not as much new stuff, but I miss the feeling of discovering the city. I still haven’t seen everything Barcelona has to offer, so it’s time to get discovering.

Barcelona-Casa-Batllo-Casa-Amatller-roof-Gaudi-modernism

2) Travel to a new place in Spain

I’ve seen a lot of Spain; I’ve lived in Andalucía and Catalunya, and I’ve been to Madrid, Castilla y León, and Asturias. But there’s still a whole bunch of the country I haven’t seen. For a country that’s as big as my home state, Spain is surprisingly diverse.

3) Spend some more time in a Spanish place I’ve already been to.

For me, travel isn’t just about making a checklist of places I’ve been. I prefer to spend more time in a place so you really get to know it. Hopefully I can get back to a place in Spain I’ve already been and find out more about the place.

Salamanca-Spain-pretty-streets

Maybe Salamanca?

4) Improve my Catalan.

I did my first Catalan course and understand the majority of it. If I think hard, I can speak a little bit too. But I’m not going to flatter myself, my level is way too low. Back to the old Catalan it is.

5) Dedicate more time to improving my Spanish.

Learning a language takes time and effort – there’s no way around it. Because of my shortage of formal classes, my grammar needs a bit of polishing. I speak fluently, but I don’t speak perfectly, and I’ll never get there if I don’t do a bit more work. My goal: do something every week.

speaking-spanish

6) Go to a new country.

It’s been a while since I went to a new country, and I’d love to be able to go somewhere completely new for me. If I’m lucky, this might happen this month. Fingers crossed!

7) Keep up my blog!

One of the best and biggest surprises of 2012 was finding success with my blog. I’m so pleased it’s done well, and it’s exceeded my expectations by miles. I’m hoping to make it even bigger and better in 2013. Thanks to everyone who’s read about my adventures last year, and I hope you all enjoy this year as well!

Barcelona-Gothic-Quarter

Also, here’s my favorite quote about the new year, thanks to Neil Gaiman: 

“And for this year, my wish for each of us is small and very simple. And it’s this.

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.

So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”

Did anybody else make late New Year’s resolutions like me this year? What are you hoping 2013 brings for you? 

Besos!

-Jess