happy new year, everyone!

as in years past, i will begin the new year with a list of goals i would like to accomplish over the next twelve months. i like having things to work toward, and documenting it on here helps keep me honest. below are the things i hope to do this year.

run 300 miles. this is a big one, both because i’ve never run 300 miles in a calendar year before, and because i ran somewhere in the neighbourhood of 50 miles in 2015. part of it was a lack of motivation, and part of it was that weird virus, but i’m still pretty disappointed with how little i ran last year. a few of us have created a nike running challenge to see which of us will be the first to complete 300 miles this year, and it helps to have friends in bangalore to run with and to keep my spirits up. let’s do this.

learn to make one new dish a month. i have not utilized my kitchen nearly enough since moving into my house in april, so i want to learn some simple dishes this year that i can incorporate into a dinner routine. i’m going to ask friends and their mothers for cooking lessons, and i’m going to find some interesting recipes that i’d like to try. because if it involves food, i’m all in.

take a photography class. yes, it has been four years since i purchased my dslr, and i am still shooting in automatic. it’s shameful, i know, so this is the year i finally take a class or some workshops to increase my knowledge and skill. nikon offers a basic workshop once a month in bangalore, so i am going to sign up for one – likely in february – and spend a saturday learning some of the ins-and-outs of my trusty d3100.

re-read the harry potter series. i have not read the series in its entirety since deathly hallows released in 2007, so i figure it’s time to return to my favourite mythical land and re-live all the hogwarts adventures. i am unashamedly excited about this one.

go on food-specific adventures around bangalore. this one came to me while i was eating a dosa at the airport on my way back to the states. i realized i want to go on a search for my favourite masala dosa in the city, followed by my favourite biryani, and my favourite south indian meal, and so on and so forth. each month i’m going to pick one dish and try it out at various establishments around bangalore to see which one i think is the best. it’s totally subjective, but it means i get to eat a lot. it also means i’ll really need to run those 300 miles after.

watch one documentary a month. there are a lot of interesting documentaries that have been released in recent years, and i have a long list i would like to watch, so i am making it a goal to watch at least one a month in 2016. so if any of you have any suggestions for good documentaries, send them my way!

i usually like to have 10 goals for the year, but these were the ones i came up with. maybe i’ll check in mid-year with some updates and some new goals for the final six months.

what are your goals for 2016?

xx