Observations from reading my 2010 blog posts

I ordered a soft-bound book of my blog entries for 2010. Half of the entries were written before I quit my job on June 25; the remainder were written afterwards. When it arrived on Monday, I read it in two sittings. It wore me out to remember all I did! Here's some of what I was reminded of.

1. I was both excited and terrified to be ending my job. Excited because my time would be my own, terrified because what if I didn't have enough to do or ran out of money?

2. I had three goals and it was important for me to be useful.

3. I was an inveterate maker of to-do lists.

4. I didn't like taking the ESL class I'd signed up for as part of my first goal. It bothered me that I wasn't good at it, and I had to pay a fee to extend my initial six-month time limit to a year, but I finished the class.

5. I was looking forward to having enough time to read.

I've learned a few things since 2010:

I'm now accustomed to having my time be my own. There've been a few days when I was bored, but that usually has more to do with a state of mind than an actual dearth of things to do.

I do have to pay attention to money, like when one unexpected requirement is a new furnace, or once again I'm persuaded we need more timeshare points. I have learned that if I only have a mocha on the weekends rather than every day (as in "every day for the last 12 years"), not only do I save money but I lose weight. I'm gratified to see that our "meals out" expenses this year are less than last. Maybe it's because we're home to eat.

I guess it's not as important to be useful as I thought. Relaxed and spontaneous is a good alternative. This is embarrassing to admit. I did join the Planning Commission of my town, and I did work eight days for Habitat for Humanity, but that's it. Probably not enough.

I still have a to-do list, but it's pretty short, and stuff gets moved around or crossed off without my losing sleep over it.

I don't want to be an ESL teacher, and I don't have to be. Fortunately, there are many qualified experts, and they like doing it.

I am current with the magazines I read and my current stack of books has only nine items in it. I am using the library way more than at any time of my life except childhood.

Thirteen trips in one year might be excessive to some people, but there's not a single one I wish I hadn't taken. The best ones, though, have been when we've traveled independently rather than in a group. I'll remember that when I'm planning for future times away.

Jeans bought used on EBay fit just as well as those bought new at Nordstrom for twice or three times the price.

I still wear makeup when I'm going out of the house.

I'm a regular at my exercise class three mornings a week, but I must say I love the other two mornings when I don't have to get up as early.

I've spent more time in my blogging community than I thought I would, and the relationships have become important.

I can't take my body and my health for granted. Keep moving, keep moving, keep moving, but watch where I step.