Happy New Year! There was a time not too long ago that I lived up New Year’s Eve. I would get dressed up in clothes that sparkled, dance the night away with friends, eat Chinese food, watch the ball drop on television, throw some confetti, and maximize the use of my noisemaker. I still get dressed up and make an evening out of it. However, there have been some minor adjustments over the years. Now the night consists of a nice dinner and ends much before the hand strikes twelve. Nowadays the only dancing I do on New Year’s Eve is in my dreams once I hit the sack and struggle to make it past 11pm. New Year’s Eve has changed but is still fun in other ways that I would not trade for the world. Change is constant throughout life and in my opinion not a bad thing.
I used to love winter outdoor activities just like I loved rocking a late night New Year’s Eve celebration. Some winter activities I still enjoy others I have grown apart from. I learned to downhill ski just after I learned to walk and it was something I have been able to enjoy for the majority of my life. I don’t enjoy it like I used to. There was a time that I longed to ski in any type of weather. Rain, wind, or freezing cold weather it was all fun. Not anymore. Getting me to go downhill skiing in the peak of the winter months is like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. I can tolerate it but it’s just not comfortable. I am more interested in sitting by the fire, reading a book, cooking, chasing my pooch in the snow, or working up a sweat snowshoeing. Maybe Ill consider going downhill skiing in March or April once or twice as long as I can be guaranteed warmer weather. I also used to enjoy camping in the cool weather. Now the closest you’ll find me to camping in warm OR cool weather is enjoying a cocktail on my back deck in the dark as I gaze up into the stars. If eighteen-year-old Laura could see thirty-two year old Laura what would she think? Laugh, cry, or just give that look of disappointment.
As for this New Year I hope to get out downhill skiing in the spring, do some snow shoeing around the area, enjoy time on my deck, get many nights of good sleep (in a bed not a tent), stay healthy, continue to work hard towards one day achieving snowbird status, and overall live life. I may enjoy things in a different way than I did years back but that’s what makes life interesting and change fun. Every year is a new year, but even better every day is a new day.
