New Year randoms

It's here - finally- yay. Hello 2013. Nice to meet you. I actually have quite high hopes in you, you know.

Which also means that the magical, sparkly Christmas time is over by now and post Christmas-slump might already look around the corner... 

Today my new year started off incredibly great: After we had a super gezellig breakfast together with the whole family, I went out for a 10K run. It felt so good to get into movement after all the food from yesterday evening. We made Raclette, some traditional Swiss way of eating -- basically everything gets a coat of cheese (=everything is delicious with cheese, isn't?)which filled me up big times....
When I returned from my run I quickly got showered and went to the beach for a new years' walk which is located close by.

A few of our first impressions of 2013... Even the sun came out to play... 

We had a nice fresh walk and enjoying a nice hot chocolate in a small pub afterwards. Josie took the chance to run, roll and play in the sand, and this time resisted the opportunity to get in the water. That means we have winter.

A new year is all about a fresh start: getting rid of bad behaviors,making some new years resolutions. Maybe I should write them down.... 
A few of my 2013 New years resolutions go as follows:

• travel often. Places like London (again)are high on my list. I have also always wanted to travel the US. If that is a realistic goal for the year ahead I will find out as time passes. Dresden is a high prio as well. 
• Start a Yoga class. Additionally / Alternatively resume ballet classes. I have always loved this more quiet exercise, which I find a good contrast to my running workouts.
• Talking of running. Stay well in training. I would like to keep up working out 4 times a week - if possible.
• Keep up healthy eating habits. Last year I switched from common nutrition to vegetarian life style. I rarely eat some fish but feel that I will quit soon as well. I also tried out cutting out grains as much as possible. Not only had it influences on my weight, it also made my skin look so much better. 
• Loose 10 pounds before the summer. Starting now.
• Start a Scandinavian language course. Either Swedish maybe? Or Danish - as I live so close to Denmark. What do you think? It would be nice to have another language on my portfolio.
• Become a volunteer social worker somewhere. I really believe in contributions. Even if they are small, they matter.
• Be a better person. In anything. Whether it is improving my programming skills (which are basically non-existent), being able to make more donations, smile even more often, being even more self-disciplined, waste even less, work even harder to protect the environment, care even more about others, spend even more time outdoors in the nature etc etc..

Did you make New Years resolutions? Did you manage to stick to them in the past, or are you more like me and likely to forget about them by the end of January?

I'd love to hear yours!

Love,
Svenja
xx