FOR THE FIRST TIME in over a year, I’m sick.
Battling a head cold. Really annoying. Since taking daily cold showers, I felt almost invincible.
I guess the Christmas indulgence of booze and my achilles heel – Ferrero Rocher’s – helped accelerate my downfall.
Just gonna have to take a little better care of myself from 2018. Things that I’m planning to focus on include:
- I’m moving back to Colombia next week! Cheaper, sunnier, and a chance to channel my energies on my writing over the coming months are exactly what I need.
- I’m giving up the booze. I’ve flirted with this in the past. In fact, I went a year in 2015 without it. It helped that I was in Colombia at the time, away from peer pressure and the constant bombardment of it in Dublin. This time, I’ve had enough. Hangovers are just too severe, taking days to clear. I drink rarely, but when I do, it’s until I blackout. Can’t be doing that shit at 35. Time to grow up.
- I’m going to work towards achieving the splits. For two decades it’s been a secret goal of mine. My lower body flexibility is bad and getting worse. I’m in generally good shape but tight hips and hamstrings have always hampered me. I bought a book recently which promises the reader splits in 4 weeks (!). Not sure about that, but I’m never one to resist trying something new.
- I’ll be releasing three new novels in 2018. The first, Raising Lazarus, will be in February. Then there will be a sequel to Sigil in the Summer and finally, ROT – the novel, will be released at year end.
- For the past few months my main exercise routine centred on calisthenics – bodyweight exercises. I’ve been doing pushups, pullups, situps, etc. That will continue in Colombia because they can be done anywhere and I don’t need a gym. Suits me.
- Improving my Spanish. I won’t have a better chance than now. I can speak it but I’m not fluent. I’ve got loads of resources and just need to get out there and get to it. It’s always helped when I’ve had a spanish speaking girlfriend in the past. You know what they say – the best way to learn a language is on the pillow…
If I manage to complete half of those goals, I’ll be a happy chappy.
What are your goals for 2018?
Good luck on your move and your plans for 2018 sound good. Thanks for reading and following my blog. My main blog is http://www.growingyoungereachday.wordpress.com. Blatant self promotion eh?
Oh wow! Good luck on your move, Aidan! Sounds like another adventure awaits you! Happy New Year!
I hope you start feeling better Aidan! What a horrible way to start the new year! Well, it can only get better from here! : )
I have been waiting patiently for the sequel to Sigil. I’m so glad it’s coming out this new year! I’ll be the first to order it from Amazon.
Knew I could count on you Rae 🙂 Happy New Year by the way. Lovely to hear from you as always.
Happy New Year! I’m looking forward to what you have in store. 🙂
Thanks Rachel. Looking forward to reading some of your work in 2018 too. Happy new year!
Good on you Aidan! Here’s to it all working out beautifully for you. It’s good to be around for the conscious appreciation of awesome experiences. I always say moderation is excellent.. unless you need to forget, eh? ;). But of course, on a serious note, it’s good to appreciate all things in love and all that good stuff with gorgeous memories of the same dimension in which you had them.
Moving to Brasil cold turkey taught me the language as a baby would learn, only crash-course (for survival purposes) and not the drawn-out 3+yrs a toddler would have. A little under 3 months of full immersion with the locals and an acute study of the speech gave me an excellent handle on communication of all kinds, and with daily study of the grammar and such from a book I purchased along with a super-nice tan, I became fully fluent and Brasiliana w/in 6 months. I still feel more at home in that country than most places.. ‘cept of course the olde Scotts landia of Whales or some such stuffs. Anyway,
Cheers and Love to ya on your mystical journeys! Full immersion (emersion comes thereafter, but only if you want to come up for air (underwater breathing can help with that instinct..). Jump in and dive hard. You live many times, but only once in this particular vehicle ♥
Such inspirational words Sabell! Amazing how you picked up it so quickly. I need to break out of that comfort zone again. The older I get, the more home comforts I want, clinging to ex-pats and visiting familiar eateries in foreign lands. Happy New Year to you!
Hi Aidan. Congrats on making the move back to Colombia! Here’s a strange one for you, I got a follower on my blog recently from Colombia Women…and then from Peru Women…they seem to be sites based around finding and understanding women from these nations. Weird eh?
I had a suspicion you’d be wanting to give up drink again after Ireland tempting you for so long. Hangovers are a waste of time so if you can’t stop when you’ve started, you may as well not start.
Happy new year! I’m off back to Uni to retrain as a zookeeper! Can’t wait!
Hey Graham -Funny, I just got a follower a la región española (unusual for me; most likely tied to this blog’s most recent post, eh?). Seems the social ai bot’s up to its silly tricks again… only it picked a Spanish chef for me instead :). I’m ok with that, so I followed back.
A Spanish chef…sounds good! 😄 Crazy what goes on isn’t it? Why can’t we be left alone…🤔
You had me at ‘Colombian Women’ haha! That sounds a little strange for sure. Are you going to be doing the Uni while over in NZ Graham? Happy New Year to you although it’s old news at this point where you are
Yes, still in NZ…should be great I hope!
Soooo impressive…I’m thrilled for you and am sending you encouraging vibes 🙂
Life is better without booze, which is why I haven’t touch it since 1989! Good luck with splits. Personally, I love yoga as it not only keeps me flexible in my body, but my mind & spirit, too. Lots of goals for 2018, one is a new eBook that my copy editor will look at this month. Happy 2018!