2013: Conquer

I have determined that my slogan for 2013 is "Conquer."

I'm one dude, traveling down my own unique path and I don't need anyone or anything to help me along the way. No matter what I face this year, I will conquer it.


In case you haven't heard, 2013 has arrived. In fact, we're closer to the end of month one than we are to the start. Apparently I didn't get the memo.

I've had this particular entry in my mind for quite some time now. In fact, I've had half of it drafted in my queue for at least a week! But between bouncing around (Calgary to Kimberley to Calgary to Toronto to Calgary to Kamloops) and juggling work, school and other volunteer efforts, I've had no time to actually write it! Oh and this little thing called the NHL returned. Not sure if you know about it, but it kind of took up a bit my time too.

2012 was an interesting year for me with  ups, downs, spins, turns, tumbles and more as chronicled in "2012 -- A Love/Hate Odyssey."

With that being said, 2013 is a fresh new year with fresh new things on the horizon. In fact, I've already written a curious little column about it in The Omega.

Now, I am not necessarily one to make resolutions. In fact, I have never really been one to do much of anything when the calendar rolls over. As far as I was concerned, Jan. 1 was just another day.

This year I'm taking a different approach. I've created a list (that I might even add to as more ideas come to me) of all the things I want to accomplish in 2013. Some of these things are awesome, some are less awesome. Some are lifestyle changes, some are career goals.

Perhaps we will call this my bucket list for 2013. I don't have a life-long bucket list, but I've always considered starting one. Maybe I will experiment with the year-long 2013 bucket list and go from there.

With that being said, here we go. For those of you out there who wish to, check in with me every once in a while to keep me accountable and push me towards achieving as many things on this list as possible! And now, in no particular order...

1. Drink more tea - I used to drink tea like there was no tomorrow -- green tea, herbal tea, you name it. For whatever reason, I lost touch with tea and want to reignite that spark.
2. Expand my vinyl collection - CDs are dead to me. Okay, maybe not completely dead. But let's just say that romance got boring and stale. I fell in love with vinyl in November. We are in a committed relationship. Don't tell anyone, but I'm probably going to propose. 
3. Expand my music collection - Now, this is more in relation to variety. I'm always looking to experience new artists, genres and sounds. 
4. Read more - I used to read like a fiend when I was in grade school. I rediscovered my love for books this summer while in Toronto and in the unfortunate predicament of being iPodless. I was amazed at how much reading I could get done on a 45-minute TTC commute! I have since accumulated a stack of books that I can't wait to dive into.
5. Eat healthier - I've never really been a poster boy for healthy eating. With a high metabolism and a crazy schedule with football and hockey during high school, I could pretty much eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Approaching the quarter-century mark and I think now is a good time to fix that.
6. Land a permanent job - Graduating in April and I hope to have employment shortly after, if not immediately. Two degrees and seven years later, I am finally ready to join the workforce and start my career. Okay, maybe I'm not entirely convince about going to work immediately. A summer of would be fantastic, but paying off bills and student loans is good too.
7. Explore somewhere new - I could break this one down into so many subsections, so let's do it:
• Move to a new city/town: I've enjoyed my time in Kamloops but after two years I feel it's time to move on. Obviously this ties in completely with No. 6. That being said, I have been applying for jobs across the country and have been keeping my eyes peeled for opportunities abroad.
• Travel internationally: Again, tied in with No. 6. Money dictates an expensive adventure without work, though I am considering the idea of freelancing while backpacking Europe. I would love to work the Olympics in Sochi come 2014. But I guess that would be something for next year's list, though I have missed out on the accreditation deadline. 
• Travel within Canada: It's always been a dream of mine to see our beautiful country from coast to coast to coast. I've seen a decent chunk of the west, but apart from Toronto, I have seen little of the east and haven't braved going north of Grande Prairie, Alta.
8. Rescue a dog - For as long as I can remember I have wanted a dog. As a kid growing up in a big city, my dad always told me it was inhumane to keep a dog somewhere that it couldn't run free. I could never really argue with him on that. That being said, I do believe there is a place for dogs in the city and I would love to rescue one from a shelter. If I were to have a breed preference, I have always been a fan of beagles, bassets and weimaraners. But I pretty much love all dogs. 
9. Find myself a recreational hockey team - Growing up, hockey was my life. I played nearly every day of the week for as long as I can remember. When I wasn't on the ice in the summer, I was out in the parking lot playing street hockey with the local gang from around my block. Two years have gone by since I last played hockey regularly and I think that has played a significant factor in the ever-growing whole in my heart. I've slowly eased my way back into the game with a few drop-in sessions over the past three months, but it isn't enough. I want to dive back in head-first.
10. Start yoga - I used to be one of those guys who said, "Psht! Yoga is for girls!" Let's just say I've come around on that front. After being shelved due to injury for nearly two full years, I have lost a step or two in the strength and stamina departments. From everything I've been told, yoga has immense benefits to core strength and flexibility, two key ingredients on the path back to fit.
11. Learn to play guitar - It was the last time in my life I was approaching the stage of graduation when I bought my beautiful acoustic. I slowly started teaching myself until I hit a wall, got frustrated and put it away. I was given lessons as a gift from someone special, but gave them back when things didn't work out. I had always wanted to learn to play for that special person and once that wasn't going to happen, the dream of playing guitar kind of lost its shine. I've since realized I shouldn't need to play for anyone other than myself.
12. More music festivals - I've done the full-weekend festivals like Virgin Fest before, but I've never attended a full-weekend camp-a-thon music festival. This past summer I made a commitment to one of my best friends that I would join him at Shambalah 2013, so that should be a new and exciting experience. I've also been longing to go to Coachella forever! With Gaslight Anthem and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (among many others) hitting the stage, it might just be the year I venture down there for the first time.

Obviously I realize that time alone might not permit me to accomplish all of these things, but it's good to have some targets to shoot at. I fully expect this list to expand and grow as I am almost positive I've forgotten a few things. Either way, it isn't anything set in stone. More or less just a launch pad.