Reflections and Resolutions
2024 was the year of travel. Gary and I took 13 trips this year (okay, our last trip was actually a staycation on the Las Vegas Strip and was only 13.3 miles away, but still…). We took two amazing cruises. The first was a Panama Canal cruise where we went through the canal and visited Central America. It was truly remarkable. Our bucket list cruise was Australia/New Zealand which was absolutely incredible (we’ve been planning this trip since before we retired). Highlights were the Sydney Opera House and Hobbiton…definitely a dream come true. We had long trips, short trips, family trips, and everything in between.
We have been so fortunate to have had a year like this. Gary and I both enjoy experiencing new adventures, seeing the world, and meeting new people including our new niece and our new grandniece. Growing up, I never imagined that this could be my life.
I wish I had been able to share all these wonderful trips with my mother; after all, my mother was the one who instilled a desire to travel in me. Inspiration often comes from unexpected sources. My mother frequently talked about her sixth-grade teacher who shared her travel experiences, including slides, with her students. My mother grew up extremely poor and they were always in survival mode so travel for fun was never a possibility. However, this teacher made it seem like an attainable dream. The summer before my mother had this teacher (1949), the teacher and her friend went to Alaska. My mother often talked about the Alaska trip as well as some European trips that the teacher had taken earlier. Unfortunately, life circumstances prevented my mother from being able to enjoy this aspect of life, but she shared the impact that the stories had on her with me. So this teacher that I never met inspired my mom to “catch the travel bug,” and in return my mom inspired me by passionately sharing her teacher’s stories. Though my mom, unfortunately, was unable to fulfill this dream, I’ve enriched my life through travels in ways I never thought possible including two trips to Alaska that she would have loved. It really is important to share stories with others; you never know the impact they may have.
Speaking of stories, I have continued my blog. The first year of my blog was during COVID and I wrote a story about at least one ancestor every week (the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by Amy Johnson Crow). After the first year, I concentrated on 12 Ancestors in 12 Months. With travel and other events in my life, this seems much more doable. This year, I have written 13 posts. I really feel much more connected to family through my foray into genealogy.
My immersion in Ancestry continues. According to Ancestry.com, I added 288 ancestors to my family trees and I have 3,174 new DNA matches.
In addition to genealogy, another major hobby for me is reading. It is one of my great pleasures to sit out on patio with a cup of tea or a glass of wine and simply read. According to Goodreads, this year I read 68 books by December 18.
Now on to those resolutions… Yes, I still want to lose those 10 pounds and increase my exercise. It’s an ongoing battle. A huge part of our entertainment revolves around food as we get together with friends. I cherish those times so it’s a balance.
As far as genealogy goes, I want to continue researching (new resources are always becoming available) and I plan to continue my blog, focusing on 12 Ancestors in 12 months. My mother’s paternal side has proven to be a bit challenging and I would like to continue working on that. My mother’s paternal grandmother was from Canada and on MyHeritage, I recently discovered a relative with a public tree. I would like to explore this and see if I can find some information on the Ligget side of the family.
I have multiple photo projects and my recipe calendar that I compile every year that I plan to continue to work on. It often seems that I have more projects than time…I’m sure that’s true of most people. I intend to just keep enjoying my retirement and living in this wonderful community.
New Year’s Eve with friends has become the best way to start the New Year. We plan to travel “all the way next door” (it’ll take minutes) to enjoy the evening with good food and great conversation. As always, we will ring in the New Year with those on the East Coast. Cheers!
