I don’t make new years resolutions. What I do is a yearly performance review of myself and my life. I also have a very long bucket list to go through on a regular basis. By not doing the new year’s resolutions I avoid being disappointed by the end and able to be more satisfied with what I actually manage to accomplish. What happened in 2019, then?
So many changes, so many important crossroads, so many decisions!
So many successes, so many new initiatives & projects, so many great memories!
But also, so many failures, so many mistakes & so many lessons learned!
Summary of 2019, coming right up!
This website
I am really happy about this year’s writing. I managed to publish more frequently and it had improved (hopefully!) my writing skills. Since English is still a foreign language to me I feel like this practice makes quite a difference. Since I am writing, reading, talking and watching films constantly switching between English and Polish – any exercise counts. On top of that, I am slowly starting to grasp the subtle differences between British and American – which before didn’t really matter for me that much. But according to Professor Henry Higgins from ‘My Fair Lady’ – Americans manage to not speak English at all (no offense).
Oh, why can’t the English learn to set
A good example to people whose
English is painful to your ears?
The Scotch and the Irish leave you close to tears.
There even are places where English completely
disappears. In America, they haven’t used it for years!Why Can’t the English? From My Fair Lady
I am also pleased that I started a new category on this site because it touches a topic that I’ve cared deeply for some time now – the environment. Thanks to that I am learning a lot and I am happy to share all of the changes I have introduced into my life to affect my carbon footprint. I can just hope that it is as inspiring to you as it is to me. I am definitely looking forward to continuing writing this year.
#boldfortheplanet
Like I just mentioned the environment is something I care about. Putting it into a bit more constructed initiative seemed like a good move because it is easier for me to stick to something if I can exercise discipline and some kind of routine. I will be continuing this initiative in 2020! You can count on more articles to come on this matter.
Moving to the UK
Now, this is a huge change. In 2019 I actually moved twice. First from Warsaw to Szczecin and then to Manchester. I must admit it was (and still is!) quite challenging but I really am glad that it happened. Despite the English weather and their love for bureaucracy – it seems like a nice place to live. I like the industrial style of this city. We’ll see how it goes from here, but so far so good!
Python
2019 was a year of studying for me. A year of searching and exploring what I want to do, what I am good at and what brings me joy. At the beginning of the year, I was focusing on programming, I’ve completed the CodersLab course on Back-end development followed by some self-study on data science. It was tons of new information to process but I learned a lot about myself too, which to my belief is even more important. Self-awareness, in my view, is one of the crucial elements of living a happy life. That and appreciating the present.
New job
Another huge change was getting a new job which was the reason why I moved to the United Kingdom. What I enjoy about it is that it is analytical, I can use my previous experiences and at the same time there is quite a bit of freedom left for improvements which brings us to the best part of the job:
I get to use some of my programming skills. This year I will be expanding my SQL and data science skills which I feel very excited about! Even now – I am smiling to my screen while writing about it!
Books
I can proudly say that I read more books in 2019 than I have in 2018 – by an astonishing number of one position. Settling for 29, most of which happened in the last quarter actually which brings hope for next year’s 52 books challenge. Something more about what I’ve been reading and which of them I liked the most – you can find here! And here’s a previous year’s summary too. Just in case you’re looking for some inspiration.
Spanish
Learning a new language is great for your brain so even for the sake of keeping yourself sharp it is worth considering. In the past, I have been learning German and French but Spanish is definitely the one that I enjoyed most. On top of that I’d like to visit some South American countries in 2020 (fingers crossed!) – knowing at least some Spanish is definitely an advantage.
Another solo trip
Traveling on your own is something I think everyone should experience at least once. My first one was in 2017 and it was an overseas journey. I was scared but I did it anyway. The best thing about traveling solo is that you get to do whatever you want and whenever you want to do it. You don’t need to compromise anything which when in a group or even as a couple – can be challenging. My second favorite thing about it is that you get a lot of ‘me-time’ as I like to call it. I definitely discovered some things about myself when I did it. My third favorite thing about solo traveling is that you can meet very interesting people whom otherwise you might never have crossed paths with. This year I decided not to go back home for Christmas but to travel. I went to Azores – Portuguese volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – and I loved it. The nature is absolutely amazing, because of the high humidity it seems like anything can grow there, the forests are a mix of temperate forests and tropical plants (like palm trees and bamboo). You also get mystical fogs, windy days, tons of green along with sun, waterfalls and hot springs! I’ve met some cool people too! If you are thinking about going there yourself – I can recommend some places to stay and things to do.
Mars
On my bucket list, there is one bullet point that states “Going to Mars” and as unlikely it is to actually happen I will have at least part of me going there. With the next NASA’s Rover mission to Mars, I have included my name on a boarding pass.
Planned launch: July 2020
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, Air Force Station, Florida, Earth
Arrival: Jezero Crater, Mars
Rocket: Atlas V-541
Ballet
I always wanted to see a ballet. Unfortunately, there always was something in the way. This year I finally made it! It was a total coincidence because a friend of mine had a discount ticket and I agreed to go before I even knew what we were going to see (it was the Red Shoes). How surprised I was when it turned out to be something I always wanted to see! Always say yes when life throws you an opportunity – maybe you will get something you’ve been dreaming about!
2020 I’m ready.
Bring it!
adrapinska 