Nomadic Narrative

There’s something rejuvenating about celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of another. You can say good riddance to a bad year and at the same time step forward with renewed hope for the next. Reflecting on 2008 and thinking about resolutions for 2009, this was one of those rare occasions when I set the simple goal of seeking opportunities to continue along the same path.

Though off to a risky start, 2008 turned out to be a life-altering year. I wanted to write and publish, and I achieved those goals repeatedly. Hand-in-hand came more peace-of-mind as I felt myself being driven by my interests and my passions – travel, language, culture and the many amazing personal stories you hear along the way.

Apart from adding a stricter exercise routine to my New Year’s resolution list, I’m making just one alteration. In addition to writing as much as I humanly can, I’m going to work on developing my writing niche. After a lifetime of extensive and often remote travel, I’ve often quipped that I should get paid to travel professionally! Can I turn this passion into a profession? I’m going to spend 09 taking a shot at it.

I’ve backed up my resolution with two New Year’s good-luck dishes:

I ate a hefty helping of black eyed peas for overall good luck, and

a couple of spoonfuls of collard greens for money (Thanks, Diane!).