One Little Word: Explore!

Last year I decided to join the One Little Word movement and picked  Onward! as my focus word for the year.   I think having it on my mind really helped me do what needed to get done to move here to Boulder.   As I sifted through all the things we had acquired in the thirty some years we had lived in our Maryland home, as I packed up boxes, researched moving companies, worked with Ben to make all the decisions involved in a cross country move, ended a job I had enjoyed for many years, and prepared Paul for the big change, the cry of  Onward! was my mantra, inspiring me to move ahead towards my goal. 

Now we are happily settled in our new location and I've decided that for 2015 my word is Explore!  It's an exciting, happy word, full of adventure and energy, and that's what I envision for this next year.  

Explore:  To travel in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about or familiarize oneself with it.

Of course I'm eager to explore our new geographical area.  We're thinking of a Colorado road trip this summer and I plan to explore the many museums and attractions in Denver.   But I'm also eager to explore the people here, to search out kindred spirits and enlarge my circle of acquaintances and friends.

Explore:  To look at something in a careful way; to study or analyze something; to learn about something by trying it;  to talk or think about something in a thoughtful and detailed way.

I've decided not to take the second part of the World Art class I took last semester at CU.  Instead, Ben and I have signed up for a class on WWI at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Denver, a program geared to people fifty and older.  The class is once a week in Golden, about thirty minutes from here.  Ben has already done extensive reading on WWI and I'm getting started.  Already we are enjoying our discussions.  

I also decided that now is the time to learn Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, more advanced tools than iPhoto.  I've been curious about what can be done with Adobe, but not sure I wanted to tackle that learning curve.  Apple's announcement that it will replace iPhoto with a new application in 2015 has given me the needed push to make the move to the Adobe systems.   I've also decided that now is the time to learn how to shoot with a good DSLR camera.  I love my Canon S120 but Ben's Nikon D800 with its mighty arsenal of lenses has been tempting me ever since he bought it.   Shooting photos together is a vision Ben & I have for these next few years, and I was happy to find a course that seems to offer exactly the type of learning experience I want.  This week I've started a year-long online class offered by Ricky Tims which provides learning experiences with the Adobe tools, a DSLR camera, and overall design.   

And the last area I plan to explore this year is health and fitness, continuing the focus which was a natural outcome of moving to this fitness and health conscious area.   Since June I've lost twenty pounds and feel in much better shape, not only from all the walking and hiking that is available here, but from the subtle but constant environmental and social cues to "get outside" and to eat mindfully and for health.  To expand on my progress in this area I've committed to water aerobics three times a week instead of two and am adding a weekly yoga class.  It will be fun to be in better shape and it will give me increased energy for my explorations this year.  

Having fun is a big part of being happy to be alive!