As 2020 comes to an end – and good riddance! – a new year is upon us, and with it a chance to gather our thoughts and to figure out what to strive for over the coming months. Here are my loadstones as I attempt to navigate 2021, summed up in 21 words:

1. Vaccinate

Get a vaccination, as soon as you can. Make your neighbours and friends go get theirs. And their cat.

2. Travel

I can’t wait to travel again, once I’ve gad my shot. It’s less about going somewhere in particular, and more about regaining the freedom to roam.

3. Visit

Equally, I am longing to see people in the flesh. I’ve got folks I want to hang out with in Wales, Central America, Dalecarlia, Australia, North America…

4. Fly

It’s probably partly due to Lockdown, but I yearn to take flight! Drones, paragliding, heli… any mode will do!

5. Walk

Discover more local paths. Get to the mountains! And the forests. And the coast. And…

6. Swim

That swimming pond WILL happen. I imagine being able to slide inside its velvety warm embrace every day. Domesticated wild swimming, if you will. Heaven.

7. Read

While not every bookshelf is a secret passageway, every book is a window to a different universe. Go universe-hopping!

8. Grow

Tomatoes. Flowers. Garlic. Wild strawberries. An orchard? As a person?

9. Keep

Bees and ducks. The former are already here, but will need a more permanent home into which they can settle. The latter need to be bought.

10. Play

The piano. And chess. And music. Dance around the living room for the sheer, unfettered joy of it.

11. Write

Blog. Poetry. A book? Maybe compile my travel writing into one. Would anyone read that?

12. Spend

Life is short. Money is only a means to an end. Use it. Buy that thing you’ve been wanting!

13. Invest

But equally, look after your money. Make it work for you, not the other way around.

14. Experience

New things. New vistas. New tastes. New people.

15. Try

And try again. Don’t give up!

16. Be

It’s ok to take time out to just let the universe wash over you. Really.

17. Stretch

Your limbs. And your imagination. Thought Of The Day: Everything in the universe is one of two things – a duck, or not a duck.

18. Wonder

Does anyone actually read these things? 😉 I got 3,000 visitors to the blog this year, from all over the world, so I guess the answer is yes, but who are you?? You can’t all be my mum… let me know, ok?

19. Create

Make things. Drawings. Paintings. Canned goods. Flowerbeds. Revolutions.

20. Live

Here and now, in the real world. Spend less time on social media!

21. Love

Dare to tell the people you love that you do. And if you do love them, act accordingly.

That’s all*. Happy New Year!

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* Felt I missed out on something? Let me know in the Comments.