Finishing line?

I’ve not completed my #52in52 challenge. It started off very well, with a great deal of enthusiasm, and I got a lot done in those first six months. But as I headed in to winter here in Canada, it was harder to find the motivation and time every week to tick something off the list.

I did take advantage of some aspects of winter, by starting my ice-skating journey and heading out into the wilderness with some snow shoes with my guide Laura, and I learnt a bit more about the local flora at the same time (including the eastern white pine, the official tree of Ontario).

Yet, some of the big ticket items remain on the list - hot air ballooning, bike touring, horse riding. And my plans for a trip to the USA to see the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam were blocked first by an issue with my ESTA and then the election of an administration actively hostile to Canada. Also, it quickly became clear that the #52in52 lifestyle required a lot of time and effort, and a number of work and personal projects used up time I might otherwise have devoted to #52in52 initiatives. That's very typical of me though - lots of projects, not enough of finishing them.

That said, there are certain things I have kept up - I walk every day, without fail (which has led to a few freezing outings in the depths of the Canadian winter); and every day involves at least 20 minutes of reading and a stretching workout. I've also read some books that I've always wanted to read, like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and James Joyce's Ulysses. There's a lot more chess study than there used to be too, plus the occasional game. I'm annoyed that I haven't kept up with the piano practice, but I suspect everyone else in the house is not. I've also been pretty good at keeping up with some French language work, although I need to get back in to more French listening, and I think I need to try out something other than Duolingo to move that forward.

I'm also pleased with some of the projects and experiences I did complete. I thoroughly enjoyed my woodworking and have plans to do more of that. Archery was also great - I might go back to that too. I had a great trip with Oliver to Stonehenge and with Lorraine to the Tower of London. I got to go to a baseball game for the first time. I've been golfing and canoeing; wine tasting and to a Korean BBQ (more than once). I've even mastered the art of tying a bow tie.

And I'm not done! I’m going to keep up with the list, ticking things off and adding new challenges. #52in104? Or maybe just a #52in52 mentality.

I've already bought the bike rack for my bike tour...