Anna Markwell

So what fun and games do I have planned for the coming year? Here's just a few of the things I want to do in 2012.

I want to read a book a week

I tried this challenge in 2011, but only managed to read a paltry 39 books - I tried to make up the remaining 14 in December, but it was a bit too late by then. So I'm hoping to stick to a regular routine of starting on Sunday and finishing on Saturday. I'm recording my progress on Goodreads so you can see what I'm reading and how I'm doing in the challenge there.

I want to take a photo a day

So far so good - will update some pictures soon. The problem is, my life is so boring there's often not anything to take a picture of! I'd like to look more into using the DSLR camera, I usually neglect it for my lighter iPhone camera, mainly as I've no idea what all the buttons do.

I want to get closer to a healthy weight

When I left the UK in July 2011 I weighed a mahoosive 102kg - since then I've gone down to around 90kg, which means I've lost almost 2 stone in 5 months! I'm still teetering at the overweight/obese line, and to get down to a "healthy" weight I'll need to reach 73kg. I'm not sure how easy this next 17kg will be, as I've not doubt my body and mind will fight me every step of the way. But it's really important to do this for my health, as I know I'm likely to develop diabetes (thanks, genes!) if I don't start to do something about this now. The hardest thing will be when I get back to the UK in June - how am I to resist all the lovely foods and drinks that will suddenly be available again after so long? Curry, cheese, cider, mmm...

I want to see more of South America

Our budget is extrememly tight, and we're limited by Jon's schedule, but before we come home we would really like to see more of this long, thin country we've been living in. We're planning on leaving Santiago in late February and spending a few months in Buenos Aires (yes, it's because I want to eat lots and lots of steak), popping over to Uruguay for the all important stamp in the passport. Then back here in May for some trips south (to the lake district) and north (to the desert).

I want to have an awesome party

This is the year I enter my fourth decade - I know, I know, you're thinking "but she only looks 21". Or maybe you're not. Anyway, because I'll be in Buenos Aires for my 30th birthday I hope to have a welcome home/Anna's 30th/Jon's 31st party in June - so if you're in the UK, keep that month free!

I also have lots of other goals - I want to make my own sourdough bread, I want to knit something for a baby (lord knows there's gonna be enough of them by the time I get home!), I want to get to a decent level of Spanish before I leave South America, I want to work on developing the habits of exericse and taking better care of myself... oh so much, and I'm sure the year will fly past quicker than an unladen swallow.

Picture courtesy of danielmoyle

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Happy 2012! You gotta love new year, everyone is so full of hope that this year will be even better improvement than the last, and none so more than I. 2011 can go punch itself in the face, I am SO over it already.

We had a brilliant new year celebration, going back to our old flat Viña del Mar and heading down to the beach just before midnight to watch the spectacular fireworks (see photo above) and drink a bottle or two of bubbly with friends from around the world.

So, what do Los Markwell have planned for el año nuevo? Our travel plans have changed somewhat, so we're now going to be staying down here in South America until the begninning of June. I miss friends, family and food more than anything, but it means we can save lots of money to spend on cheese and curry (and gastric bands) when we get back.

We'll be in Santiago now until late February, when we pop over to Argentina for a while (i.e. until I eat all the cows in the country), have a brief trip to Uruguay and then pack in Chile before we fly home in early June. Lots of exciting travels planned before we're back in Blighty, can't wait!

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