August 2013 Goals
1 Aug 2013
I get so excited about making monthly goals. It’s just a really great opportunity to ask myself, every thirty days or so, “Am I doing what I want to be doing with my time? Am I having fun? What do I want to devote my playtime to for the next 30 days or so?” These questions make a month feel like the vista from the top of the Grand Canyon: deep and wide and long and beautiful. Here’s what I’m planning to do in August.
This isn’t the first time I’ve recycled monthly goals, but I’ve probably never had better reason to. I wanted to go to the beach in July, but the real summer heat hasn’t hit us yet (um, not that I’m complaining!) It’s a good bit cooler out on the coast, so I’m waiting for some of those good old 106-degree days to come my way before packing up my beach bag. Tonight Eric and I went for a walk before dinner, and it must have been 65 degrees. Eric actually wore a jacket. What?! I’ll take this balmy weather as long as it wants to stick around, and then: beach time!
I’m also recycling my zipper goal because I spent most of July quilting my laptop case. Now that I’ve had some more practice at sewing in straight lines, I’m even more ready to tackle this project.
I also want to spend some time learning at least a little bit of Greek before we go on our trip in September. I thought I’d be in the fast lane on this, since 75% of the Russian alphabet is actually Greek letters, but I was not accounting for those lower-case versions of things. I’ve got my little chart and a few apps on my phone (there’s an app for everything!), and I have a beginner’s book waiting for me at the library. If I knew how to say let’s roll in Greek…I would say it now!
Another project I’ve really been wanting to start is map-making. I love maps with all my heart, and I found this amazing book on Personal Geographies at the library; it basically shows you some techniques for making maps of your own life and experience. I am planning to make maps of the cove where I grew up, my neighborhood in Oakland, and the routes I traced over Oberlin’s campus in the good old days. And that’s just for starters. I’ve got my watercolor paper, my paints, and some good sharp pencils. I’m so excited to get started on these.
We have been traveling so much this year, and that feels like an extraordinary gift. I’m sure it won’t always be so easy for us to get up and go, and it seems like almost every month has held some fun foray into the wider world. But this one is special, if only in its improbability. On Monday I was thinking about how much I miss my parents, and I became possessed of the idea of going home for a week to help my mom organize her sewing room and have craft camp. I was thrilled to find cheap flights to Memphis in August, so I called home to check dates with my parents. It turns out that they are going to be in Seattle during the week when I wanted to come. I was super bummed…until I had the idea of meeting them there! They were equally enthused, so it’s up north for me in a few weeks. I have only driven through Seattle before on a roadtrip with my brother from Berkeley to Vancouver, and I don’t think we spent more than a few hours there. So I am super pumped to do some more exploring and to see it all with my mom and dad!
One million pictures will be taken, I am quite sure. What are you up to this month? If you have monthly goals, I would love to see them! Feel free to leave a link in the comments. Also, if all this goal-setting stuff seems weird, I totally recommend Elise Blaha’s “I Choose” online course. So much awesome, so few dollars. Happy August! (July goals updated here).
Update, September 2013: Well, August, you were a fun month! Did I learn some Greek? I learned to say thank you. But I still have two weeks and some long plane rides for cramming! I did sew in some zippers! I made pretty little lace pouches, BUT I am kind of a cheater because I did it without using my zipper foot. I know, I’m a rebel. But there is still time for reform. We went to the beach on September 1, so I am counting this one as done! We were just waiting for some hot enough weather, and it finally came our way. We went to Malibu with Hillary and her family, and there are not even words to describe how much fun we had. Post on that coming soon. I did make some maps, and I greatly impressed myself with my ability to draw dragons and coastlines and pirate ships. I also enjoyed marking lands and seas with antique lettering. I made them in collaboration with Hillary’s girls, and never have I had more fun imagining an eight-towered castle for squirrels. *Happiness.* As has been fully documented, I had an absolutely fantastic time in Seattle with my parents! And Picasa tells me that I took 759 photos in August, so I’m calling that “take lots of photos” one a win too.

Aug 01, 2013 @ 03:47:32
I am also very excited that one of your goals includes your mother and me!
Aug 01, 2013 @ 22:19:04
Me too! It was so unexpected, it really feels like a gift:) Thanks for letting me crash your vacation!
Aug 01, 2013 @ 04:55:51
Speaking Greek? Now that is cool!
Aug 01, 2013 @ 22:19:33
Speaking very slowly! So far, I haven’t mastered much beyond “thank you.” But that’s the most important thing, I guess!
Aug 01, 2013 @ 09:49:54
Seattle?! How cool! Home of so many awesome bands 😉 August for me is pretty loaded, too: 3 plays to review, FYF Fest, San Diego to meet a friend of mine since 2002, whom I have never met! 😉 and much more for the blog! Lets try for that Cal Tech walk sometime, too!
Aug 01, 2013 @ 22:20:13
Oh, how awesome! I am excited for your SD trip–we had such a great time there. Yes, yes, Caltech walk and thrift shopping should be in order!
Aug 01, 2013 @ 10:58:46
Speaking Greek sounds amazing, and I absolutely LOVE all the traveling. I miss being able to just get up and go, and I love your adventurous spirit. Lots and lots of pictures so I can live vicariously 🙂
Aug 01, 2013 @ 22:21:04
Oh, thank you so much! I feel the same way (in reverse, I mean) when I see pictures of Sonia: such a sweet and beautiful girl! I will definitely take lots of pics!
Aug 01, 2013 @ 12:03:57
I am digging the idea of making maps.. the concept sounds very interesting.. can’t wait to see the results.
Aug 01, 2013 @ 22:21:31
Thanks! I am excited about it!
Aug 01, 2013 @ 12:24:57
I hope when you’re in Seattle you’ll be able to go to Delancey for pizza (you’re a fellow reader of Orangette, yes?). That was my favorite thing that we did in Seattle. Well, I loved the sculpture park too, and lots of other things. But Delancey was so charming, and it was so neat to know the backstory going in. Have so much fun!!
Aug 01, 2013 @ 22:22:32
Oh yes, yes, yes! I hadn’t thought of that, but it does seem like a necessity! Thank you for the recommendations! I have loved reading about your travels on your blog, and totally applaud the decision to go home early from Canada. The right thing to do:)
Aug 03, 2013 @ 12:46:36
I was thinking of Delancey because way back in the day Orangette was one of the first blogs I ever read! And since I will see you in Seattle I will have to do no research or planning. Because you will have already done it.
Aug 05, 2013 @ 17:41:24
🙂 I’m on it! I got a few books from the library, and I have more than a few ideas! Can’t wait to go exploring with you! And, of course, we will have to go to Delancey:)
Aug 03, 2013 @ 15:59:02
I love these monthly goal posts of yours, they are always so inspiring. I am intrigued by the map making idea and looking forward to seeing your maps! I made goals for the summer and I’m not sure I even remember what they all were, now. Off now to remind myself, and to check out that course 🙂
Aug 05, 2013 @ 17:44:15
Thank you so much! I am glad to hear that–I never know if series posts are getting old or annoying. I guess I’d probably still put them up anyway, since they are so important to me, but it’s great to hear that someone else enjoys them too! I am excited about the maps too–here’s hoping I can get to them soon. Nothing like mentioning something on your blog to light a fire under you:) Oh, let me know if you like the course! I just love Elise Blaha. She’s great!
Aug 12, 2013 @ 05:30:26
If anybody can sympathize with your Greek woes, it is definitely me. I think I can help with let’s roll: Παμε (let’s go). This is a pretty useful expression and I hope it serves you well.
Aug 13, 2013 @ 23:00:36
Ohh, thank you! I will take anything I can get. I have a little phrasebook, but I am sure the pronunciation will not come naturally to me. It will be so much fun to pick up little words here and there as we go:)
September 2013 Goals
Sep 30, 2013 @ 20:29:13
[…] of pictures! I will be back in October with an update (August update can be found at the bottom of this post). Please feel free to leave a link to your September goals […]