The plan

I have decided that for the new year I have to have a plan. Not resolutions, but a plan.

The first thing to do with this plan is decide what I want out of the new year. Which are basically four things: a healthy body, a healthy mind, a healthy (and bigger) house and a healthy relationship with friends and family. 

Having decided those four, I had to think of what I could do to make those things happen. Not anybody else. Me! And here's what I have come up with. 

1. The healthy body

When I first moved to England (a lifetime ago), my doctor told me I needed to be careful not to put on too much weight. Did I heed his advice? No. So, over the last twenty years I have put on a few pounds here and there until it resulted in the Mara I am now. A very weighty matter indeed. Fortunately those pounds have not (yet) caused problems like diabetes, high cholesterol or such, but lately I have noticed a few creaks here and there. 

The plan

• Watching my food intake (read bad food intake). I do cook and when I do it's healthy (enough), but I also do the fast thing: microwave meals. Or just a hot dog. Not good at all. And neither are the sweeties I buy on occasion, or the crips. It's a good thing I don't eat chocolate anymore!

• Get moving again. The surgery was last year and since then I have only done two laps of where I live. I could have done over two hundred! Basically, I have to get off my big behind and do something again. 

• Finding out where those ^%#@%^ headaches come from and then hopefully not have them anymore. The no chocolate and no cheese rule has not yet gotten me the results I want. I have this notion the headaches might be hormone related and since I will have to go and see my gp soon anyway, I will try and get something done there.

2. The healthy mind

Of course a healthy body is part of the healthy mind, but even being overweight and having a headache shouldn't stop me from doing things I like to do. Yes, I do love to read and watch Christmas films and knit, but there are many more things I like. The theater, the cinema, visiting new places, dancing (not that awful stuff Norwegians call dancing though, but ballroom), concerts. Last year I hardly did any of that. 

The plan

• Try and go to the cinema or theater at least once a month. Our new rotas start soon and I have not a single late shift, plus quite a few shifts that start at a decent hour (ie after 7am). I don't have to work a single Sunday, so my Saturday nights should be good to go. I even checked up on the local theater and there is a show I wouldn't mind seeing: Carmen!

• Take dancing lessons again. Learning how to salsa or how to tango. Or what about belly dancing or tap dancing. I will need to have a look into those, but I have seen classes advertised. Although not the tap dancing. More's the shame. And the plus on the dancing would also be: a healthier body!

• There will be the Oslo Tattoo again this year and since I need to go to Oslo anyway to get my passport renewed (I hope it's Oslo anyway), I might as well make a weekend out of it. I have been to Oslo before, but haven't seen even half of what I want to see. Two birds in one!! Plus of course the holiday in the autumn that my sister and I are planning. Prague, Krakow, Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Salzburg and Munich are on the list. 

3. The healthy house

Having lived with the boil or buy water for nearly a year now, I have the funny idea my landlords aren't that bothered with doing anything about it. I won't go further into that though. The other thing about this house is that it is becoming too small. Or my amount of stuff is growing of course, but let's keep it at too small!

The plan

• Basically: MOVE! It's that simple. A house with two double rooms (or more) instead of one double and one box room. A house with the bathroom located either near the bedrooms or at least away from the kitchen. A house with a floor that doesn't go up and down when you tiptoe over it. A house with a basement that I can actually use. A house with a nice and big garden. And a view. And peace and quiet. And let's not forget the rent shouldn't be too much either or too far from work. A lot of desires, but the main one: proper drinking water that comes from the tap!

4. The healthy relationship

Last year was not as bad as it could have been thanks to friends and family who showed support and consolation. But in return I haven't always been the friend I could have been. I have neglected some friends and family members and am sorry for that. 

The plan

• Meet up with friends. A restaurant, a movie, a concert. Have an apple pie evening and invite people over. There are plenty of things to do and organise, so I had better do so!!

• Go and see my parents and friends back in the Netherlands and/or invite them to come over and stay with me. I will be meeting up with my sister at least once on our holiday, but our recent short break was fantastic as well and definitely worth repeating.

• Meet up with my cyberfriends. I don't know whether I will be able this year, what with my schedule so far, but perhaps some of you are coming to Europe this year and will be in the area (be it Norway or the countries we will be visiting in the autumn). It would be great to meet up.

So, the plan for 2016. And I will do my utmost to stick to the plan.