Happy New Year and a Goal or Two

On the Black Rock Trail, Big Talbot Island

Happy New Year! I hope you've been enjoying the Christmas holidays as much as we have, and now it's time to welcome the new year.  Every year on Christmas morning, after the gifts have been opened (oh, usually by 6am), we load the dogs up in the Trooper and head to Big Talbot Island's Black Rock Beach trail. It's our way of giving the dogs their Christmas present!  And every year, I always take a photo similar to this one, the girls and the dogs on the trail. It reminds me of walking into the new year ahead.

I'm not much for New Year's resolutions, but I have do have two main goals for the year, so I might as well throw them out there to give myself a little more accountability. I'll call it my "Friends and Strangers" project. For the friends part, my goal is to get out of the office and have an official lunch date with a friend at least twice a month.  I have so many friends right here in town that I hardly ever see!  As part of our lunch date, I also hope to photograph them (there's your warning, local friends!).  For the strangers part, I'm working on a 100 Strangers sort of project.  My goal is to seek out two strangers a month, maybe someone I might see on a regular basis but have never actually met or someone I just happen to come across that looks interesting, and talk with them to learn more about them and photograph them. This will be the true challenge for me.  I have no trouble speaking in front of large groups of people, but I tend to be a little shy around people I don't know (I realize this may be surprising to those of you who know me well... :-)

So there you have it. My hope is that this project will get me out of my office more (and maybe eating better lunches!) and out of my comfort zone more. What are your plans for the new year?  Whatever they may be, I wish you a year filled with good health and happiness.