enjoy this fall by having at least one "fulfilling and new" experience in October, November and December

I hit the slopes by myself two out of my five days snowboarding in Whistler. It wasn’t that bad. It was more fun with someone else around, for sure, but it was kind of liberating being alone too. I think I prefer having a friend there, but I’m not so freaked out about going it alone anymore. :)

fulfilling, and new experience in December, unlike the previous ones, was spread all over the month :) I started running! And I ran almost 80 miles in a month (a portion of a 12-week training for this – Thanks to jeherv).

I know it’s nothing compared to what runners do, but the training itself was the single thing that helped me focus in the times that there were too many distractions on my mind.

True, it was hard to drag the body for the first few runs (what’s the point of running, after all, when you can avoid it!), but soon I felt the joy of listening to my own steps (like a working watch) and letting my mind slip away during the run to wherever it pleases :)

Okay, now that December is almost in the record books, here’s the rundown for “Fulfilling and New” activities at Chez Monotrème:

October: Ran a half-marathon for my birthday. Fulfilling, but not new. Got fired. New, but not fulfilling.

November: Wrote 50,000 words for National Novel Writing Month. Fulfilling, but not new — I did it last year. Although, I suppose it counts as “new”, since the novel itself was, well, novel. Started new job: fulfilling and new.

December: Worked on editing and marketing my novel. Fulfilling and new.

I finished my last day as an engineer 2 days ago. Boy, that sure felt good.

This will also be the first Christmas/New Year’s that I will get to spend with my family without having to work any of those days and in between, if I chose not to. Praise God!!!

Definitely fulfilling to leave a job and career I’ve not liked for nearly 8 yrs. Got the courage from God about 2 months ago to put in my notice.

Well, back when I adopted this goal, I didn’t know what to expect, but hey, that’s the point right?

In late November, I started working for the Robot Coop, and just got back from a visit to Seattle.

Now THAT is “fulfilling and new”!

I am about 11 weeks pregnant, and when I went to get my ultrasound last week, I saw the baby move!!! I was squirming (probably to get away from the sound of the ultrasound). It was sooooo cute. Like a little animated teddy bear, but cuter.

Anyway, that was extremely fulfilling and definitely new!

On December 2nd my small group and I volunteered at Project Open Hand Atlanta. We had a blast! We prepared hundreds of meals for delivery for half the day.

Tonight I was supposed to have my 3rd audition in 3 weeks. The drummer has the flu and cancelled. We may be on for Thursday? Anyway I went out and sang with 2 rock bands. I put myself out there and took a lot of risks. The bands gave me music and I wrote lyrics and melodies to it.

It’s been a lot of fun and absolutely new and fulfilling. I’ve written to my own songs for years but it was cool to take someone’s music and write to it. It showed me I have a talent at coming up with lyrics and melodies quickly when I need to.

So both the volunteering and singing have been exceptionally new and fulfilling.

Today a friend and I went to a couple of places I haven’t been to before. The Chocolate Fish Café , is famous for the cast of Lord of the Rings going there for coffee and lunch while filming in Wellington. The view was scenic, even though the weather was a bit cloudy and unsettled today. We had very rich creamy hot chocolate, served with a chocolate fish of course, and the service was friendly and efficient. Even though it’s a bit of a tourist trap, due to the LOTR link, it was enjoyable so I’d go there again, particularly if I had an out-of-town visitor with me.

I went on to Churchill Park where there are ventilation funnels and a chain and anchor from the Wahine placed in a memorial to those who died. Many of those who survived were washed ashore at the beach here. I can actually remember the day this happened, so looking out at Steeple Rock and seeing the beach while thinking about my experience of the weather really brought home to me how awful it must have been for the passengers.

Definitely new, and definitely fulfilling. I have now completed this goal.

and it made a difference to our lives too..

This morning, my sister, her husband, my cousin and I went to the market to buy turtles, eels and released them in the canal at the public park.

In Thailand, if we feel that we are not happy or facing bad luck, we will find way to make merits. Releasing animals to prolong theirs lives is one way to make merit.

Our fulfilling experience was not just the lives that we gave but our happier mind and the moment that we shared together too. We want our cousin to be a man with kind heart when he grows up.

has to be finishing the las vegas marathon in 4:47:06. this has to be one of the most fulfilling experiences i ever have had.