What is good in Russian culture that is a possibility to start a new year two weeks late again if somehow the real new year’s start failed. It is called Old New Year. This phenomenon is required too many words to explain, so just accept this knowledge. And it is Old New Year eve just right now. So I would use this possibility to wright the summary of 2019 and pretend that it is not too late.
2019 was definitely more successful than the previous year. At least I didn’t break anything.
Things that happened with me at the first time in my life:
-travelled norther than Polar Circle
-experienced the Polar Day (and so enjoyed it!)
-visited Norway
-was on the island that is northeast in many aspects
-drove a snowmobile
-drove a barge
-drove huge (for me) car in the mountain desert off-road (and even bring it back)
-was on icebreaker trip (as a passenger)
-climbed the highest volcano in the world (well, the summit happened on January 1 of 2020, but the whole trip was in 2019, so it can be count for both years)
My outdoor and sport life also was quite successful.
Three ski weeks on the glaciers of Svalbard and Ojos del Salado were the tops of this.
Polar Bear 50K also was the key point.
Backyard (or almost backyard) mountains also were not forgotten.
Shasta wast climbed in second times, and in this time we also made her siam sister – Shastina.
Rainier was claimed in uncounted time, and also several good hikes on his slopes were made.
Some other trails near the home also were nor forgotten.
Well, it was very good with travels in that year.
Skiing and snowmobiling on Svalbard. Boating in France. Mountains, deserts, islands, and vinyards of Chili and Argentina. Churchill with disappeared polar bears. Florida where I finally had a drink in Hem’s favourite bar. Larch season in the Rocky Mountains. Arnica and waterfalls of Oregon. Holland and Germany (final week of my 2017 new year trip).
I saw and photographed many wild animals in many different places. That is very good.
I met with friends, travelled with friends and hiked with friends. That is marvellous.
I continued to cook different tasty and interesting things.
I am sure that I miss something that only means that the year was good.
I hope that 2020 also would be good. There is a Russian belief (it is a joke, of course, but every joke has some truth) that the first day of a new year determines the whole year. At least we made the good start – summited Ojos on the first day of the year. Hope it will help:)
