I know a lot of people think resolutions are bunk. But I’ve been making them as long as I can remember. They’ve gotten more precise, more achievable, each year.

Looking at my resolutions for 2010, I met or achieved every single one. That feels good! It always encourages me when I achieve them, and makes me want to work on new things for the new year.

This year I tried to be even more precise:

1. Travel more. Take at least 3 trips in 2011.
2. Delve into photography. Visit museums. Study photographers. Take more photos. Submit stock photos.
3. Work on caring about my appearance, skin, clothing, underwear. Every day.
4. Shop more. Even if I don’t buy.
5. Be there for my friends and family. Inside my head too. Give all of me.
6. Speak more slowly and clearly. I want my child to understand me.
7. Support hub. Even when it means he won’t be able to spend time with me.
8. Let hub be wrong. Give him control. Often.
9. Enjoy the art of just being. Slow down. Let go.
10. Start my new secret endeavor. Find my passion daily.
Now share yours! Only fair!

We’re back in our Paris apartment after spending three days in Amsterdam (check out my NYCityMama overview). It’s a great city, but this time of year it. is. cold. And yes, Rachel, it’s cold in your neck of the woods in Wisconsin, but it’s quite different walking 5 miles + a day in it. Brrr.

The weather continues to be insane. Both going and coming, our trains were cancelled and delayed. What should have taken 3 hours to get home took 8. So glad we made it home for Christmas.

What was really cool about our trip, besides going to the NEMO Science Center (read NYCityMama post on that) was seeing our Dutch friends. We met them 10 years ago when studying in France. We’ve kept up over the years, and it was so neat to see them now, all of us grown up and with kids.

The kids were shy at first, as you can see. Their kids don’t speak English, and Max doesn’t speak Dutch, but by the end of the night, they were speaking the same language: fun. It’s great to have friends on the other side of the world that you can connect with after so long. So, til next time, you guys, Dooie!! (that means see ya later.)

I’m loving traveling in a world that has Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare. And Yelp. And Skype. And wi-fi.

• Ten years ago, I would have called my mother once a week, having a rushed conversation due to the sheer expense of calling with a calling card. Now I Skype her for free and we can talk leisurely.
• Ten years ago, I would have sent my friends postcards, then beat the arrival of the cards home. Now I update on Facebook and Twitter in real time, sharing blurbs of my experiences.
• Ten years ago, I would have written in my journal, my hand shaking as the train rocked back and forth. It would have been illegible. Now I’m typing out a blog post I will publish in minutes, thanks to the free wi-fi in the Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam. I still write in my journal.

It’s exciting to share our trip as it happens. Like when the insane weather (the worst in Europe’s entire history) kept us and tens of thousands of people from traveling yesterday. Shared it on Facebook, posted videos to my mom. Got responses.

I can check Yelp for the best kebab stand in Montmartre (though we already have loyalty to our new friend Abdel down the street). Can use a city app to figure out how to keep Max occupied when we get to Amsterdam. The hub can download more books than he can read on his Kindle.

It’s an amazing, high tech world we live in, and I’m loving it.