My friend A. sends me one, every year. And every year, I’m happy to find the card in my mailbox. Because, it’s fun to receive mail that is not credit card offers, bills or announcement that yet another friend is getting engaged/married/pregnant. None of those years I sent her one.

This year, I was prepared, at least on my business level. Thanks to Groupon, I got a set of greeting cards with envelops and cute little labels for return address from Vistaprint for $15. That was a steal. And it allowed me to get everything at once to G. for her to send them while I was in Europe. But on the personal level, that’s another story.

As a writer, I should be on top of those things. I’m not. I will shamefully admit that I ended-up recycling last year’s generic Holiday cards and replacing “holidays” by “New Year” for a couple people that I felt deserved to receive something back. But most of my greetings I did via social networks, text messages, phone, emails… Not cards.

As I mentioned in my post The Art of Writing, it is possible that we forgot what pen and paper feel like. But, again, there’s nothing like receiving something hand-written in the mail, so why shouldn’t I give that type of pleasure to the people around me? Plus, I’m a sucker for cool designs and vintage papers. So why not get a little shopping fun out of it!

It’s only January 8th, I guess it’s still time to add another 2012 objective, a “2.b.”: write more cards!

1. Read more
In 2011 I read 3 books. For someone who graduated in Languages & Literature, it’s a very shameful thing to admit. The funny thing is, I took me about eight months to read the first one, and I read two in the last quarter. I even found the time to write something up about that second one, Anatomy of a disappearance. The fact is: I love words. After reading those last two books and starting a third one, I think I realized how much I missed reading. So yes, 2012 will be the year of the book reading… and who knows, maybe 2013 will be the year of the book writing.

2. Write more
Dear readers – I have a plan. I have made many many lists about that blog. You’re stuck with me for a while. Love, Audrey.

3. Let go
“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” – Raymond Lindquist. I have a feeling I’m going to do plenty of that in 2012.

4. Keep on moving
When I traveled to Europe last month I didn’t do anything. My neck started hurting. My hip started hurting again. I, miserably, tried to workout in my grandmother’s basement a couple times; it was not enough. I still felt like a huge slug. Not a good feeling. It might take more lists, but I’m telling you, I’m not making that mistake again.

5. Keep on going
Guess who’s going to start packing on frequent flyers miles again… Of course, I have a list. Several lists of countries/cities/places I want to visit. And this time, I’m not letting anyone or anything be in my way. I’m free at last and I plan on making the most out of it.

6. Call a place home
It might be last on my list, but it’s first in my heart. It is very unsettling to realize you are a SDF – Sans Domicile Fixe – a homeless. I have a roof over my head, but it’s not my roof. It’s K’s roof. I want a place of my own. I want a place to call home. It will be warm and cosy in the winter, and open and airy in the summer; and there will always be an open couch for my friends to surf on. It will be my landing zone, my headquarter, my retreat.

2012, you and I have some work to do. How about we get started?

As I mentioned in my post Sing Out Loud, K., my roommate, convinced me, a few months ago, to follow with her The Artist Way program. One of the exercise of that program consists of “long hand-writing” first thing in the morning. That’s when I realized hand-writing was painful. My wrist hurt, my fingers couldn’t hold the pen for too long. I first thought that I was having a stroke or something, but I soon realized that my hands were not accustomed to writing anymore. All they are trained to do now is typing.

After several mornings of diligently filling pages with my random thoughts, my writing became clearer, and I could go longer without lifting the pen and shaking my arm. I hope I don’t forget that. As much as I love computers and technology, they will never be as personal as a hand-written note. Putting words on paper feels very different than putting words on screen.

I gave up half-way through the Artist Way, but the same way I’m keeping up with the singing, it is essential that I also keep up with the hand-writing. Just not every morning. There are a few instances when hand-written messages are a must, and when those moments occur, I want to be able to have a nice clear scripture. So in the meantime, I’m practicing with my favorite pen pal: my grandma!

Do you remember the last time you hand-wrote a full page? If not, I encourage you to do so. And why not, I also encourage you to find yourself a pen-pal and develop a correspondence that will go beyond Facebook-messaging! You’ll thank me later.