Is it seriously time to start writing a new number on everything? I feel like 2016 flew by, and I'm not really sure I'm ready for the new year. I mean, I guess it doesn't really matter if I'm ready, because it's here. The time cannot go backwards, so it's time for me to think about my 2017 goals. I'm not really a fan of making resolutions. They terrify me and I feel they are counterproductive. You set a resolution once for the entire year. When the countdown hits zero, you either succeed or you don't. Even if you came close, you still feel the crushing defeat which is very demoralizing. Any deviations are just "excuses" for not accomplishing your predefined resolution. Basically, a resolution motivates by guilt and the negative feelings associated with anything short of success. That's not a healthy mindset when trying to grow and improve, since it's harder to take big risks when you have the fear of failure. Instead, I prefer to set goals for myself, which are similar but different than resolutions. Goals aren't all or nothing. You can come close to completing your goals, and still feel accomplished. They can adapt to any changes in lifestyle or priorities without having to feel like you failed and started over. Also, I feel like it's much easier to exceed your goals but keep going without putting your work down and feeling like you're done. Goals are just a nicer concept that - given the...

The trips that Shawn and I have been able to have this month have been amazing. This past weekend, we took a weekend adventure with friends up to Confluence, Pennsylvania. We were able to camp and white water raft in the cool Yough River. It was a great time to get away to relax. With weddings about to pick up again, having a chance to get outdoors and hangout with friends is exactly what we needed. The Trip We left on Friday afternoon, spent most of Saturday white water rafting with Laurel Highlands on the Lower Yough River, and came home Sunday. Of course, the weather did a good job at scaring us. With the forecast calling for thunderstorms on Saturday, we weren't sure if our white water adventure was going to happen. Lucky for us, the storms stayed far away, and we were able to show the river who's boss. In fact, the sun gave us a very hot and sunny trip on the water. Our sweat drenched us before even touching the water. Thankfully, the water was a refreshing chill we got to enjoy during the calmer parts of the river. The immense humidity, though, gave our two Eagle Scouts a surprisingly difficult time trying to light our campfires. With some perseverance, we managed to get the damp wood lit and a nice fire going. All of our meals were done over the camp fire. We had ground beef foil packs with vegetables for dinner the first...