Reverb10

So I signed up for a month-long challenge called Reverb10. You can check it out by clicking on the link below: 

http://www.reverb10.com

Basically, the idea is that for the entire month of December we get prompts every day that we respond to on our blogs. The prompts are all intended to help writers, like myself, reflect back over the last year, and prepare for 2011. Crazy that we are almost there!

So what this means for you is:

1. I will be writing every day for the month of December, so you will have more entries on a daily basis for at least the next month!

2. You can check to be sure I am meeting my challenge every day and give me hell if I miss a day;

3. I will post the questions here so that if you want to join me and answer them for yourself, you can! (I would love to read some of your answers in the comment section at the bottom of my blog, if you are interested in sharing). Obviously, if you want to just join the rest of us through the official site, you can also go to http://www.reverb10.com

4. I will not replace my normal entries with this challenge, so you can still expect to see a few regular entries interspersed with my challenge entries.

5. Given the nature of this challenge, my responses may be more personal than my regular entries, so you may learn more about me than you would like to know. I will not be offended if you decide to read only my "regular" entries! 

So given that it is now 10.36pm, and I only have til midnight to answer the question, I best get on with it!

The question for today, December 1st, 2010 is:

One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

So I think if I had to choose one word to encapsulate 2010 it would have to be "searching"....
I choose this word because this year has been all about letting go of security in order to pursue my dreams. Leaving Prince Edward Island and driving across the continent alone for six weeks in the middle of the winter; selling my car, and having to rely on my own two legs to get me where I need to go; starting to practice yoga, and challenging myself to grow in both strength and compassion; not giving in and just moving back to Canada even though there is not a day that goes by that I do not think about it; learning to believe that even though it seems like none of the pieces are coming together here in California, there is some logic to this phase in life that I will look back on some day and smile, and learning to not give up on my dreams, even when they feel further away than they felt when I left Canada on this crazy journey of discovery.

I am searching for land to settle on. I still want to travel, but I am ready to own land -- to plant vegetables and fruit trees, knowing that I will be there to nurture them and harvest the fruit. I am searching for a place that resonates with my heart and soul. A place with rich culture and history. A place where community is strong. A place where I can easily get out into the natural world without having to get on a major highway. I am searching for a place to have a home -- a home that I build with my own hands, or a home that I renovate, also with my own hands. I do not want a home that is new or perfect. I want a home that has history. I am searching for a place that I want to remain through all the seasons, and people whose company I cannot imagine living without.

I am also searching for myself: for the joy within myself, and work that allows that joy to grow. I am searching for work that I can feel passionate about, and is of service to humanity in some way, however small. I am also continuing to search for opportunities to serve through being a Baha'i. Teaching children's classes, working with youth, or hosting a study circle or devotional gathering. I find participating in activities that nurture my own and others spiritual growth makes me deeply happy. I am searching for more of this in my life.

And finally, I am searching for a dashingly handsome (to me), imperfect, passionate, adventuresome, energetic, compassionate, spontaneous, respectful, honest, trustworthy, humble, communicative, and kind man with a wicked, playful sense of humor, to explore life with. Someone who actually believes in God. Someone who likes the idea of having children. Someone who will stick it out, even when I am being impossible. Someone who is persistent. Someone who loves the natural world, and is not afraid to get his hands dirty. Someone who knows how to make me laugh out loud :-)

And as for next year...that seems a long way off, but I am thinking "home" or "roots" will be more word. I hope. But I am finding on this journey of search that I can never predict what will come next, and that in all honesty, life would be incredibly boring if I could. 

What is your word for 2010?