Review of 2010 and a Look Forward to 2011

It is that time of year when the TV is full of review shows and I thought that I would jump on the bandwagon and give a review of 2010 and a look forward to 2011.

2010

For us 2010 will be thought of as the year that we moved to the USA. We sold our business, gave away our cat Willow, rented out our apartment and started a new business in California. Corina and I have lived in Edinburgh since we left school 17 years ago, we were married in Edinburgh and our business was in Edinburgh but it was time to leave.

Getting to the USA was a monumental task, if we knew quite how hard it was going to be I don’t think either of us would have started. The stress involved in emigrating to the USA was far higher than the stress we had to endure during Corina’s cancer treatment. To get our USA visa we had to invest all of our money and sign a 5 year lease before we could even submit the paperwork. We had to apply for our visa in Germany and we had to drive there from Scotland because the volcanic ash cloud stopped air travel.

While we were in Germany, waiting for our passports to be returned to us from the US embassy, we visited the Dachau concentration camp. This visit deeply affected me and the way that I viewed the world. The horror of what occurred in Europe during the Second World War and the pure evil of the Nazi regime chills me to the bone. I am glad that I went, it was one of the most difficult memories of the last year but I hope that I never forget that there are things that are worse than death and the suffering that occurred at the hands of the Nazis should never be forgotten.

We arrived in San Diego in the middle of the year, we had hoped we would be open in Spring but things take so very much longer than you expect. The Wolf Studio was opened in August and we continue to grow and develop our business. Since we have been in the United States we have had the opportunity to meet and work with some fantastic clients, professional triathletes, an NFL head coach and some equally wonderful and no less crazy clients. Marketing our business and adapting to the new market has been a challenge, we are now on Facebook daily, we have a blog on our website and we both attend networking meetings!

Our life in San Diego is so very different from that in Edinburgh. Corina has much more opportunity to train, she can attend regular running groups and swim in the ocean. In Edinburgh we were considered crazy for training so much but here we are decidedly tame. Corina has found her spiritual home in RunningSkirts, an unexpected find, a product that she loves made by people who she loves. In 2010 I went back to martial arts after a brief hiatus. I have begun a study of Iaido, the art of drawing the Japanese sword. My dojo is a little outside of San Diego and the traditional nature of the training in exactly what I have been looking for. America is the most amazing place.

Corina and I have immersed ourselves in American culture. We have watched lots of American sports, football is now soccer, I watch UFC regularly, I check on the status of Bret Farve’s injuries daily and I drive an SUV!

Always a shutterbug I have fallen in love with photography in 2010. My first DSLR (real camera) has changed an occasional interest into a full blown hobby, (read: obsession). I read about photography, listen to podcasts, take loads of pictures and I love it! My Amazon wish-list is now full of photo-gear and accessories. Who would have thought that I would have an artistic outlet?

We are thankful to our friends and families for supporting us throughout this year. Corina’s parents have been particularly generous. Both of our families have been in good health, we have family in the UK, in Thailand and in Germany and we would loved to have seen more of them.

2011

For us 2011 is the year that we will make The Wolf Studio successful. We need to travel back to Germany to renew our visa and it is essential that our business is working well. This is our #1 priority, and we know that we have colleagues, clients, friends and family that will help us achieve this.

Our personal goals for 2011 are quite varied…

I will, at the behest or my Sensei, travel to Japan to take a formal grading in Iaido. Testing for Iai only takes place twice a year so I aim to test at the beginning of December 2011. Random goals: I intend to learn how to shoot a gun and I would like to take a few golf lessons to see what all the fuss is about.

In 2011 I am going to get into photography more seriously. For years I have been told that I take a good photograph, now I have the equipment, I am learning out how to handle a real camera and achieving the results I would like. I would not rule out the possibility of a wee sideline developing in 2011.

Corina has her sights set on exploring this beautiful country, as a tourist and as an athlete. She wants to visit some of the spectacular national parks, participate in a memorable swim (maybe Alcatraz) and continue enjoying her running and cycling.

Corina would also like to meet her niece who was born just as we were getting our visa.

Although not technically next year (more next week) we are both looking forward to meeting some real wolves at the California Wolf Center.

We know that 2011 will be full of learning experiences for us, we are still adapting to a new country and way of life. Embracing these challenges, we know that moving forward, our lives can only be enhanced by staying the course and taking strength from our clients, students, friends and family.

Summary

2010 was a momentous year for us, the hardest year that we have ever had, both personally and professionally. In 2011 we will make sure that all of our hard work is translated into personal and business success.

Alan