Ready or not, here it comes

It kinda feels like the new year snuck up on me this year. 2008 was a good year, overall. It started out with exploring the Grand Canyon, then had a thesis defense, master's graduation, paid vacation in Spain, and ended with a ridiculously busy semester of Assistant Coordinating and class. 2009 already looks like it might bring interesting change, but we'll just have to see how it works out.

Christmas break was very nice. It's always bittersweet to be home, in the sense that it reminds me how great it would be if I lived near by my family. At least, however, I do appreciate the time I have when I'm home. My parents spoiled me (again) this break with trips to Togo's, Acapulco's (which, by the way, are NOT my favorite restaurants... so they should never, ever close), the Wild Animal Park, and by letting me drive their new car. I also enjoyed our family time playing board games together. Sequence and Wits N Wagers were the favorites this year. For some reason I got really lucky with the Wits N Wagers game. In the game, you basically have to guess random facts, like what the longest recorded long jump in the Olympics is. Somehow my guess was only 1 inch and 1/4 off. Maybe that just means it's time to go to Vegas! :)

To start the New Year, I went up to Santa Barbara to see Amy and Chris. Chris' high school buddies were gracious enough to let me tag along for carpooling. On the drive up, we sang Disney songs and ate Sri Lankan chex mix. :D In Santa Barbara, we played never ending board games. I may have cursed the game playing because at the on-set, everyone was telling me how much fun they had playing said game. But four hours later, no one wanted to play the game ever again. :P It was still enjoyable, though. One morning, Jason and I went on a nature walk and got to see the largest monarch butterfly site in the United States. It was really awesome to see the butterflies wake up and start fluttering around. It was also amusing to people watch and see the little kids' reactions. Fun times. Unfortunately, time flew by, and we had to leave. On the drive back, we challenged each other in the car with silly riddles. Some were impossible, some were mathematical, and others were just plain lame. I had a lot of fun! :)

With the New Year, I wonder what type of resolutions I should set for myself. I got an e-mail from my grandpa, and it had some good advice. Here's a few tips I'd like to do (or at least remember) in 2009:

- Try to make at least three people smile each day.
- Frame every so-called "problem" with: "In five years, will this matter?"
- Your job won't take care of you when you're sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch with them.

And finally...
- Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

Happy New Year! :)