Thank you, 2011!

They say good things come to those who wait, and while I feel that I'm getting ahead of myself this time, I'm extremely optimistic given the blessings that 2011 has brought. While 2010 forced me to come to grips on what I want to do in my life, 2011 more or less got the ball rolling. And like I said before, I'm a natural planner, and this year hopefully marked the foundation of those plans. Though the future is still uncertain, I'm intensely optimistic and happy about the year that was and what 2012 will bring.

Wealth is...wealth
This is the year when I had some decent financial planning laid out. More or less I was compelled to do so because of the new "projects" I have that require some serious financing. Suffice to say, 2012 and 2013 will be the time when I'll go back to poverty since I'll be spending 90% of what I'm saving so far. Though the latter part of the year was not good from an economic standpoint (my stocks are definitely hurting! should stop second-guessing next time), hopefully the returns are better this year.

Two jobs in one year, yeah you read it right
My career, though not aimless, appears to be on a winding path. I ended last year with a job and though things didn't go as I've thought, I still learned a lot and made great friends along the way. My new job, at last, fits what I'm envisioning for myself ever since I finished grad school. My new co-workers are also a blast and I'm lucky that I get to work with such talented people. Hopefully the next years point to more stability in terms of work.

Tripping
While I didn't have a lot of trips this year (because of the "saving" mode), they are still memorable nonetheless. Our Korea trip in February didn't push through, but that extra money helped me to buy more stuff for myself, hehe. Ended the year with an awesome Vietnam-Cambodia trip, which is a feast for the eyes (both the sights AND the people, hehe) that I feel that I have to come back for more.

Relationships
This year brought me a lot of old and new friendships that I'll always treasure. I had a blast going out almost every weekend with my friends, doing whatever activity that catches our fancy, sharing our various obsessions and introducing new ones. There are a lot (and I mean A LOT) of emotional milestones this year (not just on my end) and I'm glad that I have these wonderful set of people to share them with. I'm also thankful for all the new friends that I got to meet, from work to those I randomly meet during my adventures. Thank you for bringing that additional spice in my life.


And so I end my 2011 post with a whole ton of gratitude for all the blessings the Lord has given me, my family, and friends. I can't remember the last time when I am THIS excited about the coming year. Here's to an even more awesome 2012! Cheers!