So today is the first day back at work for me since 20 December. It's a new day, new year, and a birthday occasion for me. I am a little tardy in making my new year's declarations, but I am sure I am forgiven by my meager audience.
The fact is, not unlike a lot of people out there, I don't have any new year's resolutions this year unless keeping up with a lot of changes I incorporated last year counts. For example, I have all but eliminated carbonated beverages from my diet, except for beer on the weekend; I have made an effort to drink alcoholic beverages only once or twice a week, and in moderation; and I have a pretty decent work out program I have going and I have been dropping 1 - 2 pounds a week (exclusive of the two week break I took when I gained five pounds).
Due to an unforeseen hiccup with office transportation, I will also be riding my motorbike to work from now on. This is something I wanted to start after the fiscal year budget constraints we had in October, but it wasn't until this other issue that I have convinced Diep this is the way to go. I have a plan for rain days, and I think it will work.
The two weeks off I took during the Christmas and New Year break was good for me. Granted, I was a little bored in Saigon and Nha Trang, but I think I needed some idle time to re-cock for this year... it will be a big one. I wasn't bored because Saigon and Nha Trang are boring, but rather because I have been to both of these cities quite a few times already - been there, done that. I was happy to see that Diep's mother was healthy and happy this time back. We had dinner with her at Pizza Hut in the big city and I think everyone had a good time.
This is the year Megan goes to big kids' school in the U.S. I will miss her immensely, but it also marks an interesting crossroads for Diep and I. We will be able to do a lot of things that work for two, but not three. I have a feeling we will be doing shoestring budget travel in the region a lot more in the next couple of years. Diep loves that stuff, but I will have to get used to it. One example of cutting costs is the difference between bus travel and air travel in Vietnam. If you have time to spare, bus travel is infinitely cheaper than air travel. Diep prefers the sleeper buses that are so ubiquitous in the south now, but I will definitely have to get used to that since the seats are great for much shorter people, but require a certain positioning to gain comfort for those people of universally average height or more.
So with this new year, at the age of 48, I still have dreams of progressing in life. I have not reached a point where I am just happy to be where I am and hope to just sustain. I want to improve and learn in several areas, and I think I will reach some goals I have set for myself. With the new year comes hope. It feels good!
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