Ran across this today. You’ve probably read/heard most/all of it before, but it is still worth reading and repeating. Don’t accept the status quo. Take risks. etc.
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Wow. It’s been a whole year since Bhumisha and I got married. It went by pretty quickly, but maybe it is because we managed to squeeze quite a bit into our first year together. We reorganized the house and bought some new furniture; we had a few visitors and did our share of visiting family and friends. We spent time in Chicago, Rolla, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, as well as several places in California.
We went on several hiking trips by ourselves and with friends. Bhumisha went to the snow for the first time and we both tried snowboarding for the first time. We even got in some snowshoeing. Recently, we found Bhumisha a mountain bike so now we can do some riding as the weather warms up.
Bhumisha got her driver’s license, and is continuing her search for a job in medical rehab.
We’ve already got a few things planned for our next year together – a trip to Yellowstone, another one to Yosemite, as well as Africa.
So it is now 2008. Two Thousand and Eight. Most people take this time to take a look back at the previous year and set some goals and/or resolutions for the future. Let’s take a walk…
A look back
2007 was a busy year in some respects, not so busy in others.
I fell off the workout wagon in 2007, but I did manage to run the Davis Stampede half marathon with my friend Steve. Bhumisha’s brother Sandip visited in January, and after being engaged to her for nearly a year, I married Bhumisha in April.
The wedding was a four-day whirlwind, and a lot of fun. It was great to see so many friends and family members make the trip; it was just too bad I couldn’t spend as much time with everyone as I had wanted. We honeymooned on Kauai and enjoyed quite a bit if hiking. When we got home, we finished shopping for new furniture and things for the house, as well as getting started on some projects around the home (installing closet organizers, painting the front bathroom, etc).
Anisha came to visit for the 4th of July, and Neha and Nisha visited in August. In September, we went to Kayur’s and Elizabeth’s Indian wedding and reception while we visited family and went sight-seeing in New York City. In November, Bhumisha made another trip to New Jersey, to celebrate her and her cousin’s birthday (she flew in from England). She did make it back in time for Thanksgiving, and to spend her birthday with me (I made her breakfast and we went out to the Cheesecake Factory with some friends). We spent Christmas at my Vaishali’s in Rolla, MO. My parents drove in from Chicago and Neha drove in from Denver (fighting a snowstorm the whole way). We enjoyed the ten days we spent there, and made it back to host a New Year’s Eve game night with friends.
All the while, I was getting used to having someone around me all the time. I also realized I’m not the easiest person to live with. I get into moods where I don’t want to talk to anyone. There are times I enjoy my solitude. After living on my own for the better part of 10 years, I got used to it. Sure, I had roommates, but we weren’t around each other constantly; we had time to ourselves. Now, I’m not complaining about living with Bhumisha – it is actually nice coming home to someone who looks forward to seeing you every day – it’s just been a change.
Bhumisha has been great about this change. She left behind everything she’s known in England to move here. Most of her family in the U.S. is on the East Coast, and she didn’t really know anyone here in California. So it’s been great to see her get along so well with my friends and family here (I think many of them like her better than they like me!). Hell, she even organized a surprise birthday party for my 30th. She also had never driven a car before, so she’s been learning and practicing how to drive. And here I am complaining about adjustments… jerk.
Work was definitely busy as I took on more responsibility while seeing friends and colleagues leave HP. But last year was surprisingly rewarding – I really felt like I was contributing and knew what I was doing. I even got to take a business trip to Seattle – right before my wedding. I managed to rack up quite a few accomplishments, and my boss took notice.
The Future
So what does 2008 (and beyond) hold?
I’m trying to get back into a regular workout routine. Between work taking up more of my time and wanting to spend more time with my wife, working out has gotten squeezed out. I’ll be spending more time focusing on getting back into a routine; work may just have to suffer. I have a few inches to lose around my waist.
Of course pushing back the work clock won’t be easy, as I’ve just taken on a new job role. I don’t think it is necessarily more responsibility, just different. Maybe even less in some ways. But it’ll definitely require more thinking and a lot of learning. Just when you think you have your job under control, you get something new.
Financially, we’re still 2 people living on one income. Bhumisha is still learning to drive and looking for a job, so we’ll just keep plugging along. Hopefully she finds a job soon – it’ll help her get out of the house and not be so bored. Plus it’ll help save for our future adventures. I’ve also signed up for the Motley Fool Million Dollar Portfolio – an investment service that allows you to track their portfolio and make trades when their analysts do. We’ll see how that pans out, given the current market conditions.
As for adventures this year, we’ve already been skiing/snowboarding one weekend (and we’ll probably go again soon), we’re going to visit Fred and Lisa on Maui, Yellowstone this summer, and more relatives visiting throughout the year. All the while, we’ll be saving for our trip to Africa in 2009.
I found this on a blog the other day. I watched it, and it really made me think about my habits and how I live my life. Check it out
When I take stock of all the things I have and want versus what I need, it is really kind of amazing. I’m not saying I shouldn’t want or have many of the luxuries I enjoy, but it is an interesting exercise in self-examination – Why do I want all these things I have or want? What is the real motivation? Do I really need them? Do I really want them? Why? Am I less important, less American, less human if I don’t? Is it because someone is telling me that I should? Who?
Just the other day, I had the greatest idea I’ve had in a while. Everyone wants a diet where they can eat what they want, don’t have to exercise, and still lose weight. How about a diet where you can do just that? I mean, who says you have to watch what you eat and exercise regularly to stay healthy? Fear not. I have the answer. I call it “The Movie Theater Concession Stand Diet”. That’s right. If you can find it at the concession stand at your movie theater, you can eat it.
How does it work? Well, you don’t need to eat real fruits and vegetables because you have jujubies and fruit-flavored squishies. Dairy? Milk duds, Sno-caps, nacho cheese, and a variety of milk-chocolate goods. Grains and fiber? Popcorn and giant pretzels with grains of salt the size of small automobiles! Meat? Hot dogs! Now, you may be thinking that your body could not handle all the sugar, fat, and chemicals you can’t pronounce, but fear not! This diet depends on the Abundance Principle. It works in the opposite manner of the Starvation Principle. In the Starvation Principle, your body is so deprived of energy that when you do eat, it stores all the energy away in fat because it doesn’t know when it’ll get more energy again. Well, with the Abundance Principle, your body is so inundated with fat, sugars, and other generally unhealthy chemicals that it all just passes right through, knowing there is more on the way. Genius, no? Oh, and while you’re at the movie theater, why not kick back, sit on your ass for a few hours, and enjoy a movie or two?
Oh, did I mention that the movie theater is going to give me a cut of their profits because I’m getting you to buy more of those overpriced snacks? But nevermind that. It’s a small detail and is really not why I have proposed this idea. I just want to give you what you really want. Now, you get to sit on your butt and eat whatever the heck you feel like. Want extra butter-flavored grease on your popcorn? Go ahead. Want the extra-mega-sized soda? I won’t stop you. Counting calories? Bah. Counting carbs? Forget it! Watching your fat intake? Why bother? Making sure you eat good, whole foods? Psshaw, are you kidding? Balanced diet? That’s for sissies! Go ahead. Sit on your ass and eat whatever you want. Just pray you can pry yourself out of that seat when you have to hit the bathroom.
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