2012

I have no idea where December went.  Well, that's not entirely true, I remember spending a lot of it sitting at my desk studying.  The few times I looked up from my books it was snowing outside, so I went back to reading.  Two terms down, term 3 begins this week.

2012 was a year unlike any other for me.  So many changes, nearly all of them for the better.  

New countries visited:

Mexico, Iceland, Denmark, Italy, Vatican City

Fantastic experiences:

Standing on the edge of a continental plate in Iceland and looking over the edge

Drinking 400-year-old glacier water while hiking on said glacier

Standing under the Eiffel Tower, both the real one and the one in Vegas, about two weeks apart

Seeing the Grand Canyon from the air

Touring Mayan ruins

Riding a bike in Copenhagen, like the locals

Standing in the Roman Colosseum

An audience with the Pope - me and 50,000 other people on Christmas day

Moving to a new country

The complete 180 degree life change was by far my biggest accomplishment.  Leaving a job, a spouse, my home country, my support network.  I'm thankful everyone was so positive and supportive of a move that probably looked a little like an early mid-life crisis.  There are a few things I wish I had done more of, like searching out live music, and a few things I wish I had done less of, like worrying about the small stuff.  Overall, though, I ended 2012 happier, healthier, and with a more positive outlook than when the year began.  

Goals for 2013:

A permanent residence outside the US

A job I can get passionate about

Visit at least 2 new countries