New epoch
Simmy & decided to surprise our folks in New York for new years this week and I think it turned out pretty good. I rang my father on his home phone line and asked him to open the front door to receive a package and there we all stood is disbelief for about 10 seconds as the synapses fired -- revealing the surprise. It is wonderful to be home and NOTHING compares to my Mom's cooking; Playing legos with my 4 nieces is priceless and just the way to start off the new year.
As I reflect on the last decade I can't help but think about how fortunate I am. So many things to be thankful for including getting married to my wonderful wife, our dog Scrumpy joining the family, great opportunities to learn and grow professionally and personally, an awesome group of people to work with everyday, an afternoon picnic on the great wall of China, snorkeling with reef shark in the Caribbean, seeing Everest and the eastern Himalayas, sea kayaking in the Gulf of Thailand, leaving home in NY & moving to the west coast (such an awesome personal growth experience & opportunity), seeing the first African American president sworn into the office, watching the internet transform everything around me, and always having an awesome support network of friends and family to lean on when the waters gets rough. So much to reflect upon and be thankful for.
There are darker things this past decade that will stay with me too. Coming out of the subway station near Chambers Street on the morning of September 11th and looking up at the World Trade Center for the last time; It still lingers in my mind. Although I wish otherwise, the world changed that day and I know that we can never come back; If I could have access to a undo button in my life it would have certainly been on that day. Spending half a day inside of Dharavi and the slums in Mumbai was shocking and humbling. I felt as if all my senses were awakened to harshest reality I've ever witnessed. I have never experienced that level of abject poverty in my life.; I couldn't speak and I felt guilty as the car drove me back to my hotel. These experiences weigh on my conscience and are undeniable components of my frame of reference.
All of these experiences have shaped and changed me in profound ways; I guess that is the point of life. As I look to the coming year and beyond (mostly beyond) here are the areas I want to work on and develop:
There are darker things this past decade that will stay with me too. Coming out of the subway station near Chambers Street on the morning of September 11th and looking up at the World Trade Center for the last time; It still lingers in my mind. Although I wish otherwise, the world changed that day and I know that we can never come back; If I could have access to a undo button in my life it would have certainly been on that day. Spending half a day inside of Dharavi and the slums in Mumbai was shocking and humbling. I felt as if all my senses were awakened to harshest reality I've ever witnessed. I have never experienced that level of abject poverty in my life.; I couldn't speak and I felt guilty as the car drove me back to my hotel. These experiences weigh on my conscience and are undeniable components of my frame of reference.
All of these experiences have shaped and changed me in profound ways; I guess that is the point of life. As I look to the coming year and beyond (mostly beyond) here are the areas I want to work on and develop:
- Continue to grow and develop as a human being
- Take allot more chances and risks (credit to Andy)
- Become a solid lap swimmer in the next 12 months (w/ allot of help from Emerson)
- Take a shot at working for myself (see #2)
- Maybe start a family
- Be more straight forward
- Move all my personal web crap into AWS
- Make sushi and then eat the sushi
- Hug Simmy more
- Attend all** of Gordon's meeting
- Teach Scrumpy how to catch a frisbee
- Make my parents smile more
- Be happy
**all=most :)
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