2013 and the World to Come

Salutations to one and all!

I hope the holidays treated you all well with family, friends and good spirits (both kinds)!

I figure it's another year in the book so I wanted to post a little update on what's been going on with myself as well as what I am looking forward to and working toward in this new year.

I can't believe that I started this blog 20 months ago and that I've now been back in the states as long as I lived out in China.  It blows my mind to realize that the time has blown by so fast and I've been working my current job for 7 months now.   The work is good, the kids are coming home, and the families aren't driving us too crazy which is a great balance.  I've got plenty of job security with new files coming on a consistent basis, so I'm happy with that.

Looking toward the future, I have a full marathon planned for June 2 in San Diego which should be nothing less than a blast!  I have a training program worked out which I'm going to try and follow quite rigidly, and I'll also be keeping up with my crossfit classes 2-3 times a week with one of my new year's resolutions being to make it to one morning class a week before work.  I'm either going to be in the best shape of my life, or I'm going to be dead.  I'll keep you updated.

I'm doing my best to plan a Seattle trip as well in April to see some good friends of old and hopefully visit some breweries, hit some nice Seattle weather and maybe even play an open mic or so.  It should be a grand 'ol time!

I'll hopefully be able to fit in some regular music gigs as well, and I'm trying to line up some auditions for some small, local bars.  I've had mild success in the past playing a couple of shows here and there and I definitely feel like it's enough to get my music fix for the time being.

Looking a bit further into the year, I will most likely be applying for grad school which I am quite excited about.  I want to study a program that focuses on languages and cultures to further my understanding of international interaction and hopefully use this to my advantage in the future, as I search for a career that is a bit more befitting of me.

If I don't get into grad school, I have quite the itch to get a move on again, so I will most likely be looking at other places around the world for employment opportunities.  As much as I dearly love working here at CCAI and getting some precious children adopted, I feel that it is not a job I can work at for the next 40+ years.  With that being said, I still have several months left that I am greatly looking forward to that will hopefully come with plenty of saved orphans and funds for the orphans not yet adopted.

I'll have a busy 2013, but I think that it will be a year with many new beginnings and experiences which I can't wait to have.  The opportunities are endless for now and as I remain here in the already-discovered world, I find a calm knowing that everything I yearn for is all within my reach.

I wish you the happiest of new years and I hope that with the new year comes peace, prosperity and good fortune.  Let me know what you have planned for this year as I am very excited to reignite the spark between myself and anyone who still glances at these blogs.  I can't believe I've reached over 4,000 page views!  

Please don't feed the skeptics.

Tony G.