2008 Review:

Places traveled to: North Lake Tahoe, Guatemala (Antigua, Santiago de Atitlan, Panajachel), LA, Costa Rica (Malpais, Rio Pacuare), Peru (Cuzco, Machu Picchu), Spain (Madrid, Bilbao, Seville, Barcelona), France (Nice, Antibes-Juan Les Pins, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence), Monaco, Italy (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore), Brussels, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Greece (Athens, Ios, Santorini), Turkey (Istanbul, Cappadocia), Israel (Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Dead Sea), Dubai, Mumbai, Malaysia (KL, Penang, Langkawi), Shanghai, Seoul, Hong Kong, Gilroy, Half Moon Bay, Yosemite, Washington DC/Northern Virginia/Baltimore, Vancouver, Osaka, South Lake Tahoe, Whistler, Bass Lake, Paris

Spent Thanksgiving in: SF with family

Spent Christmas in: Bass Lake with dad's side of family, where we received a white-out Christmas and played in the snow in blizzard conditions

Rang in the New Year (2009) in: Reno

Best Fiction book read: The History of Love

Best Non-fiction book read: hmm...don't think I read any non-fiction books in 2008, unless Lonely Planet guides count

Best Movie: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Meals: El Hombre's birthday dinner at La Folie, plateux de fruits de mer at Blue Water Cafe in Vancouver

Second best meals: goat cheese and caramelized onion tapas at Taverna Txakoli in Madrid, foie gras tapas at El Globe in Bilbao, every meal at Cuines Santa-Caterina in Barcelona, almond brioche and almond croissants in Antibes, latte at train station in Ventimiglia, currywurst in Berlin, greek yogurt and honey in Greece, various lamb dishes at hole-in-the-wall in Istanbul, thali dinner at the Cream Centre in Mumbai, free chai tea served at my ghetto hotel in Mumbai (Chateau Windsor), breakfast spread at G Hotel in Penang, Sunday brunch at the Ritz, every meal at Koh Samui, every meal at Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot, street tacos in Antigua during Semana Santa, katsu don and agedashi tofu at Kabuki in Antigua, fried chicken at Playground, BBQ shrimp and grits at 1300 on Fillmore, bread pudding and frangipane croissants at Tartine, chilaquiles at XYZ, kuro ramen at Maruichi in Mountain View, takoyaki and customized chirashi in Osaka, roasted stuffed lobster at Anchor & Hope, hotdogs at Japadog in Vancouver

Best food discoveries: currywurst, kuro ramen, Japanese style hotdogs, Mongolian hotpot

"Bucket List" goal accomplished: traveled around the world, learned to surf, learned to windsurf, started learning French (although it's mostly forgotten)

Number of Weddings attended: 1

Number of babies born to friends/family: 5

Worst experiences: family health issues, seeing my mom go through painful divorce, demise of a friendship, layoff worries, amazing and precipitous decline of investments

Funnest weekend: umm.....like every weekend

Most romantic weekend: El Hombre's visit to Antigua

Favorite memories: the entire month of February, March ski trip to Tahoe, kids at Proyecto Mundo Mejor in San Juan del Obispo, Guatemala, talking for hours with El Hombre while staring at the starry sky in Antigua, surf camp, Inca trail, eating through Spain, hiking Cinque Terre, sunset in Santorini, hiking Half Dome, Obama's win, birthday weekend in Osaka, Whistler ski weekend, family Thanksgiving trip to Tahoe, double dates, Summer BBQ dinner for J's visit where we laughed so much my sides ached, White-out Christmas with family in Bass Lake, New Year's weekend in Tahoe with old friends

Sweetest moment: sugar packet in Antigua

2008, in five words: simply the best year ever

2008, in five different words: love, adventure, travel, full, alive

Key word for 2009 (prediction): adaptation