2009 Review

There's still a couple weeks left to 2009 but I know that when I go home in a couple days, I will be busy spending time with family and friends, Christmas shopping, returning purchases, eating all the stuff I miss in the US, snowboarding, etc. So this year I'm doing my annual review a couple weeks early.

In general, as I look back on 2009, I feel incredibly thankful. I think I said earlier this year that I felt that 2009 would be a year of adaptation and challenges, but that as long as death or terminal illness didn't touch my loved ones and El Hombre and I made it through, I would be okay. And knock on wood, but God granted me the two things I asked for. A lot of various illnesses and ailments befell my family this year, but they all made it through and for that I am more grateful than I can possibly express. And El Hombre and I had our ups and downs, but we've managed to survive 5 months of transcontinental LDR so far, and I feel incredibly lucky to have him in my life.

2009 was an amazing, if challenging, year. Job issues as soon as the new year started, followed by a couple months of extreme stress that ultimately ended in an offer to move abroad, a few months just chilling at home in SF as well as traveling, moving to Tokyo, adjusting to life in the most alien city on planet earth, making new (yet already dear) friends. And despite the daily things that irk me about Tokyo, when I step back and look at my life, I realize I am incredibly fortunate, incredibly blessed. I actually really like living in Asia (annoying qualities aside), and am excited to be learning a new language (especially exciting when I realize I "get" a little bit more than I did before). Living in Asia is one of the few items on my life bucket list, and I get to cross it off. And in the last couple days, I've been taking T's advice that I should just do whatever I want - and he was right. I feel loads happier and unrepressed when I just ignore the social rules here. And that frees me to enjoy all the things I do like about this place: city life, conveniences, food, learning the language. One small thing that makes me happy: getting eyelash extensions every 4-6 weeks. I never thought I would succumb, but once I did, I was hooked. Longer eyelashes make a subtle yet huge difference. In Japan they glue individual extensions to your own eyelashes, so it looks a lot more natural than getting a one-piece fake eyelash set. The process is slightly uncomfortable, but after the technician finishes and hands me a mirror, just looking at my longer lashes makes me a teeny bit giddy.

***

In my usual format, my 2009 Review:

Places traveled to: Oahu (X2), North Tahoe, Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul (X2), Korean countryside/seaside, NY, DC, Beijing, Xian, Orange County, LA, Barcelona, San Sebastian, SF (post-Tokyo move, X2), Kamakura, Hakone, Bali, South Tahoe

Spent Thanksgiving in: Bali with G wakeboarding and getting massages; Thanksgiving dinner at Ultimo, an amazing Italian restaurant in Seminyak

Will spend Christmas in: Bay Area with Gram, brother, cousins from LA

Will ring in the New Year (2010) in: South Tahoe

Best Fiction book read: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Best Non-fiction book read: Julie & Julia (by default, because it's the only semi non-fiction book I read all year)

Best Movie: Up, The Hangover

Best Meal: Tapas Molecular Bar

Second best meals: Peking duck at Dadong in Beijing, Sushi Sasabune in Honolulu, Giovanni's shrimp truck, every meal in Korea during roadtrip for Grandfather's 80th, Casa Mono with my Unicorn, first meal at Ultimo in Bali, Peruvian at Miraflores followed by Betty Crocker brownies from a box, brunch at Foreign Cinema, my halmuni's hwedupbab

Best food discoveries: Giovanni's shrimp truck, Hawaiian shaved ice with snowcap, croquants

"Bucket List" goals accomplished: living abroad in Asia, learned to wakeboard, (re)learning new language, paying off massive chunk of my law school loans

Number of Weddings attended: 3

Number of babies born to friends/family: can't count

Worst experiences: family health issues, layoff

Funnest events: L's bach party, L's wedding, 30th bday, NY with Uni, Bali with G, jumping through China with El Hombre

Most romantic events: Anniversary in Hog Island/Pt. Reyes, ryokan in Hakone

Favorite memories: El Hombre's visits to Tokyo, 30th bday in Hakone and at Tapas, Bali with G, wakeboarding, family road trip through Korean countryside, China trip, NY with Uni, every delicious meal I had with good friends laughing and talking

2008, in five words: challenging but an incredible journey

2008, in five different words: anxious, unexpected, challenging, new, adaptation

Key words for 2010 (prediction): surprise/unknown