End of 2016 Reflection

Since I completely failed at doing any blog posts this year, and Hans and Kevin did their blog posts, I figured this is my last opportunity to do this (it is 10:30pm as I am writing, so 1.5 hours until the New Year starts).

2016 was certainly an exciting year, and a year of lots of changes. As I now reflect back upon the year, I realize how much has happened, and how quickly it went by. It certainly didn't feel like it was flying by at times.

2016 Lows:

• Getting altitude sickness at Alta and having to be put on oxygen, getting carried down via ski patrol. General panic attacks on the slopes, lack of confidence in my skiing abilities.
• Generally, not too many personal low points to point out, so I guess a pretty happy year for me.
• Most of my low points this year were a lot of depressing events in the general ways of the world... divisiveness of people, the rise of facism, the US presidential election, violence and terrorism around the world. There is so much unrest and unhappiness in people's lives, and it is worrisome. I've been living in a bubble for so long, thinking that everybody else looks at the world in the same light. So it has been fairly shocking to me to see just how divided our country, and the world has become. I think we all need to be a bit more empathetic to each other.

2016 Highs (in chronological order):

• Ski trip to Utah - skiied at Alta, Snowbird, and Solitude. It was awesome (minus the thing I mentioned in the 2016 Lows).
• Going to Germany and Amsterdam for work! Meeting up with coworkers that I have talked to many times on the phone, but had never met in real life. Ate Mexican food in Germany, which was strange... and then spent a day in Amsterdam with my Mexican coworker, walking the entire city by foot. 

One of the many canals in Amsterdam.

An old wind mill, which is now the site of the brewery Brouwerij 't IJ

• Awesome Chicago trip with college buddies. Saw a Cubs game (which is why they won the World Series this year, I mean obviously we influenced their season by watching a game). Drank lots of beer, ate Korean food, ate all the other foods. Took lots of photos at the Bean.

I did not take this photo, but this is a great photo of us at Navy Pier on a beautiful day in Chicago.

• GETTING ENGAGED! Not a real surprise since we had spent months custom designing our ring. But it was awesome, and he proposed at the top of a firetower on a hike in the Catskills (Overlook Mountain hike). Along the hike, we also got to explore some awesome ruins of an old hotel.

Woo hoo! Engaged at the top of the fire tower!

• Island camping in Lake George over Memorial Day with friends. Our friends rented out the entire island, and we camped there for 3 days. Water was still freezing, and it was rainy at times, but lots of fun! 
• Finding groups of friends that played tennis with me regularly after work, friends who love skiing with me, friends who enjoy rock climbing with me has really helped me stay active and find fun ways to exercise and keep me motivated. 
• Several reunions with some of my best girlfriends who are now my bridesmaids. Honestly, it had been a while since I met up with them regularly, but it was back to old times, and lots of reminescing. Watched some movies, went hiking, rock climbing, and ice skating, made hot pot at home. More plans in 2017 for more wedding planning but also a ski trip and other fun things.
• Lots of travelling for work and for fun
• Asheville with my parents to meet Ben's parents
• Cincinnati to visit Ben's hometown, watched my very first NFL game! The Bengals won! (They played the Browns)

Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati before the game. Who Dey!

• Rochester for Ben's cousin's wedding
• Greenville twice for work, meeting up with our good friends and future officiant/groomsman
• Visited Ben's sister in Austin and ate at her new restaurant over Thanksgiving.
• Went skiing twice in December (wish it were more ;-P) but a good start to the ski season, and far better than last year for sure.

While 2016 had a lot of joys with lots of trips, or with strengthened or renewed friendships, it also contained some big life changes:

• Well... getting engaged is a pretty damn big life change. 
• I changed my position and have a new manager, so I am still getting into the swing of things. It is a very different role than my previous one, so there will definitely be quite a learning curve!
• Moved into Ben's house. After all, we are getting married! But certainly living with someone is still another step forward, and we will have to learn to deal with each other's idiosyncracies even more. ;)

So while 2016 may not be the best year that the world has had, it has been a pretty good year to me, fortunately. 2017 will be a busy year - wedding planning is in full force, and way more work than I ever thought it would be. However, I know it'll be worth it in the end! And of course hope to create more great memories with friends and family and loved on.

Since 2016 has been a year of ups and downs for many, in whatever case it may be for you, my reader: the world will still move on and although there is a lot of uncertainty, we should only look forward to 2017 with optimism that life will go on no matter what.