To sum it up...

Topic of the day: Sheila's 2005 year in review

 

In Brief

I think one word and one phrase that best sums up 2005 is Change and Expect the Unexpected.  2005 has been an exciting year in many different aspects my life: graduation from university, moving to Beijing, discovering new parts of the world, etc.  Most of these what happened in 2005, save things like uni graduation, I would have never expected to have happen to me in my wildest dreams.  Then again, I guess you never do foresee all the curves that life takes you.  Hopefully, 2006 will be equally exhilarating and that I will have the luck and the courage to live each day to the fullest!  

 

The Good

Definitely one of the top "good" for 2005 is my graduation from university!  After four years of hard, studious work and sacrifices (okay, just a BIT of an exaggeration...), I managed to graduate with a major and a minor that I was content.  It's true what they say: four years do pass in a blink of an eye.  My last 2 semesters proved to be an especially memorable time, especially with all the random rendezvous with Short Shit and Steprincess.  Even though I was reluctant to leave and enter into the "real world", I think it was about time for me to move on.  It was time to pursue bigger and better things in the world!

 

Graduation also means another thing: the start of the "real world" (I'm not a fan of that phrase, by the way).  Even though my professional life started out a bit slow the first three months, I had the good fortune of landing my current gig at H&K.  I'm enjoying myself a lot more now and am looking forward to where this road will take me.

 

2005 proved to be a great traveling year for me.  Throughout the course of the year, I found myself everywhere from NYC to Kalamazoo, from Miami to Chicago, from Beijing to Shanghai, from where the Great Wall meets the sea to where the Great Wall comes to its end, from Xining to Tsingdao, and from Southeast Asia to Tibet.  What fabulous memories!  Nothing beats watching sunrise from the north face of Mt. Everest or Angkor Wat.  Partying in the same Miami club as 50 Cent was also notable, as was staying a night with a Laotian family, or getting tipsy on Tsingdao Beers in Tsingdao, or befriending monks in the Potala Palace.  Along the way, I had the luck of meeting some wonderful, wonderful people.  Not only did they brighten my time and made the trips more fun, but also contributed to my awareness of why the world is such a beautiful place.  Hope this trend of travels and adventures will continue well into 2006 and beyond!!

 

Speaking of travelling, one of the most dramatic turns of events in 2005 was my move to Beijing.  Who knew?  Not even I, that's for sure!  And what a great place to be!  I've always wanted to live in a foreign country for a long-ish period of time.  While Beijing (or anywhere else in China really) was never really my first choice, now that I look back, I am glad that I made the decision.  Beijing is definitely an addictive place to be.  No, scratch that.  China, is an addictive place to be.  Its rush to develop itself, its breathtaking landscapes, diversity, and its beauty and chaos all makes for an exceptionally interesting and exciting environment.  The world is watching China right now and being able to have your own eyewitness account of it is second to none.

 

The Bad

I still try to live my life with the theory of having no regrets.  But it's hard not to look back sometimes and feel a hint of remorse.  For one, while I did meet some great people in 2005, there were just as many good-bye's, if not more.  Due to the circumstances, I never got to say a proper good-bye to many.  

 

Another thing: I still haven't completely quit smoking yet.  Shame on me, I know.  What can I say, bad habits die hard.  :-/

 

And lastly, the unexpected passing of a loved one is never easy to deal with.  This proved to be the lowest of the lows in 2005. 

 

The Ugly

Tibetan toilets (including Tibet).  You have to see it to believe it.

 

In Sum

Just remember: you never know where life's twists and turns will take you.  All you can do and what's most recommended is: smile, sit back, and enjoy the ride.  And take a few pictures along the way.