It was a very good year

For travel:
Four countries in three months. Two actually, cos I only left India at the end of January. Going to Mexico is the best decision I took in the year and a half I lived in New York, and I'm beginning to think that coming back was the second-best one. The stopover at Hong Kong was loverly, not the least because of the opportunity to heavily rebond with The Bride, and actually meet her husband the (in?)famous V. (Different from the V here at Chez MinCat.) And let us not go into how many nights I've spent on the bloody Charminar Express in the second half of the year.

My resolution: Write it up, all the travel of 2007 and 2008. Travel in my own country now, even if *some* people are too indolent, spoilt or silly to come with me. I have been in foreign countries as a solitary woman travelling, more power to me in Mexico because I could pass for a local, why should I balk at travel in my own country, where I AM a local?

For people:
The highlight of the year was was the return of OOF. I can't stop grinning when I think about it, I have to pinch myself periodically to believe it. Notable events include living with The Roommate; meeting CFS and all his friends, especially ahem Disco Dancer (sorry sorry but could there BE a better euphemism?); walking upto Colombian Girl in the gym and letting her, her husband and all the other mad people I've met because of her chance bathroom encounters into my life; Other Colombian Girl, whom I will have to visit in Bogota one of these years; V, who has surprised and touched me by growing up so much.

I'm sorry I had to leave the Newyorkers behind, but they're still floating around in cyberspace :)

I wish I could have avoided losing two of my old and dear friends in the city, but it coudn't be helped - these things are two-way!

My resolution: Stay open, more good has come of it than harm, ridiculously more good.

The life:
There was heartbreak at leaving New York, and plenty of self-doubt. But now, sitting on the yellow couch in my little flat, with the sun shining through the red and green leaves of the badam tree, with Juanes on the iHome, writing this and planning tomorrow's parental lunch, with the events of the past weeks playing in my head I cannot but think it was a very good decision indeed.

My resolution: Keep going this way, apparently life gives me fabulous lemons! After all, with lemons you can make caipirinhas!

The career:
*snigger*
Well, I can't say I have one of those, but I think I'm making slow progress to reaching a happy state. My career is cultivating people, and I seem to be doing quite well at that! The cooking goes on in leaps and bounds, and this whole conventional career thing isn't too bad. Spanish continues apace, though I really should praactice writing a bit more.

My resolution: Keep at it, one of these days I'll find my opening.

It was a very bad year for peace of mind! But then, as Stumbling on Happiness puts it, you best remember the last bits of any experience, and the last bits of 2008 were fabulous :) So nevermind the life angst that hit so hard and so often, nevermind the frustration with jobs and boys: it was a hard year, but it wasn't a bad year.

We officially declare 2009 the year of no boy stress and no job stress!