2006

The unchanging nature of the passage of time never seems to mitigate the surprise I feel when a new year dawns. 2006? That seems awfully high. In any case, the year has started out very well for me. Over the last 4 months my life has gone through many changes, and as is expected I cannot help but be introspective at (albeit artificial) turning points such as this. However, the beginning of the new year also marks a very real turning point for me, in a number of ways. I am finally becoming comfortable with my new job; my relationships with family and friends have stabilized after a period of adjustment with this new phase of my life; I have just moved into a new apartment. 2006 promises to be very different from the year that proceeded it. Regular readers will forgive me for a soppy and sentimental rant.

There are, as always, things we must leave behind. Most importantly, this includes my family and friends who know they are the most important parts of my life, and believe, as do I, that any distance and time separating us will only make our reuniting all the more special. This makes the future look brighter. There are other reasons I expect 2006 to be exciting; in addition to taking on more responsibility as an Investment Analyst, I will be preparing for the CFA in June, taking Arabic lessons starting next week, and learning a new instrument (in addition to playing the violin and two guitars that I managed to drag back from Canada.) Finally, I am excited about the new friends I have made in DC, and am thankful for everything I have here in the present.

Sorry about that, won't happen again for another year. Updates on the holidays, travel disasters and fun times to follow.