Hi 2008

(New Year's Eve Bonfire in West Philly with cat, ben, micah, susanna, ryan, trevor, etc.)

Year 2007 started out in Honolulu and ended in Philadelphia. I moved to Philadelphia by myself one year ago without knowing anybody. And, it might be a grand statement, but it was the best year of my life so far. I learned more about myself, and who I want to be.

Some memorable highlights:

-practicing Iyengar with one of Joan White's students
-meeting Bikram's "right hand" man
-tearing my right medial meniscus and having to get surgery
-buying my first bike (commuter hybrid) and second bike (road), and building my third bike (cyclocross)
-riding to the jersey shore 2 days after I bought my roadbike with people I had never met before but am good friends with now (cat, ben, ricky, mike)
-going on bike rides: pretzel rides (both the late night and the roadie versions), thrashing thursdays, sturdy girl tempo rides
-getting asked to join a bike racing team
-having a full skeleton in my apartment
-getting a grant to work in a molecular anthropology lab
-working in the basement of Penn's anthro museum surrounded by skulls
-winning 2 alleycat races
-being sent to San Diego to attend the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting
-getting stung by a wasp and ending up in the ER

It's been an eventful year. And, for the first time in my life, I feel like I didn't let academics eat away at my youth. For the first time, I decided that it was time for me to let me do whatever I desire to do. I've never paid more attention to myself or my needs. I think it's made me more comfortable with myself. Not as reserved, unapproachable, or shy. It's a slow process but I'm learning that it's perfectly okay to say, "This is what I need right now".

My plans for 2008 are not as aggressive as last year's. I'm on a good path right now, and I just need to continue on it by bringing in more clarity and structure.