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aka217 · 1 year ago

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ok so 2022

(yes, 2022. I know this is just about a year old, and honestly i completed the writing maybe 6 months ago, but I just didn't get around to it. so apologize to my two readers - hello Ading, hello wife - I'll be doing one more of these, then with hope I'll be transitioning to monthly format on insta 2024. That should make these a little more interesting and easier to put together for tumblr.)

well then. what a difference a year makes. I remember 2021 kind of being 2020 part 2, and even after getting vaccinated it wasn't like things were back to normal. However in 2022 (and more so getting Covid post vaccinated) there was some assurance that maybe we can get back to things that once was. But on top of that, I made a major pivot to my career, as well as started traveling to new places, and even a new car. A lot of key points in my life have been impacted this year, so let's dive into it:

January - Start off with a seeing golden state warriors vs. the heat with a couple friends. Soon after we are flying back to Orlando to celebrate Justin and Susette's Wedding. At the time one of the covid variants was ramping up at this time, and it definitely felt like we were going backwards. I remember being pretty concerned, and if I weren't the best man there was real consideration to missing out on Justin's wedding, but seeing as he's very much my best friend it's kind of crazy to think we were considering it. But we went, masks and all, and what a wonderful time we had. Thankfully we got out of there unscathed. It was exhausting dancing so much under a mask, but overall if that small inconvenience relieved our concerns it was well worth it.

February - So I decided to leave HCI. Forever thankful that I was given the opportunity to come on board during the breakout of Covid, and really kept me and Ashley afloat during our move to California. But ultimately it wasn't a job I found enjoyable, as it leaned more into sales than engineering. And with Covid still at the time a looming presence, the idea of increasing the amount of customer visits this year was not my cup of tea. I had been in talks about pursuing a transition into project management, and again thanks to key friends that can connect me, I was well into talks about joining the tech world. Risky once more, I decided to leave before securing my next place. But as grateful as ever that things turned out alright for me, as I would soon after leaveing HCI secure my spot with Paramount+. What that did was allow me gain a small gap of funemploymet, and boy did I make good use of that. First was a local rental of a Porsche Boxster, taking through Napa, Sonoma, and up Mt. Diablo. Then shortly after we took a week long trip to Portland. Hanging out with Ashley's Aunt/Uncle/Cousin, we explored the city of Portland for a bit, and even made a trek out to Tillamook. Also in Portland, I rented an mx-5 and took it through the gorge, which is along the columbus river that naturally splits Oregon and Washington. Honestly, one of the most beautiful drives I've been on.

March - Relatively quiet, although I did start my job at Paramount+. Those early days were honestly pretty nice, as it was definitely slow paced with really no work and just taking it all in. Being my first remote job, it was an interesting adjustment in lifestyle. There were a few outings this month, including kareoke in sf, and a house warming for Francis and Nhi.

April - started out the month is a visit to the SF Giants game vs. Miami Marlins, we typically only go at this point to grab food and enjoy the atmosphere. Next was celebrating my Lexus' Quinceanera, 15 years and about 190,000 miles on the odometer. With brand new headlights and a well equipped roof rack, we had a mini photoshoot to celebrate. Soon after, getting ready for Coachella, Ashley gets Covid. We pin it to the baseball game, as that really was the only place Ashley went out in public. Oddly, I tested negative the whole time, and decided to still go to Coachella.

Alright Coachella. I'm writing this out as I may in the future forget, what what an experience. It was a lot, it was exhausting, but I don't regret it, but not sure I'd do it again. I'm someone who studied the festival lineup, listened to each artist beforehand to pick out people I may like to hear, and set out to listen to everyone that I could, from opening bands all the way to the closer, every day. I did not hang out with the group that I went with, I for the most part was by myself to enjoy the music. I stopped drinking from the first day as it was slowing me down, and did not do me any favors powering through the day. My feet hurt so bad, and my throat was killing me. But man did I get a lot in during those 3 days, seeing so many great acts. I milked the opportunity and saw as much acts as I could. There are a few things I would do differently the second time, like not have such a big backpack so I can dance more freely, but honestly I'm not so sure I'd do it again. Yes, it was a very concentrated musical experience, but also the for the amount I paid, I could probably spread out that money into multiple concerts across an entire year. But again, I'm glad I went, to say and know what it is like.

But back to reality, Ashley had a miserable Covid weekend (and made sure I felt sorry about it), and leaving Coachella I, too got Covid. Hard to say where I got it from, but it did hit me that following week, but honestly getting the vaccine shots effected me worse. At this point I think I would just be as exhausted with a sore throat post Coachella, covid or no covid. And thankfully just starting my job, there was minimal impact to work hah.

May - Post-Covid is a whole new swerve on life, one I would have though post-vaccine would be. At this point it really does feel like we are heading to a world that once was. May starts with my parents visiting us, and taking a trip to Yosemite for my first time. Honestly really cool landscape and very unique rock formations. Back home, we take more chances to eat out at restaurants (for now out on the patio, but still a worlds difference that take out). And this also marks the time where we start playing D&D. Having watched actual plays via Dimension 20, we embarked on playing the game ourselves. With a welcoming community at a local game shop, this would be the start of regular D&D sessions throughout the summer

June - Few key points this month. We attend Mia's debut, at a beautiful venue right off the bay water. It's interesting to think back that her sweet 16 we were doing a drive-by celebration with masks outside and no lingering, but here we are out dancing with a large group of people. It's really refreshing we've gotten back to something like that. This also marks the point where internally I had a goal to stay afloat long enough in California to see this birthday, and would mark the point where we can look back and say, keep going or what's next? Still a question to this day, but glad we were able to make the moved to California work for us up to this point. Mid-June we take a quick trip to Los Angeles, for one to watch a live show of D&D with many of our favorite players, as well as catch up with a few old friends who live in the area. And last, we watched Benee in concert, someone who's music was prevalent during the quarantine part of Covid that it felt fitting to see them live in concert

July - Start off the month with Ryan's bachelor party in Vegas. What a rukus of a time. A hot time to go to Vegas, but we were there to catch Summer League, which was a lot of fun albeit quite short. We also went through Meow Wolf which was pretty cool. Boys will be boys, and we did a lot of tomfoolery that weekend. Later in the month Ash and I went back home to go to Sannibel, and old stomping ground, to celebrate my Dad's 70th. This mixed in with some time back home in Miami, it's always nice to get a little injection of home once in a while.

August - ahh, and here we are. after a year and a half of waiting, my Bronco finally arrives. There was large anticipation, followed by months of doubt of getting it for years (I even ordered another car for the interim, and that too was delayed). But yea, kind of crazy to be buying another brand new car, but this felt like the best possible compromise between my wants and needs. We'll soon find that I'll barely get to drive it, but I do my best, taking to roof off when I can, and the first weekend drove down to Monterey to get a set of wheels. The following weekend is Ryan and Katrina's wedding, so mini reunion with old college friends (and would be the kick off of many reunions going into next year). The following week we took a trip to Denver for Ashley's birthday to see one her best friends and her cousin. First time in Denver it was interesting to see all of the little pockets of the city, each having their own kind of architecture. Also cool to be surrounded by mountains. While there I was remote working and dog sitting their 3 dogs. We met up with Ash's cousin, where we met her little kid at the aquarium. I also saw a Bronco Raptor which was pretty exciting for me, too. With our new love of Dungeons and Dragons, we hired a private DM to host a night for us and show Ashley's friend how to play. Before the month ends, a couple more moments: the first time I went into the office in the city. Honestly for me this was a huge deal.

September Hoo boy, this was a good one. For a while we wanted to explore the west coast more, and given the chance now with both of us remote, we wanted to enter the idea of living somewhere for an extended time, so we pulled the trigger and rented a flat in Seattle for a month. This place was right across the street from pike place market for maximum opportunity. Although we had a bit of an adventure securing the right room, we'd finally settle into a great place with enough space and a lot of sunlight coming in. Such a refreshing experience, and Seattle treated us so well with only giving us maybe half a days rain the whole month. Traveling wise we got plenty of chances to explore Pike Place Market, as well as travel further out to other pockets; capitol hill, Ballard farmers market, Bellevue. Events I went to while there included PAX, which was a cool environment to see upcoming games. I also saw Lisa Wallen do comedy in a secret venue (ended up being at a small photo studio). It was nice to meet her afterwards and talk for a minute. I also got to see a cousin and catch up. We even got a session in of D&D. Another big event to cross off my bucket list was got to DirtFish Rally school. One of the coolest driving experiences, it was so much fun to go out there and slide about. After all of the exploration of my driving enthusiasm, I really think sliding around in dirt is the pinnacle of my happiness doing it. I'm so glad I did it, glad I splurged to do the full day, it was definitely worth it. In the end, Seattle was such a dream of a stay. It's on the list of place we could move to, although I like the idea of taking in Seattle one month at a time, I hope we can do it again soon.

October Back in Oakland, but still a few meaningful events. One was Francis' bachelor party in Chicago. My first experience with Chicago was riddled with bad luck, not Chicago's fault, so it was nice to get redemption. It started with a night that went a little too wild, followed by days of recovery doing smaller things. But I did really enjoy the architecture boat tour, Chicago really does have great buildings along the river and lake coast. Besides the first nights jazz club and debauchery club, we also did a game night event which was cool, and while some of the guys went to a movie for Halloween I went to a underground club by myself which was an interesting experience. The other big thing in October was our dating anniversary, where we went to see Panic! At the Disco. While we got pretty decent seats, Ashley entered to win better seats and we won, gaining us access to floor seats right up front which was kind of crazy. While it wasn't the same songs as we loved in college, it was a fun time to be at a big concert.

November Ok so much like Seattle, we spent all of November (and the first week of December) in Florida. Chaotic is a word you can use to describe it, purely on the amount of traveling and seeing all sorts of family and friends. The paint a picture, we switched where we slept a total of 11 times, and that still doesn't capture the couple days where we took day trips. Might just have to list out a few notable pieces: Zachary's 18 spent at Hard Rock, only to eventually find out it was 21+ spent the night with Eddy on the coast to watch the Artemis rocket launch, a project they started developing what Ashley was still at NASA Ivanhoe christmas block party with Ashley's best friend, and really just a rare alignment of the stars to spend the time with them Photoshoot with Kevin/Kim's immediate family, which was nice because we haven't done something like that before, that also transitioned to a trip to Kissimmee, and Thanksgiving at Capitol Grill Ocala to see Ashley's parents, whinwe haven't seen for a while Nana's 80th birthday, which was a big surprise celebration in which a lot of Ashley's family was able to make it out. An really refreshing time and happy to see her family having a good time

December Back int he bay, once again just recovering from the month before, we kept it fairly low key. One notable excursion was to hog island for some fresh oysters, and another random trip to Palace of Fine Arts. for Christmas was spent it with the cuz and fam with dinner. For New years Ashley cooked up a delightful Filipino feast.

And that was it. As always, additional tidbits: A lot of opportunities to drive different cars. The Kia Soul was a quirky cheap car that was fun to have for a week. And the best drive was in the MX 5. Food? The first time I had House of Prime Rib, which I thought about that meal from time to time months later. Introduced to Marion Berry in Portland, especially a Marion Berry cobbler which we had to eat twice before we left. Another notable mention is iPot, a lovely spot for ayce hot pot/ kbbq that brought us joy throughout the year.

These year reviews are extensive. And that's good, my life grants me many adventures, more than I even write and record. I'll likely try to recap after each month, so that the task is less daunting, and perhaps provide better reflection. Currently writing the end of this April 2023, and so I already have insight into the next year. But If I recall, no matter what I think the next year will bring, there will many things, big and small, that will take me for surprise. and I'm ok with that.

To the next!

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aka217 · 3 years ago

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Priority List 2021

Respect Family Love Security Shelter Marriage Fun Travel Health Adventure Acceptance Independence Artistic Expression Education Friendship Career Style Spirituality Privacy Honor Sex Wealth Power Technology Possessions Victory

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aka217 · 3 years ago

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OK, so 2021

Year two of the pandemic, and it settles in that this may be a long-term thing. It’s weird because it almost feels like 2021 is just more of 2020, and not until getting fully vaccinated in May did it start to feel different. You kind of hope that this is just a weird blip in our lives, and we can only do the most of it while keeping safe. But overall, I can’t be too mad as we are still doing some fun stuff and continuing our California Adventure. Let’s begin:

January

We start with a fun one, driving up to Little Rock/Mendocino area. First off what a beautiful drive just before getting there, and the actual hotel/resort was one of our favorites. The coastal views were amazing, perhaps one of our top favorite locations in California. Other than that, we moved into our current apartment in Emeryville, where we will find ourselves long term (relative to previous stints). A nice location not too far from anything and allowed me to start biking to work which was a nice change in pace.

February

Had a chance to cross off a couple things off my list, such as Snowboarding and Skiing for the first time in Bear Valley. I’ve always wanted to try Snowboarding, but man did it hurt! I would end up busting my ass every trip down the practice slope. A bit discouraged, the second time going out there I went with Skiing, a much nicer first-time experience. Enough to try an actual slope, which the first time I caused quite a crash, but the second time a very aggressive pizza got me down the slope safely. Safe to say I’ll probably lean Skiing for next season. Besides the winter sports, we had a nice trip to San Jose, with great fish and chips and staying in the hotel. While there we explored this neat little Japanese garden, I hope to check out a few more spotted around the bay area.

March

Not a lot of travel here, but a couple memorable things happened. One was getting my first shot of the Covid vaccine, feeling like a small step back to normal. Another interesting thing that happened; we ordered my Bronco. Now, let’s be honest there is a long road ahead and I’m not sure I’ll see my Bronco until the end of 2022 or beyond (if at all?), but it’s been an interesting swing to get into 4x4 this year.

April

One huge update here, Ashley gets her job at Nuro! What a journey she went through, but man is it paying off. It’s a cool and fun company to be working for. A major hurdle and accomplishment for our journey to the west coast, I’m glad she made it. The month includes a quick Bronco poke around event, and Francis’ rooftop birthday party

May

Here strikes a true feeling of turning a new leaf, as we are fully vaccinated and feel more comfortable out and about. This of course starts with a trip back home, where we conclude one year away from family, something I’ve never done before. The welcome back home was refreshing, albeit a bit overwhelming. Jam packed 10 days of nonstop family and friends. Festivities included Kobe’s Baptism (I am a Godfather now), going to a Heat game, and driving through Orlando, Ocala, Broward, and Miami to get all the hugs in. It was a long time coming, and much needed check in back home.

June

A little quieter after the eventful May, but along with some small local excursions (which I’ve compiled down below) we had a few fun nights playing Sherlock Holmes with cousins and friends (including a nice little summer BBQ at Brannan).

July

Continuing our Vaccine summer, we went to Paso Robles with some friends. A little controversial trip but there were a few bits of fun including getting out to the beach. Other than that trip, we did Karaoke one night (which is hard to imagine it’s been so long since the last time we did that).

August

August was a fun one. We went up to Sacramento to watch a couple NBA Preseason games and ended with a fabulous trip to a Hot Pot restaurant with ayce hot pot and appetizers. Cousins came into town, and we did a quick trip to Napa along with some city eating. Later in the month we went to LA, meeting up with AJ and Candice to watch H.E.R. at the famous Hollywood bowl amphitheater. Back in SF we took a pottery class which was really fun (and managed to come out with 5 usable items!), and I took a surfing lesson the next weekend. Although I didn’t quite manage to get up for a full surf, it was enjoyable to be in the water. I also managed to finagle my way into a remote workday in the city with the SF friends which was a fun experience, and ended with an SF Giants baseball game, my first baseball game I’ve ever been to (as cheesy as it was, it was quite fun buying cracker jacks and singing “Take me out to the ball game”). At the time we saw it as a sneak peak of what the future would be like once we moved into the city (unfortunately that may not be the case).

September

Coming off of the eventful August, September was quieter (although I’m sure I’m not taking account of any small hang outs with the SF friends or cousins). One fun thing we ended up doing was the Lexus drive event, where I got to drive around a few cars including the Lexus LC500, an aspirational car of mine.

October

This month was fun, including two big trips. First was a work trip to Bethlehem Pennsylvania. A quaint little town with little things to explore (including an old college campus with some neat buildings). A little reminiscent of my Milwaukee trips, it was nice to explore an atypical location and meet some people from my work. What else happened? Well, I ordered a Maverick. Again, I won’t be seeing this until next year, but given the times you have to put in your orders and wait a long time before getting it. I’m not sure how this will end as far as Maverick vs. Bronco, and I’m thoroughly torn between the two, but that’ll be something next year will have to figure out. Last, we took a trip to South Lake Tahoe. Although quick (and cold/rainy) we had a good taste of the area and ate at some nice little places (including a great breakfast spot and an Oyster Bar a la Las Vegas). Making the loop around the lake with autumn leaves was fun to see. I definitely want to come back in the summertime.

November

So November was another one of those jam packed months. Let’s start with more car adventures, including a test drive of the Maverick, followed by an off-roading event with the new Bronco (ugh this thing is awesome) and my cousin’s Gladiator. Then we took a trip to Seattle for an extended weekend. Although it rained most of the time, we had a good time at Pike Place market (including a fun food tour). We also saw Hasan Minhaj which he was as stellar as ever. We also took a day trip up to University of Washington from Seattle, solely because their library looked like we were in Hogwarts. Last but certainly not least, we spent Thanksgiving break back home in Florida. We held Justin’s Bachelor Party, Kai’s birthday party, and saw the rest of the family in Orlando, Broward, and Miami. It was both too short and too long, just a non-stop experience but how else are you going to do it? I compare it to those times you go on a Disney trip, and do your best to be there all day to take it all in? It’s kind of like that. One neat tid bit on this trip is that we splurged on first class tickets, which got us food/drinks on the plane, and a 3-hour layover in Alaska Airlines’ Seattle flagship lounge. Neat way to end the trip/month.

December

Ah, end of the year. As Omicron is ramping up, we unfortunately have to pull on the reigns a bit. We did see the Nutcracker early in the month, one of Ash’s wishes. I thought it was neat, and interesting to hear where these classic Christmas songs come from. We did a quick trip to Monterey before Christmas, mostly so we can hit Gold status on Hilton. But we had a good time and surprisingly good eats there. Christmas (much like last year) was quieter, but honestly I completely enjoyed it with just us two in our apartment. As we approach the new year, this weekend will be most likely be something similar.

And there you have it. An odd year for sure, a mix of 2020 continuation but with more experiences here in California. We continue our Cali adventure with additional explorations, including Golden Gate Bridge, Napa, SF City Hall, Golden Gate Park, Peony nursery, Jack London Square, Reinhardt Redwoods, Hayes Valley, Walnut Creek. Making the most of the trip that we can, taking in the more local affairs. I’m happy that the vaccine allowed the world to open back up a little more, and gave us the opportunity to take advantage.

What will next year bring? Not completely sure. Looking back at my ok2020 I think 2021 delivered what I was hoping for: chance to get back together with friends and family, see more stuff, go to concerts. It all happened post April, but we did get all of that. I had known we probably wouldn’t be completely out of the norm, although right now it does feel like we are back tracking a bit. I’m happy that we continue to explore new places and do new things, and I hope that continues next year. Ashley finally got a great tech job as we sought after for so long, and so what does that mean for me? Well, I actually put in my resignation notice already, and in the middle of interviewing for potentially something new. So of course, leave it to me to make next year a big mystery and big change. I can’t really tell you what next year could bring. And as chaotic as that seems, I’m happy that I’m willing, able, and confident enough to take on such unknowns.

I do hope that we find a world where we are comfortable being close to people again, perhaps without a mask. Ash and I tend to be the most conservative on breaking down those barriers, so I hope we come to a point where that feels ok. I’d love to go back to smaller venue concerts, conventions (especially now that we are dabbling in D&D playthroughs), and the like.

Coming back to California from a visit back home in Florida, I still get the sensation “we are still on our adventure,” and I don’t think that feeling will leave anytime soon. Let’s see what happens.

Now for more notes:

Best thing I Drove: Driving the Lexus LC was short and sweet, also probably the most expensive thing I’ve driven. But this year is the start of the 4x4 interests, so I have to say the short stint in the Bronco off-road was a great experience, along with supplementary experience with the Gladiator and Wrangler to round out what it may feel like living with these machines. It’s interesting to move from sports cars to off roaders, but hey while in California I can only try to make the most of it.

Best thing I Ate: I always have a hard time pinpointing the best, and I always feel I forget in the moment, but what comes up for me is Pike Place Clam Chowder, Ashley’s butternut squash pasta, and the Sacramento Hot Pot. These were the things where conversations were made afterwards about it.

Best thing I played: I’m blanking here too, but a lot of not of the norm games for me (thanks Game Pass): Hades was stellar fun, SnowRunner I did not expect to enjoy, but with my growing interested in 4x4 it was exactly the kind of game I could want to play. Wreckfest deserves a mention as that too I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did.

Best thing I watched: I can’t believe I didn’t say Schitt’s Creek last year, I wonder what I’ll forget this year. I think it is Dimension 20, D&D playthroughs which were new to us this year and man did we sink a ton of hours into it. It’s fun to get into a new fandom, and hopefully in the years to come we can have chances to see them live.

Other things: it’s kind of cool to have ski, snowboard, surf lessons all this year for the first time, just more Cali checklist items. I look forward to getting more chances to practice in the coming year.

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aka217 · 4 years ago

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Priority List 2020

My high school english teacher junior year, Mr. Menasche, had this assignment called “The Priority List” where you rank various concepts in order of importance to you. He had a way to decipher your lists to help learn more about yourself, and reveal what you deem important. I kind of wish I knew where my original list was (I may still be able to find it) but I thought I’d start something new in which I create my list every year to see what changes. These lists are alway flawed, I knew my original one was flawed immediately, but with enough criticism it does tend to shape up to something close to your true feeling. I don’t know what this will reveal (I should probably read his book) but just to capture a few more snapshots of my life as it happens, here’s this years list:

Respect

Marriage

Family

Love

Friendship

Shelter

Security

Independence

Style

Travel

Fun

Health

Adventure

Acceptance

Artistic Expression

Education

Sex

Technology

Spirituality

Privacy

Career

Honor

Power

Wealth

Possessions

Victory

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aka217 · 4 years ago

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OK, SO 2020

Welp.

I’m certain I won’t have to come back to this post to remember what happened this year. This year the world shared one similar experience; a year that seemed to have sat still while also continuously rampaging tragic events one after the other. A catalyst in many ways. It stands no reason that my year has not aligned with the rest of the world, yet we’ve managed to make it even more interesting. This year will be transcribed countless times, so let me focus on the parts in which are uniquely mine:

Despite the world falling to a pandemic, lock downs and quarantines for most of the year, it amazes yet how much I’ve squeezed out of this year. First and foremost: we did it. We moved to the west coast. A long time coming, some delays, some uncertainties. But we prepared, we agreed, we wanted something new. Clearly nothing stood in our way this year, we were going to go. As much as a curveball a pandemic can through at us, we were resilient and making the move. It’s not all positives, as settling here is a mix bag: unable to fully experience the city, me not quite sure how I like this position, Ashley not able to secure her next career opportunity, not able to even visit back home. But look, we made the move, we are here, let it not go to waste, as there are experiences still available and unique that we should not take for granted.

Let’s map out what happened this year:

January. The year started with a visit from the Cabacoys to Disney and SeaWorld. Shortly after, in the most gratifying way, I used up most of my vacation for the year in a single trip. We traveled to the California, a kind of sneak peek at what’s to come. Knowing our financial situation would be up in the air very soon, it was our best option as we’d see a variety of friends, family, places, all the while having lodging mostly covered. Although sick in the beginning (hmm? Nah just congestion) San Fran consisted of me watching the Witcher and eating Popeyes chicken sandwiches among other SF delights. The drive down Highway 1 was spectacular, this time not as foggy, giving us great views of the ocean all the way through. We were able to take the scenic Monterey coastal drive, passing through pebble beach and the like. Stopping at our favorite little hotel in San Luis Obispo, we find ourselves in LA the next day hanging out with the newlyweds. After the trip, January rounds out with a nice Disney breakfast with my family.

February started with a quick trip to Playa Linda, wearing ski jackets to the beach. Valentines/birthday weekend was the long-awaited Vigo cruise to the Bahamas. There’s something so satisfactory about a trip where I don’t anticipate anything, and everything comes at a delight and surprise. Next up we have G-Ading’s wedding, being the only wedding we end up going to this year! Very memorable time, and the food, oh my jeez it just kept coming. And last, on the final day of February (jk leap year), was my last day with JBT AeroTech. 8ish years would come to a close. The first place to give me a chance at becoming an Engineer and letting me not only prove to myself I could, but to give me opportunities to fulfill dreams bigger than my own.

March. Whoa now. This is a sensitive month for many people. And while many may mask as March entirely being pandemic, that part didn’t quite start until March 14. Let’s not forget what I managed to pull off before then. First off, Science Night Live in Orlando, something we’ve been wanting to do but finally was able to go. Second, Conexpo Las Vegas. I had an inkling that I would not be going with JBT this time, and so I booked it with my own money and still went. This expo is so cool for someone in the industry, there’s so many great vehicles to check out. Plus I figured it would be a good place to be to meet with connections and find Cali opportunities. Strapped for cash I secured shared accommodations and dinners provided my business acquaintances, but quickly evaporated as many attendees pulled out due to the growing pandemic (not locally yet, but this was an international expo). I managed to scrap together living spaces, and find alternative free meals. And while the people I was supposed to hang out with did not show up, I stuck with now old coworkers and even ended up finding new acquaintances there, which culminated to the most lux Vegas party I can imagine in penthouse suites (plural), a wild night I won’t forget.

And that’s double true, because the next day the lockdowns started to occur. I come back home to quarantine, lock down, uncertainty. One day I’m dancing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of people (which how lucky I didn’t catch anything then) to now not coming within 6 feet of anyone, stocking up on groceries and toilet paper. It was all so strange. We were afraid to hug my nephew, him being confused when he saw us, a confusing time of unknown. Initially I thought being out of work was going to be weird, maybe nice in some ways. And in a way it was; an unease of not having something to do, but all the while glad I didn��t have to work through this coping phase of the pandemic.

April was a weird time for me. What was supposed to be 2-week quarantine led to what we now know to be months. It still felt like more March, as nothing has progressed in the last weeks. Ask me now what happened and all I can remember is watering the grass everything, or waiting to water the grass every day. Nothing really else. Well, ok, maybe securing a job in Oakland (it really is about who you know), and slowly purging and moving out of our house. Towards the end of the month we went to Ocala to see Ashley’s parents once more, as it marked the start of our goodbyes.

May was wild and nonstop. While the world waited, we had to find a way to say goodbye to friends (heart breakingly distant), family, and our possessions. We had plans to seek out our favorite food spots and share final meals with people, but that was not possible. We made visits with family, while trying to figure out where to stash away the items we were not ready to give up on. I also said goodbye to my Miata. This car meant a lot to me, symbolized a lot, characterizes me in many ways. I always enjoyed driving it. And it if wasn’t raining, the top was down, and even sometimes when it was raining. It is a piece of me I had to let go. I have no regrets, I did not take it for granted, and I can only hope that I find another car that brings me as much joy each time.

And so, mid-May, we make the move. You can wait for the perfect moment, but as we see here there is no perfect moment, so my advice is this: now is probably the next best chance. We couldn’t wait any longer, and maybe regrets to go sooner can be argued, regrets of not going can be as well. And so we embarked on our journey to Oakland. I start my job to following week. It was a strange time as everything, and this time basically everything, was a strange new place to be. New city, new job, new world. But we did what we could. We have support here of friends and family, and we turned to them immediately. This month will start to shape the remainder of the year: food take out, video games, facetimes, picnics, cousins. We explored the Bay Area (by means to buying and selling Facebook marketplace items) just to get a feel of the surrounding areas and try to get our bearings.

June and July were much of the same. While Ashley took a trip back home, I stayed back, exploring the hills in a rental (more on that later). My Dad made a pitstop here as he finally managed a flight out of the Philippines. I had not seen him since December, and so much has happened since, so it was nice to see him just for a brief moment; because if not it would have been more than a year, because as I write this I have not seen him since. The rest of the months we try to explore various areas, including the Berkeley observatory, Golden Gate Park, Emeryville Marina, Ocean Beach.

August is much the same as you can expect, though we do see Ashley’s Cousins more, as well as my cousins and their daughters. Ashley hosts her birthday on our landlord’s porch, where we go through a makeshift game of “we are not really strangers,” a moving game much harder to play without the ability to hug at the end.

September picks up and gets more interesting as we start to explore further away from the city, including a nice relaxing day down at whale cove beach, as well as a relaxing vacation (away from the heat waves, smoke, and fires) down in Saratoga/Santa Cruz area.

October was another trip, this time all the way down to Paso Robles for a birthday celebration, exploring the vineyards and a bonus trip up highway 1. Although much different, it was nice to get a trip with a big group of friends. October we also saw a couple movies, including a private screening of Tenet (wut) and my first drive-in movie ever, Coco, and once more another drive-in for Hocus Pocus.

November was much of the usual, as we are limited in options (and a bit limited in finances) to try anything new. We made the very difficult choice not to travel back to Florida for thanksgiving, and instead spent thanksgiving with just the two of us, although we cooked for 8.

December is here, and we squeezed in a few interesting pieces. I took a drive out to some of the mountains towards San Jose in a newer Miata. Another weekend we spent in San Rafael, where we didn’t leave the hotel the entire time. A very welcoming weekend with no pressure, no rush, just stay in and play video games, watch movies, and eat in (room service and delivery to our door!). That was a nice weekend with the only expectation was that we were doing nothing. As Christmas approaches, we venture out into the city to look at some of the lights. We also manage the watch Elf at the drive-in (although the foggy night didn’t make that easy), and once more drive-in to see Wonder Woman 1984 before the new year.

Alright, quick tidbits:

Cars I’ve rented – BMW 330i, Hyundai Santa Fe, Nissan Altima, Fiat Abarth 124, Jeep Wrangler, Mazda Miata. A nice plethora of cars this year, and with the availability of mountains in the west coast, and the convenience of Turo, I have the opportunity to take nice day long drives through the windy roads. This was one of my goals for moving and I’m glad I’m still able to put that into fruition. It’s convenient to have nice back roads so close, and the beautiful highway 1 coastal road for longer trips. It was nice to rent a couple convertibles, including a few similar to my Miata. I hope next year brings some more interesting cars, and hopefully some off-roading fun as well. It’s hard to pick a favorite, as each ride held a unique experience. But I am thinking about getting a Jeep so…

Best Thing I Ate – man there’s so much to consider. G-Ading’s wedding was crazy delicious, the best wedding food ever no question. Having a mini Hot Ones episode at Ashley’s parents and at Kevin’s was delicious and the conversation meaningful. I started my goodbye food tour but didn’t see it through, but that came with some favorites from Gators Dockside, Pho Vinh, Gold China, Vicky’s Bakery. As far as the West Coast: Farmhouse Thai’s Lao platter is tray full of little wonders. And here in the Bay Burmese is plentiful (something that should definitely make its way into Orlando). Let’s not forget a couple homemade treats, such as Mia’s delicious Ube cookies and smore bites, and Ashley’s brownie muffins she considers was a mess up (I think they were perfect).

Between the pandemic lockdown and my new Xbox, I’ve played quite a few notable games. My favorites this year include Nier Automata, Jedi Fallen Order, and The Outer Worlds. Breath of the Wild also has now become a comfort food/ re-watch staple this year in Cali.

A couple movies/TV to note watching: Before Sunrise, Columbus, Westworld season 3, Mandalorian Season 2, Dash & Lily.

There’s a lot that can be said about 2020. There were big expectations, and life comforts, which were all stripped from us. And so while we made a big leap into the unknown, the rest of the world follow suit. But it’s hard to say if it was a bad choice or good, because I really don’t know what would happen if we stayed in Florida. Maybe things were more familiar and grounded, maybe see family a bit more. But what jobs would we have? Would we have been at higher risk of getting Covid? Who knows. But what I do know is that right now we are fine. We are healthy, we are financially stable, our family is healthy. And we may be limited in the interactions we can have, but that does not mean we can’t enjoy some of what this west coast adventure had in store for us. I think it was important that we experience the change, chaotic as it was.

We purged ourselves of the past: got rid of old clothes, old furniture, old junk of our college and early adult years. We carry with us only the essentials, and have a new outlook on what we acquire along the way. May would see us move out of our home, be in limbo back in Miami, and even once we got to Oakland, we would move just 2 weeks later (and move out again 3 months later, and we’ll be moving again this January). This is a year of being unsettled, which was to be expected with the move, but add a global pandemic, marches for equality, an uncertain presidential election, nothing was the same, everything has changed.

But honestly, since many of life’s grievances are a shared collective, my year relatively was ok. Pre-Covid was fantastic and jam packed with family and trips, par for the course of what I deem important to me. And even during the pandemic, my comforts are driven by much of the same elements: friends, family, and trips, albeit a bit differently. I have hopes for next year, I really do. I don’t think things will go back to normal, and for us there is no normal here. But I think things will settle and be grounded, and we can look forward to more of things that make us whole and human. Things that may have been missing this year are the grander friends vacation trips, and the live concerts and museums. I also hope to see my family soon, and get back to a place of comfort and familiarity, even for a brief moment. I hope to see more of that next year. But all I can ask is that our health and wellbeing stay intact.

2020, you were a nightmare. But catalysts are never calm, and the outcome is sure to be filled with great energy.

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aka217 · 5 years ago

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Welcome to the Velvet Room

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aka217 · 5 years ago

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Before Sunrise (1995) Dir. RIchard Linklator

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aka217 · 5 years ago

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Before Sunrise (1995)

#Before Sunrise #but isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more

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aka217 · 5 years ago

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"almost anything is exceptionally beautiful when we see it for the last time"

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aka217 · 5 years ago

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Original ‘Hold Up’ Demo by Ezra Koenig that eventually became Beyoncé’s song

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aka217 · 5 years ago

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aka217 · 5 years ago

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me, writing, throwing commas around like i’ve just won the lottery and i’m exulting in my winnings, needlessly, passionately, with no thought to the consequences,

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aka217 · 5 years ago

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Ok, so 2019

This year was a mix of goods and okays. This for sure feels like a transition point, where normal is not comfortable, and change is imminent. We have our sights on new adventures in the West coast. And while it didn't come to fruition this year, the intent has been built and we are set to make 2020 a big turn. But first, let's recap 2019:

2019 was no slow down of travel from the past, which really is our ambition. With the help of Southwest companion pass, we were able to take advantage and travel to many places. Plus the job flew me out to a few additional location, as well as two interviews in San Francisco was of some one else's dime. Let's go through the list:

San Francisco: same for an interview, stayed for my 30th birthday celebration with the SF crew. Cat Cafe, a couple brunch spots, improv show. Always a good time and perhaps a little taste of what's to come. I was flown out a second time, and while quick, was able to fit in a quick night adventure with Kim. It was heartbreaking for this opportunity not to come into fruition, but on to the next as they say.

Easley SC: quick trip for work, not much here but hey, free travel

Washington DC/Virginia: fun trip with Ashley, exploring the city. At the time DC was a possible location to move, and we did get good vibes. We spent time hanging out with Ashley's old friends, and sightseeing. I haven't been to DC since I was a kid, so seeing the monuments now I had a better appreciation. Tied to this trip was a quick visit to Manassas, to see my cousins and his two daughters. That was a nice quick visit to get some ice cream in town and some real BonChon haha.

Puerto Rico: always a favorite, hanging out with Ashley's family, we went hiking up parts of El Yunque, beach times and just hanging out. I had a delicious Cuban sandwich chopped up perhaps in a Puerto Rican style. Delicioso.

Park City Utah: this was a fun trip for Sheri's birthday. A lot of the schmooters crew came out for to stay in a cabin like house within the valley of a bunch of ski mountain. We were at the tail end of winter/spring, but thanks to climate change we did see snow(and briefly hail) which added to the trip. Jacuzzi while snowing, party games, staying in, and watching the stars. Pretty awesome trip and a true showing that it we really come together for each other, not necessarily for the city.

Jacksonville: quick trip to see Ashley's cousin, little 4th of July action

St. Augustine: back to back I believe weekends from Jacksonville to see Becca Matt and Mason.

Raleigh North Carolina: Anthony's wedding, Raleigh has a surprisingly cultured downtown. Had time to grab different bites, plus explore downtown, NC state, drive pass the museum of art, and take a rest in the wildlife forest by the airport.

Titusville: a few times we visited Eddy, going to the local beach (which had some wild big waves, that was awesome to boogy board) and also see Eddy's new house, plus a rocket launch!

Portland Maine: quick work trip to diagnose an issue, caught this town in the thick of fall. Beautiful fall colors, it's a shame I never made it past half a mile from the airport. But did get to eat Maine's favorites: lobster bisque and blueberry pie.

Montego Bay Jamaica: celebrating 15 years with Ashley (officially half of our lives together), it was a fun all inclusive resort. Jamaican patties everyday, curried goat, and great Thai as well. Not enough time, but very enjoyable

Milwaukee WI: glad to get here one more time for training paid by the company. I was able to hit a few favorites plus a few new spots, saw Julia Michaels in concert, watch the Bucks play at a crazy sports bar, watched Parasite at a beautiful old theater, and listened to classical guitar at a museum of art. I love the city a lot and had a lot of time to get to know it. This may be the last time I get to go on company dime, but I really hope it's not the last time I visit. I'd love to get property to frequently visit as I get older, trully a place that has my heart.

Tampa: wild Thanksgiving weekend of Ocala straight to Tampa, including three different hotels in the 5 days. But Tampa/St. Pete is always a good time, and we were there to see Lizzo

Las Vegas: AJ's bachelor party with his cousins and the schmooters fam. It's funny to see how we grow up, because during my bachelor party we sardine canned 11 guys into 2 rooms, and went everywhere as a crew. This time most of us got separate rooms and split up frequently to do our own thing. But we had great moments together, and Ashley and I had a little extra time to ourselves. Las Vegas is always a great and expensive time. It helps to win in craps and roulette, but eventually the house always wins haha.

Wow. Every year I'm surprised by how much travel we accomplish, and would be surprised to think the next year would be just as much. But thanks to the companion pass, points, and Tracy's Hilton friends and family, we manage to do a lot on a discount. I love it and grateful we can do it year after year.

A couple highlight shows this year:

Improv show in San Francisco

Hamilton: wow worth all the hype, and loads of

listening to the soundtrack and mixtape

Sabrina Claudio: nice to see here again live, what a great voice, and to see her at a venue with her headlining

Julia Michaels: wow this one too. I love one of her songs, but being able to know the setlist ahead of time, I had the chance to fall in love withore of her songs, and to know the words to all of the songs. What a performer and her and her band make one of my favorite shows ever

Harry Potter orchestra: we did the first movie, but the composition of this movie is exceptional we couldn't miss it

Lizzo/Sam Smith: Ashley's wish to see Lizzo in concert, a whim decision in the middle of the night I planned the entire trip to Tampa. It was cool to go back to a Jingle ball concert (my first concert was a jingle ball) and the setlist was pretty decent.

Other highlights:

Story corp: Ashley and I recorded a podcast, going through our relationship. It was a fun time and cool to have a piece of us be preserved in a national archive.

Marriage classes: continuing from 2018 we did a set of marriage classes. We enjoy these to help fortify our relationship and make sure we communicate to each other clearly. Highly recommend for any couple getting married.

Coffee shop Sundays: we started this in heavy pursuit to look for new opportunities, it allowed us to explore new spaces in the Orlando area (and even in Miami). It's a nice way to spend time with Ashley, as well as follow through with our intents.

No Shave November: first time participating, I thought I'd try to see what growing my beard would be like, plus if I can raise money for Cancer. Well surpriaingly I raise $291, and matching that to a total of $581 to various cancer research organizations. It's compelling the power of contributing as a community can be, when many times it can be doubting to try and do it alone.

Okay, last tidbits:

Best thing I ate this year: Cuban sandwich in Puerto Rico

Best thing I drove this year: learned to sail a Hobie catamaran in Jamaica

Best game I played this year: Fire Emblem Three Houses

This year was a weird mix of stagnation but also pandemonium. It constantly felt like we were always going somewhere on the weekends and on vacation, with very few days of just being in the house. But also at work and our jobs, we feel very stagnant as I haven't seen any progression in my profession since last year. This has truly set a spark in Ashley and I looking collectively for new opportunities, and we hope to see this come to fruition in 2020. It surely be an adventure this coming year, we can only hope it is filled with fun adventures and fulfillment.

Cheers

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aka217 · 6 years ago

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i keep trying to memorize every detail of the moments i live in. in the soreness of my legs from standing so long at a concert, the chill of the night, the patterns of a tablecloth, the oily texture in my mouth after eating fried bananas. i keep trying to memorize the feelings, the quiet contentedness, the laughter, the excitement. i keep trying to memorize the people, their smiles, the way they speak, what makes them laugh. i’m constantly on the cusp of the next part of my life and that’s just so.. strange. but it makes it so much easier to find happiness no matter what’s happening to me, in a way? because i’m already kind of looking at life with those rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, simply because i know these are times i’ll never be able to live again, and these are people i might not always have, and that makes it so much easier to appreciate everything i might miss later.

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aka217 · 6 years ago

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Ok so 2018

2017 was pretty awesome, and 2018 had a tough act to follow. But honestly it was a great year as I was able to knock out some bucket list items. Let’s break it down and recap:

Portland: AJ’s birthday had the schmooters take Portland. Pretty cool to hit some vineyards with Ashley's fam, and then explore Portland a bit with the crew. But really as always its the hanging out that highlights the time (and bangers go whole song)

Milwaukee (2x): completing out my hydraulic training were two early trips to Milwaukee. I had the pleasure of seeing my first snowfall which was cool. Also had a grand time continuing to explore the area and fall more in love with the place. Unfortunately getting food poisoning the second time, I couldn’t take full advantage of the second trip, but nonetheless I got my certification and grew fond of a new city.

Bok tower: For my birthday we went to Bok Tower gardens, a small gem in between Tampa and Orlando. Serene place and something a little different than the usual fare or Orlando or Tampa

Tail of the dragon: this was a special trip, as this is sort of a US mecca for driving enthusiast. I went on the road trip with a few friends in a few cars, and i was glad i was able to bring the Miata. While the tail of the dragon is fun, long, and concentrated, really that whole area had many great roads, and to me a lot of better (albeit short) stretches. Definitely a cross off on the bucket list.

Vegas: Vegas is as wild as they say it is. I spent this trip with the wife, revolving around the Life is Beautiful festival, with NERD and Florence + the Machine as the main draws. I’ve always wanted to see NERD live, and my wife made it happen. Other star parts of the festival was Sabrina Claudio, which i did not know of until i looked up who else was on the schedule. I’m glad i stumbled into her. And the rest of Vegas was wonderful, and had way too much fun. That’s all i can really say.

New York: it’s been a long time coming, for a place i think of sometimes as a second home of sorts. Thanks to Jenny for hosting us, we were able to sneak in a visit before the end of the year. With a mix of seeing old favorites and some new (including a brief taste of Queens living), it is wonderful as always. Went to the Historic Museum to catch the Harry Potter History exhibit, showcasing notes and sketches from JK Rowling. Right after the exhibit, on a whim Hasan Minhaj tweeted a last minute link to a Q&A session he was doing THAT NIGHT in NY. I was originally bummed we would miss the live taping of his Patriot Act show, but this was one of those few moments where great things just fall into your lap, and so we got the chance that evening to see him in person. We also saw Karen, an old friend we always try to find a way to catch up whenever we are in New York. Although brief, New York will always have our hearts, and we feel welcome there each time.

Local highlights:

Megacon/Holiday Matsuri: My first anime expo in a long time (actually my second only i think) , and first time at MegaCon I had a wonderful experience with an old hobby of mine. The main takeaway was meeting Alyson Tabbitha, who i follow on IG because of her unbelievable transformation as Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. She’s really kind. Which inspired me to try to Cosplay, which I managed (the week of) to build up a costume for Holiday Matsuri. I made a quick costume of Joker’s school uniform from Persona 5. Bought the pants, but modified a turtle neck sweater and blazer. Chose a more subtle route so that it can be worn on other occasions and not instantly be looked at as a character. Alyson was there as well, and unfortunately i did not have the patience or time to wait in her very long line. But that’s ok because it led to a very nice conversation with someone in the bus. I may not be a devout fan of the genre but I’m glad i went out of my way to enjoy one of my life long hobbies out in public.

Baby goats: this year we did Baby goat yoga! I can tolerate yoga enough to partake in this class, and it is well worth it. Feeding baby goats and having them stand on you while you downward dog is too fun. This, along with the dolphin experience below, are fulfilling tastes of wanting to be a zoologist.

Pride yoga: this was a pretty cool opportunity as we got to get onto the Orlando City stadium pitch to do yoga. A very unique experience and being able to see what it’s like to be on the pitch looking up into the stands is really fun.

Falcon heavy rocket launch: Ashley gives us a great opportunity to see rocket launches on center, and this one was one of the coolest. The largest rocket Space X launches, this was a pretty big spectacle. The neat part was the re entry landing, watching two small rockets come barreling down to earth, only to elegantly land side by side. Sci-Fi for real.

KSC tour: More perks, we did a KSC tour of the grounds. Being a Hydraulic/Mechanical engineer, I can really appreciate some of the ground support equipment and facilities on site, as I find it pretty bonkers to think the kind of engineering that goes on to create such unique and just straight up big machines.

Beyonce/Jay-Z: bucket list for Ashley was to see Beyonce, and to team up with Jay-Z was an added bonus. OTR II was a pretty good album too, so we splurged on the tickets and got some pretty decent seats to the stadium. We had a fun night listening to some great music. And it was clear that night Beyonce is queen.

In the Heights: I’ve been thinking I don’t have theatre in my life as much as I’d like to, and the chance came up to see a well known play be shown at the local Orlando Shakes theater. A great play by Lin Manuel-Miranda, and in an intimate venue as Orlando Shakes it was top notch time.

USA Womens soccer: Watched the US Womens National Team play in Orlando for the She Believes Cup. I’ve been following the team for a few years now, and thankful to be able to support near by. They deserve a lot more respect by being a dominant representation of the US. 2019 brings the Women’s world cup, and look forward to continuing to cheer them on.

Discovery Cove: Another bucket list item, to be a Dolphin Trainer. This was my first answer to the “what do you want to be when you grow up” question as a kid, and up to this year I never even touched a dolphin. Well my (amazing) wife granted my life long wish and we went to Discovery Cove where I had the ability to live out my dream and not only pet the dolphin, but tell her tricks and take a ride/swim in the cove. This place was actually pretty fun, as they have many other attractions (swimming with fish and manta rays was really fun) and unlimited food and snacks.

Lantern Festival: Initially thinking it was hokey (especially after the amount i paid to do it) it was well worth doing. I knew Ashley has wanted to light a lantern, so the event came up a ways out from Orlando. Although the event could have had a little better coordination as it wasn’t as nice as their PR video, it was still a spectacle to see the hundreds of lanterns continuously lift into the air. As this event neared the end of 2018, we reflected where we were and where we planned to be.

Heat games: Dwayne Wade’s “Last Dance” we got to see him twice in a week: in Orlando and in Miami. I’m really loving these Vice jerseys, and it’s nice to pay respect to the man who has been integral to our city.

Christmas/New Years fam: Writing this post late (post-2018) I can also add in the crazy last weeks I’ve had, as it was pretty much non-stop from Christmas weekend through New Years weekend. My family, Ashley’s family. Ashley’s Family friends, my family’s friends, our college friends, Ashley’s aunts and uncles. Every night was another party. Every day was a lunch to catch up. Truly blessed to have so much family and friends to be in close proximity, honestly it was a very concentrated dose of the people that you grew up with that really make the holidays so memorable.

That’s pretty much it. I was looking at the previous year, and I don’t think I mentioned that the Disney B250 was completed, a very special project and milestone that really my entire engineering career has led to this pinnacle. well in 2018 production has been completed. It isn’t perfect, and if I did it again I have a lot more knowledge under my belt to tackle it better, but nonetheless I will always be grateful and appreciative of the project, and may never get over how cool it is to see it running in Disney. I can only hope it lasts just as long as the previous set of Tram pullers.

Random honorable mentions:

Discovery of Brambleberry Ice Cream. Initially in Atlanta during the Tail of the Dragon road trip. But then the wife finding it at the local grocery, blessing. Summer as an ice cream flavor

Pan roast at oyster bar: a gem of a meal for 2018, found in Las Vegas. debatable as the best thing i’ve eaten in 2018.

Marie patties: This was a small mom and pop Jamaican patty bakery near my house that we would always go to growing up while my mom shopped at the oriental store, or after we would get haircuts. The best tasting patties I’ve had, and certainly unique to any others. As time goes on, the mom and pop get old and therefore retired the place. With a stroke of luck we stopped by during one of our trips to Miami as we usually miss the opportunity to, and they were only a couple weeks from closing up. Sad to see such a staple end, and a small reminder nothing lasts forever, and some things don’t last a lifetime.

Hmm...I also beat Persona 5. I don’t think the group can match the hijinks of Persona 4, but otherwise a great game, and one I cosplayed. Plus Joker for Smash, cmonnnn.

I think I’ll end it here. Although not as crazy as last year as far as trips (although we still took a good amount this year) I have to say I crossed a lot off my bucket list this year. And of course I have to thank my wife for all of it pretty much, as she looks out for me way more that I realize. I hope in 2019 I can return the favor and realize some of her goals too. This year I will be turning 30, and ending my Twenties. A remarkable decade of my life, and to think back on that will have to be saved for another time.

Thank you 2018, you’ve been kind.

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