There is no way that I will be able to recount all of the oddities and occurances that have happened over the past month or so since my last entry. But, here are some of the highlights...

I went home for Thanksgiving -- good to be at my house and sleep in my room and hang with my family...It was, however, a struggle to get there. One emergency landing, a handful of new friends, and several extra agonizing (yet thankful) hours later I was able to comfortably cross the threshold of our house with an overwhelming sense of security and love.

I have had the pleasure of attending and being an invited guest of two company Christmas parties, which was a shocking (although pleasant) dose of "grown-up reality". Luis's company's luncheon was held at Brother's Bistro in Laguna Beach, which is one of the places we had visited for Valentine's dinner...(ahh...memories...) My company party was held at The Cannery in Newport and was pretty rad! A festive accessory to the evening was the Newport Boat Parade lining up outside the window of the dining room where we were eating. It is always an interesting change of pace to see everyone outside of the office and enjoying themselves. While at the dinner, I was officially promoted (essentially by title) to Assitant Vice President at work, which includes new snazzy business cards and more responsibility.

My parents came down for Christmas which was a relief and a joy in many respects. I had an opportunity to hang out with them without the stress of travelling dangling over my head. Andy was our guest for Christmas dinner, and as is usually the case when I bring friends home for meals, he is family. :) For New Year's, Luis and I went and hung out in Westwood with Don & Vanessa. We had a great time -- dinner at El Cholo in Santa Monica and then drinking at Maloney's -- I couldn't have asked for a better night!

So, what now? I have been enduring the painful realization that this was the first "working holiday" of the rest of my employed life. What do I mean by that? Well, it was the first year I didn't have finals, the first year I didn't get a couple of weeks off to veg and do absolutely nothing, the first year I couldn't get time off to travel...and sadly, this is the way it works once that brilliant time in life known as full-time education is complete. Don't get me wrong -- I thrive on challenges and that is what a working life provides, but at the same time, I yearn for change of pace -- which inevitably working 8-5 seven days a week at a receptionist desk rarely encourages...I like my job, but the fact that I have real responsibility and need to act adult at least 40 hours a week scares the hell out of me. Clausterphobia has set in a bit and i need to travel...

Which brings me to my next point in self-discovery: I need to go away for a couple of weeks this summer -- and it has to be a big trip. I want to hit up Europe: Spain especially...I would love to travel with friends, but I know schedules and life changes are often conflicting with ideal travel plans, so I have made a promise to myself (no matter how hackneyed and cliched that act may be): I need to make this trip whether or not I have people wanting to go with me. I will be bummed if I can't get travel buddies, but I need to do this while I can...Five years from now I want to look back and say, "Damn, that was an amazing trip I/we did...", not "huh, maybe I should have gone...."

Ooh, and just for fun...here are my New Year's Resolutions:

* To practice my Spanish and consider myself conversationally fluent by the end of the year
* To become more organized and neat
* To join and gym and make a habit of working out on a regular basis -- more for health reasons than aesthetic ones
* To learn to salsa dance
* To abolish what is left of my credit card semi-debt (it isn't as bad as it sounds, but i want to get rid of the payments...)
* To cook more

Happy 2004!!