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It’s hard to believe that at this time last year I was scurrying around a like a chicken with it’s head cut off trying to sell my condo, pack up my things and in the process, remind myself why I had decided to disrupt my perfectly normal life and move halfway across the world.  So, am I glad I did it?  Definitely.  This past year has been an eventful one, filled with lots of new experiences.  I love the fact that I had five weeks of vacation to explore the world and visit friends and family.  I managed to visit three countries I had never been to before, Ireland, Portugal, and Mexico, all of which I would love to go back to one day.  I also managed to revisit France, India, Spain, the Netherlands, and Scotland…although the latter two were for work and therefore don’t really count.  Oddly enough, I’ve come to realize that the more of the world I see, the less I feel like I have seen….a rather strange phenomenon, but perhaps one that reinforces my passion for traveling and seeing new places. 

The last six weeks of the year were quite hectic, with trips to Spain, Portugal, and the States all taking place.  Spain was great as I was able to catch up with Cathy, Rick, Patrick and Prathi for a mini reunion.  I loved how we were able to pick up where we left off from the last time we had all seen each other.  The weekend was (in usual fashion) filled with partying and catching up.  So what if the catching up was at 6am over a cup of hot chocolate after dancing all night at a club!  I thought it would be tough to keep in touch with friends after moving to London, but that trip made me realize it doesn’t really matter where I live….there will always be a phone, airplane, or mail box! 

My trip to Portugal was with Michelle, who I will be living with starting next month, and some of her friends.  I wasn’t sure how it would be as I hadn’t really hung out with Steve or Caleb much, but the trip was a blast.  We went to visit Ferreira, one of the many port makers, and had a tour of the factory and sampled some port wine.  I had no idea that there are actually 2 different types of red and three different types of white port.  Although never a fan before, I’ve begun to appreciate port wine.  It can be really sweet, but is quite nice in small doses.  Needless to say, we enjoyed trying them out in the tastings.  Of course, we had to sample the nightlife as well.  I thought people in Spain started partying quite late, but those guys are early birds compared to the Portuguese!  We went to a club at 2AM (normally the time one would be on their way out) and it started to get crowded at that time.  I think we left a 5 and people were still coming in!

My last trip of the year was a trip home.  I was feeling ancy the entire week prior at the office as I was ready to be with my family.  I didn’t get there until the 23rd, and by then, almost the entire extended family had arrived at our house in Houston.  We were having a family reunion, something we try to do every two years or so with my dad’s side of the family.  Of course, it meant having 23 people in the house, but it was nice to see everyone.  Being the eldest, I have 11 cousins ranging in age from 16-31.  Phew!  We left for our cruise on the 26th, and spent the next five days at sea with stops at Progresso and Cozumel, both in Mexico.  I was a bit nervous, having never been on a cruise before, and sure enough the first night I had to start the dramamine as the rocking of the boat started hitting me.  Our stop at Progresso included a day excursion to the ancient Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza.  Our tour guide took us all around, and after visiting all the sites, we were able to climb the pyramid.  The view from the top was amazing, with the surrounding areas covered in greenery and dotted with other Mayan ruins.  The following day we arrived in Cozumel.  I’ve never been to a city two months after it has been hit by a hurricane.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but we saw the destruction right away.  For starters, we couldn’t dock as the piers had all been destroyed.  We had to be ferried to land by smaller boats that pulled up alongside the cruise ship to collect passengers.  As we drew closer to the shore, I saw broken concrete slabs and metal wiring all strewn about, and realized that it must have been a pier.  I sat there in awe wondering just how strong those winds and just how high that storm surge must have been.  We reached land and hired a van to take us around.  Our first stop was the beach.  Ah, it felt nice to lay in the sand and take in the beautiful blue water, which was only enhanced of course, by a margarita.  I attempted snorkeling for the first time.  It’s a bit strange breathing underwater, but once you get used to it, it’s a lot of fun.  I saw schools of fish of all different colors, dashing in and out of coral.  I wish I could have been there before the hurricane to see what it would have looked like.  While I’m no scientist, the erosion was pretty evident.  A great experience though, and after a pit stop to do some shopping we made it back to the boat.  We arrived back in Houston on New Year’s Eve, and brought in 2006 at a local Mexican restaurant, which had amazing seafood.  If you are ever in Houston, I highly recommend a trip to Hugo’s…the ceviche is excellent!