Farewell 2011, its been great. - My 2011 Holiday Letter

Giraffe kisses in Kenya

Greetings from Indonesia!  

Yes, here as 2011 closes, I'm off on another travel adventure.  Circumstances changed which made me move on from my job and suddenly I found myself with some extra time and thought I'd check out another new place before looking for a new job.  So far its great and filled with new experiences.  You can check out my blog to see my thoughts and photos.  

2011 has been a good year for me.  I got to travel for work to Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya and then for pleasure to China and North Korea (made even more interesting by Kim Jong-il's recent passing.)  I got to spend time visiting friends in the US too and finally saw the much loved Asheville, NC, explored more of Detroit and revisited Martha's Vineyard after too long.

I continued the never ending journey of seeing every nook and cranny of New York.  This summer I focused on all the new waterfront development and seeking out and learning about public and street art.  I've started volunteering for Big Apple Greeter again where I take tourists out for private free tours to show them NY through a New Yorker's eye and get a chance to meet people from all over the world.  I also hosted a few out of town visitors and want to send out the reminder that my extra bedroom is available for guests and I'll throw in my tour guide services for free!

A pink and green sari for Martha's Vineyard

So all in all life is pretty good.  I'm not sure how I ended up being that cliche crazy single aunt who lives in NY and is always flying off to nutty places and bringing back odd gifts, but it happened and I have been embracing it and all the wonderful experiences it opens up for me. My end of the year reflections remind me that I'm lucky and I'll continue to take advantage of it by trying new things, taking risks and doing nice things for others.

Wishing you happiness, fulfillment and peace of mind.

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!
Better get back to the pool!