I Am Bismark

well, hello 2009. and i thought 2008 was going to be an exciting year… but yeah, lets talk about 2008 first. it was pretty crazy. i did a lot. just off the top of my head:

• moved to california
• bought a car
• worked at intel
• started an 8 month relationship
• took the GRE
• returned to provo
• started my senior year of college
• applied to grad schools
• ended the 8 month relationship
• went to seattle
• got a new niece
• etc etc etc

i loved my time in california. i look back at it all quite quite fondly. it was amazing to be out on my own, with a car, money and free time. i kind of wish i was getting ready to go back there in two days instead of provo. i remember my first week in sacramento, trying to sleep on my air mattress surrounded by my boxes of stuff. we had no internet so i borrowed some movies from my mentor at work.. crazy chinese and japanese films. eating my first chipotle burrito.. going to the dances and not knowing anyone at all.. going to tahoe with some friends i had made and loving the scenery and snowshoeing. hard to believe that was all a year ago. here are some photos that i wanted to share:

tahoe over mlk jr. weekend.

the habitat for humanity project we worked on for intel’s 40th anniversary.

a bunch of intel interns after lunch at jack’s urban eats, one of the places i definitely miss.

pictures from the annual cheesefest my roommate dragged me to. i it was so freaking hot that day.

a night out on the town.

a barn party i went to with some friends.

fried oreos. nuff said.

some pics from my final week at intel.

i miss it. and of course all of those who have read this blog know all of the other things that happened. i could write tons about my california adventure (and i probably someday wish i would have), and even more about my relationship starting and ending. i think i will let that subject rest for the most part in the past now.

and now for a review of my resolutions from last year:

• “make everything i can out of this internship. learn a ton, experience a ton, make a ton, and enjoy a ton.”

i would give this a big yes. i loved my time at intel, and the more i look back on it, the more valuable it seems.

• “be more friendly and outgoing. i am moving to a new city and state where i know no one. i really want to make some good friends.”

i think i did pretty well. i had a bit of a reset as far as my group of friends about two months into things, but i still feel like i had a great social life in sacramento.

• “get in good shape. i have been away from the weight room for over a month now with sickness, finals, etc., and i can feel it. time to get back.”

yeah i totally failed at this one. i paid about $60 a month for a membership at california family fitness the whole time i was in sacramento. i started off well, loving the kickboxing and cycling classes and getting in for lifting pretty often. but things just went down the tubes. i am pretty sure right now i am in the worse shape i have ever been in.

• “stop being afraid to fall in love. who knows if it will happen or not, but i at least want to allow myself to have it happen.”

well, i think i passed. like i said, i could write a ton, but i won’t. i learned a lot. love is a good thing, even though it hurts sometimes.

and now for this year. oh gosh, i’m scared. at the time of this writing, in a little under four months, i have absolutely no idea what i am going to be doing with my life. i have no idea where i will live. i have no idea what i will do for work. i have no idea if i will be continuing my education. nothing. i’ve never had something like this before. i’ve always known what was coming next and what i planned to do. i think this will be good for me.

here is what i hope happens this year:

• get into a graduate school (first choice is UC-berkeley).
• get a summer internship that is stimulating and fun.
• fall in love again.

some of those i have more control over than others…

lets resolve some things:

• rock my last semester of undergraduate work. i am not looking forward to some of my courses, but i know i can do hard things.
• find a job/internship. it doesn’t matter what happens with grad school, i need to find something that i can love to do.
• get in %$#^#$@^$-$%##^$ing shape. mariam and i have already resolved to start running around the track together. this year its happening.
• just be the best person i can be. i know that sounds vague, but i think that more than worrying about relationships and all of that, i need to just be a great person myself. i’ve got plenty of issues i need to deal with, and i think that once i do, love will just be natural.

ok, so, nothing too out of the ordinary, but i think i’ve got plenty on my plate this year as it is. a year from now i could be working on a masters degree, in great shape, and madly in love. or i could be working in a burger joint, overweight, and all alone in the world. who knows, but i’m excited to find out. bring it on 2009.