2019 Year in Review

2019 thank you for a great year! I like to compile highlights of my year because it makes me focus on all that I have to be thankful for and reaffirm within myself that I do have an amazing life despite all the daily stress and depression that follows me from losing my brother.  I recommend you do the same to find all the wonderful things you did and accomplished in the past year!

• 170 days (compared to 224 in 2018) travelling, of which 26 days were for business travel.  I actually spent more time at home in Houston for once in many years!
  • Even though I traveled so much less compared to 2018, I was able to go to several countries including Guatemala, Morocco, Spain and Japan!
  • Other destinations included: CA: Bay Area, LA & San Diego; NV: Las Vegas; TX: Austin, AZ: Phoenix; UT: Salt Lake City; CO: Denver & NY: NYC, NJ: Jersey City; and MA: Boston
• CONCERTS: Santana, Pitbull, Sofar concert with Yello, LOWERCASE committee & Maejoy dotdot and One Republic
• EVENTS: Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas; Houston Rodeo, 5K Foam Glow Run; The Bruery Tin Anniversary Festival; White Linen Party in the Heights; Levy Park Block Party, Yoli Convention, NIGP, Cisco IMPACT sales conference, Texas Hot Sauce Festival, Viet Festival, Asian Night Markets in Houston, Halloween in The Heights, Doterra Tour and Massachusetts Women’s Conference
• Rode a Google amusement ride at CES and got a free Google home unit
• Road trip with my sister from Las Vegas, NV to Houston, TX since she decided to move to TX.
  • Experienced the musical highway where if you drive on the rumble strips it sounds like America the Beautiful
• Rode a camel into the desert where I camped for the night in Morocco
• Went to Europe for the first time!  Even though it was barely a couple days in Spain
• Completed 5K Foam Glow Run in Las Vegas
• First Service/Volunteer trip: Habitat for Humanity House Build in Guatemala where I learned how to carefully break cinder blocks, level dirt floors, create rib wall supports with rebar and mix cement all done manually by hand. I also attempted to make tortillas by hand and discovered I am terrible at it!
• Stayed at a massive 7 bedroom AirBnB house in the outskirts of SLC, UT
• Dressed up as Tron with 75 other people attending a Yoli convention
• Olive Garden Pasta Pass
• Hosted my own Diner en Blanc dinner for my 43rd birthday celebration
  • Stayed at a 3BR/3BA Ranch in the mountains of Las Vegas that included free horseback and ATV rides
• First omakase in Las Vegas and then first time having omakase in Japan
• Ate blow/puffer fish/fugu
• Cooked 13lbs of steak for Christmas lunch that involved marinating for ~36 hours, sous vide for about 6 hours and searing for a couple hours.
• First live Christmas tree in my Houston home