Year End

I always embrace the year-end with mixed feelings. It means so many things to me. Both scary and welcoming at the same time. Scary because, there is a need to come to terms with the cold hard truth of what went wrong in the year (that I have not achieved some things I have set out to do in that year). Welcoming because there’s always hopes and dreams that I can carry with me as I enter a brand New Year. There’s always another chance at the things that I have always wanted to do and achieve. New Year gives me new hope. And I’m hopeful for many reasons.

While making mental notes of my New Year resolutions, I realized that as the years fly by, I’ve mellowed down and adopted certain qualities which, definitely come with age and maturity. 28 is a good age. It is a time in my life when I’ve discovered so many things about myself, a time when I’ve finally LEARNED from the many mistakes I’ve made, a time when I finally see some kind of “stability” in me and a time when I realized that I’ve really grown. I make “realistic” resolutions which I’ve also managed to keep this year - for some, I start to look at things from a long-term point of view and I don’t make decisions in haste. I’ve also learned to be much more optimistic than I used to be; adapting to truth. Cheers to that, and to many great revelations to come!

With just another 3 days to go before we bid farewell to 2006, I want to celebrate and remember some of the great things that I’ve experienced this year. Here’s a short list of what I can remember in no particular order:

- Learning salsa and completing the whole course up to Advance level
- Participated in Salsa performance, 3 times!
- Salsa Festival in Cherating
- Found a new job in a fitness and health company - something I’ve always had passion for
- I have a Blog- finally!
- Finally moved out of 1-04-4
- THE party on 24th December
- Another great year with my good friends (you know who you are!)
- Finally, I’ve learned to count my blessings despite the countless obstacles that stand in my way

Here's another toast to all that!

Escapism

After weeks of planning and anticipation, THE party finally took place. It was a night full of laughter, lame jokes, very indecent photos! alcohol-soaked munchies, alcohol, and of course, more alcohol. The highlights? What else, but the people that rocked the party. And at this point, I think I have to say that, with alcohol, anything is possible. (Spoken like a true drunkard ehhem!! I know some of you want to knock my head now to remind me that yours truly was the first one to “konged” out)

Anyway, to sum it all up, we partied, we laughed, we got drunk, and we go home to sleep. (I didn’t have to leave of course because I was the lovely host!). It was a good party, and the party is over. Over over over!

As I opened my eyes the next morning, sobriety reminded me that the party’s really over. My friends have all gone home. I’m left with sweet memories of the good time and laughter I had the night before. But I found myself feeling a little lost and a little sad. Perhaps, empty. But why??

Despite the obvious fun I had during the party, I find myself silently still searching for some kind of meaning beneath all the food, the drinks, the laughter and the unimaginable, crazy things we’ve done during the party. Was it the fact that it was a reminder of our youth or what’s left of it? Or was it the fact that we’re still capable of partying like we’re still 22?

At last! It was a celebration of our friendship! It was a get-together that reminds me that no matter what I will always have this bunch of craziest people I call friends to put colors and drama in my life. I realized, as I’m writing this that, it was also, a momentary escape from reality as it always is when you’re having the time of your life. (Isnt it so for some of you out there??)

That’s why when the fun is over, the "emptiness" sinks in and I find myself adapting to what’s present and real, once again. It’s no wonder they always tell you, enjoy it while it lasts. How true!