Two Years and Counting

My two year anniversary of arriving in Beijing passed May 13th, and today is the anniversary of this blog. It's been an incredible ride and fantastic learning experience. Thanks to everyone for the love, support, and friendship. It literally would not have been possible without you.

Special thanks to...

Therese - Thank you for shaking up my world and showing me there's so much more to this city. Thank you for taking me out of my comfort zone and helping me into a different one. Thank you for reminding me to eat slowly, to look both ways when crossing the street so i don't die, and to get more sleep. Thank you for loving me and letting me love you. Thank you for forgiving me when i make mistakes and for appreciating me when i do good. Thank you for saving kittens and loving all living creatures. Cockroaches excluded. You're amazing and beautiful. Yay.

Parents - Thank you for all the support over the years. You've always allowed me follow my dreams, choose my own path, and define myself. You even come to visit me on my adventures, which shows me you are proud. Thank you for being the best parents you can be. Thank you!

Family - You will always be my best friends, no matter where we live. It's easy to get lost in this new world, and i don't ever want to forget where i come from. Thanks for teaching me all the awesome things you love... drums, skiing, music, beer, traveling, food, and love of family and friends. Let's never forget we're connected, and please forgive me when i lose touch.

Ray the GeGe - Thank you for coming to visit me in my new world. It was amazing to share it with family. The support from home means so much to me.

Beijing Friends - You have made jumping headfirst into Beijing's unknown look easy. I couldn't ask for a group of friends with more fun, creative, crazy, hilarious, and spontaneous energy. Thank you for being awesome. Woot.

Larry and Scarlet - Thanks for everything. This wouldn't be possible if you didn't take a chance on me.

As for my plans now, my two-year contract is up with US/Grant. Larry, Scarlet and I have all been happy with the progress and decided to extend the contract. There's no set end date, but there have been a few changes. We've negotiated an agreement to allow more vacation time to travel and relax. These past two years have been a lot of fun, but they have been extremely hard work too. I'm really looking forward to a break, the first of which will be in July and August. Three weeks of traveling someplace tropical like Indonesia or Vietnam and Laos, or The Philippines. Or Nepal and Tibet. Or Thailand?

Year three is shaping up to be really great. Look forward to new adventures both home and away, as well as positive energy in general.

~Kev