Time flies

Today, January 6, 2007, marks the halfway point. As of today, I am halfway through my year here as I arrived on July 6. I've been thinking about that and as with everything in life I can't believe that it has been six months already. But at the same time, there has been so much that has happened and I can't believe that it has only been six months. It is a hard feeling to describe, but I'm sure that everyone out there knows exactly what I am talking about. This is also an important date in my head - it is the time that I told myself before I left when I would start to think about the future. I said to myself in July, "I don't want to think about the future right now when there is so much to think about here and now. I'll think about that in January." Alas, that time has come. So, I've started to think about what my life holds in store for me in the next year (it's also convenient that this comes at the New Year) and I've come up with a few ideas. I want to go back to school. I've always planned on continuing my studies and at some point (?) I will go back to school. I've thought about the possibility of studying here, but I still have to look into that. I also have no idea what I would study or where, so it's a bit hard to say, "OK, now I'll go study". But I do know I want to go back to school and New Years resolution #1 is to study for and take the GRE so that when I decide what I want to do, I can do it. I've also thought about staying here and teaching for a while longer. I started teaching during the middle of the semester and leaving then wouldn't do anyone any good. It would not help the students nor the teacher coming in to have me leave mid-semester, so I'm thinking about staying until the end of the semester (which ends at the beginning of October). Maybe then I come home. But, I could also stay until the end of the year and come home in February. And if I'm here in February, I might as well hang out, travel until July and head to China for the Olympics. Okay, and there is my problem...there is so much to do and so many options for the next few years that it's hard to narrow it down and decide what to do. I guess I'm really just thinking out loud here, but I also know that some very insightful people occasionally read this and if they have any advice I'd love to hear it. Anyway, I hope you all are doing well (and I guess I lied in my last entry when I told you I'd write about my New Years in the next entry...that will come soon, I promise).

Thanks for listening,

Ryan

P.S. New Years resolution #2 is to rededicate myself to learning Thai and focus on reading and writing and New Years resolution #3 is to rededicate myself to learning the guitar (hmm, I see a trend of needing to rededicate myself...interesting).