It's time for an end-of-the-year wrap-up. If you ignore me on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram, my website, Tumblr, Pinterest, or this poorly-maintained blog, it's time to bring you up to speed. Go make yourself a cup of chocolate milk, get a straw, and feel free to blow bubbles in it while you read this.
Tonight I was asked not about my resolutions, but what was something I would wish for in the new year. I think that's a good way to look at things. Resolutions are made and broken, year in and year out. Instead of saying, "I'm going to do this," I'm phrasing it as "I want this to happen." I guess that seems like taking an active phrase and making it passive, but many of us know the truth about that active phrase. On the other hand, desire drives action.
2015 wasn't a perfect year for me. When it began I was in a bad place geographically, mentally, and emotionally. [content deleted]
I finished my first contract year in my career, and setting aside everything that was wrong with that year (which was plenty, unfortunately), I did it. I finally did it. I fulfilled my dream of becoming a teacher, and that's not nothing. Teaching became my career of choice when I was in 7th grade, and it took me 15 years to finally get a position as an English teacher. It is sad that I will look back on my time in Selawik with mostly negative thoughts and memories, but there were some definite bright spots. There were some good times, and I met some good people.
This summer was a short one for me. I didn't have a license or a car, so that limited the amount of visiting I was able to do this time around. I saw some of my peeps, shared some laughs, etc. My nomadic life has certainly given me a different perspective on life and changed my views on my homeland (New Jersey, which is almost it's own thing. I swear, if NJ declared its independence from the rest of the country, POTUS and all of Congress would send the state a thank-you card. But I digress...). It was nice to be back in Jersey for a visit, and I was excited to begin the new chapter of my life in Taiwan.
Taiwan! Say whaaaat? I came here to teach, and this is a very different teaching experience than the one I had in Selawik. I've been here since the end of June, and for the most part, I really like what I do. I have a few classes I love, one coworker I'm terrified of, and one class that makes me want to become an alcoholic. The workload is much different than what I had in the past, and if I didn't excel at procrastination and wasting time on social media, I'd probably be pretty darn productive in my copious free time.
I'm coming to grips with growing up, growing older, and I'm beginning to accept the fact that I'm destined to be #foreveralone because of reasons. I've got some exciting projects lined up for 2016, some loose ends to tie up, and some life to live. This year I plan to...
Wow, I'm tired and this is going to take a really long time if I keep going at this pace. Here, let's do this the short way:
- I lost my most excellent girlfriend
- I left parts of my heart in Alaska
- I said good-bye to NWABSD
- I spent some quality time with my big sister and family
- I didn't get to see all of my friends and family
- My last pro-wrestling match was nearly seven years ago
- I started teaching in Taiwan (holy shit, I'm in Taiwan!)
- I haven't Skyped with my son since September :'(
- whale blubber is better than stinky tofu
- I get to start 2016 with a negative balance in my checking account!
THE ONE AND ONLY,
MAC III
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