Saturday, January 15, 2011

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

Over the past week, I have logged onto the blog numerous times with the intent of writing a new entry on 2010 giving way to 2011. But, for some reason, I just cannot seem to express what I want to say. A few times I managed to formulate an opening sentence or two. Mostly, though, I just sat and stared at the screen even though my mind was racing with thoughts. Yes, I could have skipped writing this particular entry althogether. But, I think 2010 was an important and exciting one and that 2011 might give its predecessor a run for its money. I may ramble, lose my thoughts, or write complete nonsense (Maybe that is not so different from my other entries?) but I am going to give it a go nonetheless.

2010 brought some huge changes for Jignesh and I. Moving to Geneva in late 2009, 2010 was a year of adventures as we settled into a country that we knew very little about and where we did not speak the language. From simple things like finding baking powder at the grocery store to big things like securing a place to live, Geneva certaintly presented us with challenges. Although many cultural differences (lack of business and store hours, strict rules, etc) frustrated us, we slowly adjusted to a new Swiss-American life with both some laughs and tears along the way. Heck, we now actually think $25 for an individual pizza is reasonable! On the flip side, our new life also provided us with some amazing opportunities. We bought a car (the Daewood is still going strong) and took some fantastic road trips through Europe, began twice weekly French lessons, and purchased our first set of skis! We also met and made friends with people from all over the world. While Jignesh busied himself at work and hit the gym again, I joined a tennis club and also took some photography lessons. I further used my free time to experiment in the kitchen a bit more. Oh, somewhere in of all this, we also celebrated are 6th wedding anniversary (in Lake Como, Italy!). It was undoubtedly a year to grow personally by learning and experiencing many new things but simultaneously re-conneting with some old interests.

Now, on to 2011. To be honest, I have no idea what to expect in the coming year. Just when things seem to become clear, they quickly get all rattled once again. Regardless, I am fairly confident that 2011 will be yet another year of big changes. As for resolutions, I am not the type to make formal ones. Yes, I have a few things that I would like to accomplish but I also think that goals change depending on your circumstances. And, knowing us, our circumstances can change unexpectedly! So, I think I will keep my "resolutions" personal and simply see where our life takes us over the coming months.

Bonne Anee!

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