Latest in the "Wrapping Up" series. Got a feeling this would be a short one oops.

Another year has passed! This is another one of those low key years when the objective is...just to get it over and done with. Did set some targets (New Year resolutions ahem) but nothing really materialized sigh.

******

Oh wait I did achieve one thing - moved out. Though even that I don't know if I would be able to achieve if I wasn't being forced to.

Staying alone is great and all - I loved the freedom and at times the solitude - but it does gives me more excuses to stay at home (watching TV, cook, clean house etc, and partly also coz it's not that near anywhere) and made me even more anti-social than I was. Which isn't necessarily a good thing considering my single status.

Deeply ingrained character which isn't something that can change just because it's a new year but I guess I'll try.

But the whole episode of being forced to move out also made me realize how vulnerable being a tenant can be. 4 years of staying in the same place plus the thinking that my ex-landlady needs this as an income source AND the fact that I have been such a good tenant (her words, not mine) had me lulled into this false sense of security. That I am the one choosing when to shift out of the place. But I have came to realize that the tenant would never be the one that call the shots - including the two year tenancy at my current place. I can never guarantee that this landlady suddenly decides that she doesn't want to rent out the place and prefer to say, sell it to someone else.

So perhaps it's better to start looking at the option of owning a place. Then again, this ties back to plans for longer future which I am really not ready to seriously consider. And the whole issue of stubbornly insisting to only do this when I have the means to do so, without assistance from say, parents. That may take a few more years.

Can only continue saving up then. Go with the flow.

******

Work wise, personally I thought it has been a pretty flat year. Job scope has not changed, team has not changed, I didn't get much new projects which I kind of have mixed feelings about. Hate to be stuck with the old ones which has been really draggy because nobody dares to make big decisions about it. And so I suppose I have been perceived as slow to move and I don't get entrusted with much.

Coupled with the fact that I did get promoted this year (which is a highlight) but it's hard to see much progress so I am coming to terms with that.

So where do we go from here? Stay within in the safe haven, or if chances arise, take up a change? Rhetorical question, really, because if the change happen within the division (which talks have been happening for a while but seemed rumours seemed particularly fierce the past couple of months)... I don't have a say. Alternatively I can always initiate change on my own, which, is still an unsettling thought.

Oh well. Need something new in my life.

******

I haven't traveled much this year. There's the annual CNY trip. There's the annual August/Sept trip home. The only other trip I made is Japan with the gang. Chances like this don't happen often, and it's only going to get rarer in future when family gets involved - though San is really the only one among us that is actually attached now haha. The fact that we haven't even named a place to visit for 2019 (I don't know why it must be a biennial thing actually) kind of emphasizes this, which is why I cherished this trip more than usual.

It's the company that matters most but in this case, the country left a deep impression as well and it's definitely somewhere I would like to return to, preferably during Sakura season or during winter. Winter travels are always kind of hard because essentially December is off because that's the period my manager usually goes on leave which means we have to be around in office. November is too...early? And January/February is too close to CNY so yep.

Europe is also still on my list but with all that has been going on around the world...maybe not the safest idea. Let's see.

******

Outside work, there's very little that's happening. There's really just a few groups of friends which I am continually in touch with and meet up with. These don't happen very often, but it's enough for me. Definitely not one of those who have their weekend/weeknight schedules fully booked couple of months ahead. It's about learning to appreciate those who are left, and just know that when you need me, I'll be around.

******

Side note, it's taking me very long to churn out this post, not just because 2017 haven't been very eventful, but a definite sign that I have kind of lost touch with writing, which is something I enjoyed. Need to be back here more often.

******

So what will 2018 be about?

Treating the body well because it's not getting any younger. Not to mention that health scare I had in April - turns out to be a case of kidney stones but I will never forget that morning of nearly doubling over with intense pain. And finally getting into a better shape.

Labels: milestones, thoughts, updates, wrapping up