New Year's Resolution 2013

Ever since living in Honduras, the amount of meat I have consumed has continued to decrease and decrease.  I now go days, weeks, months without eating meat.  So here it goes...

My big plan for 2013 is to go the entire year without meat.  So far, so good...

Okinawa!

My 2012 ended with a bang as I was able to visit my cousin Rob and his family in Okinawa, Japan!  I was so grateful to spend the holiday season with family while also being able to explore a new place.  It can be difficult to be far away at this time of year, but I was able to have an extremely wonderful time in Okinawa.  I had such a nice combination of relaxation and fun and adventurous activities.

It was also quite interesting to return to Japan after more than 10 years.  Japan was my first trip overseas right after I had finished eighth grade in 1998.

Here are a few of my favorite memories from Christmas and New Years in Okinawa...

Santa made it to Okinawa!

Christmas Eve fun with Ryan, Brendan, and Moira.

Merry Christmas from Okinawa!

Having a Christmas morning treat of hot chocolate!

Doing some exploring with my buddies...

Octopus balls...

Having fun at Okinawa Land.

Okinawa is known for its beautiful blown glass.

Moira and I at Okinawa Land.

Okinawa Land.

Beautiful beach in Okuma!

The water was just amazing.

The brave kids in the water with their new wetsuits.

Sunset in Okuma.

Sunny day on the beach!

Great view!

Go Qatar!  Headed to the aquarium.

Watch out for the sharks!

Brothers during lunch.

Just Dance on New Year's Eve.

Exploring in Naha.

Fun in Naha!

Lunch with Kate, Moira, Brendan, Rob, and Ryan.

Can't go to Japan with some karaoke!

Missing my buddies!

B, Ryan, and me...

Shisa fun...

Great videos from a great trip to Okinawa...

• Christmas Eve fun at American Village 
• B Loves to Sing! 
• Just Dance Fun on New Year's Eve 
• Dancing with Shisa in Naha 
• Awesome Dancing in Naha 
• Karaoke Fun 

Wiggalo

I learned a pretty hip, new song in Sri Lanka...

Can yo do the wiggalo?

Are you ready to wiggalo?

First person:Hey (other name)!
Second person: Hey what?
First person:Hey (other name)!
Second person: Hey what?
First person:Are you ready to wiggalo?
Second person:With my hands up high and my feet down low, this is how I wiggalo! (Does a short movement[wiggles])
Everyone: Wigg-alo! Wigg-wigg-alo!Wigg-alo! Wigg-wigg-alo! Repeat

A year in review...

That's right...

I have a blog.

I have faithfully neglected my blog since the beginning of September as the end of 2012 was a complete and utter whirlwind.  Therefore, here is my year in review and all the happenings of the end of 2012...

September:
I started my third year at ASD and I also started taking on-line classes.  This has proven to take up a great deal of my time and is my second job.  Nevertheless, slowly, but surely I will finish.  As always, Doha welcomed us back to school with excruciating hot temperatures and extremely high humidity.

The Spanish teachers of ASD.

Dusty, hot Doha...

The view from my apartment continues to change...

Humidity, September, 2012.

A beautiful desert sunset.

October:
At the end of September, I traveled back to Michigan for my cousin Maggie's wedding.  I was so thankful that it was able to work and I was able to take advantage of seeing so many people from my family.  It was my first time seeing a Michigan fall in three years and it was absolutely amazing and beautiful.  It was so fun to get some long runs in in the crisp, fresh air.

Beautiful tree in Romeo, MI.

Mom's flowers.

Sunrise at home in Fremont, MI.

Out for a run.

ArtPrize 2012 with my mom in Grand Rapids, MI.

Hi Mary!

I spy with my little eye...

Drinking horchata...

On our way in the limo...

Pretty ladies...

Maggie and I!

Three lovely ladies from the East Coast:  Erin, Aunt Linda, and Kim.

My mama and me.

My brothers and I.

ASD welcomed me back with the start of Well Being Awareness Week 2012.  This is always a fun week for the kids to be able to try some new activities in order to promote physical and mental well being.

Yoga session.

Pato, pato, ganso...

A little cat and mouse.

October also brought with it the opportunity for me to participate in my first aquathon.  It had been on my bucket list for quite some time to finally compete in an event like this.  Hopefully, this means opening the doors to a future triathlon...

You can check out the event and results here:  http://www.aspirezone.qa/events/Aquathon2012/homepage.aspx

Kari and I ready to go.

Nervous and excited...

Game time.  It was a 500 meter swim and a 5K run.  We finished our run in over 100 degree heat.

My friend Ryan has worked very hard at getting a regular live music venue in Doha.  It was a great pleasure and really quite fun to be able to support him and other musicians as he was able to kick off a series of live concerts.

Enjoying the music with Shery and Shane.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riCuVUyhKgU 
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yklMNcyow-w 

I also went to Sri Lanka at the end of October.  I had always hear people say such amazing things about it and so it was high time I found out for myself.  I had an amazing trip and certainly hope to go back.  I was able to hang out and travel with some lovely people from school, but also get out and do some exploring on my own.

On the beach and happy to be there!

Paradise...Unawatuna, Sri Lanka.

Great food and drink with good friends, Kari and Stephan.

Buddies from school, Greta, Nolan, and Sean.

Exploring at Galle Fort.

I spy with my little eye a black cat...

Love watching the waves crash.

More Galle Fort.

Fishing boats.

The beach at Hikkaduwa.

Loving the life in Sri Lanka...

Tuk-tuk ride in Sri Lanka.

 Down pour in Galle.

Meanwhile back in Doha...
The Mitten State is spotted!

Clouds in Doha usually mean cool weather...

November:
Somewhere along the way, I finished my first class and started my second class...
November had two wonderful things that happened:  Thanksgiving and Marina came to Doha.

The holidays can be difficult when living overseas and one is far from his/her family.  Nevertheless, I have been fortunate to have a wonderful Doha "family."  The Lorias invited me and few other close friends to join their family for Thanksgiving.  It was certainly one for the books and one night that will live in my memory forever.  We had a such a good time chatting, eating, sharing, laughing, dancing, and singing.

Izzy and Aaron...too cute!

Stephan and Kari.

Becka and I.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Becka and Nash.

Aaron, Mike, and Shane.

Syd and I.

Who is that dude in the background?

Jen and Nash.

Another wonderful thing to happen in November was the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.  Why, you might ask?  This conference brought my dear friend Marina to Doha.  I had the pleasure of living with Marina for two weeks as she was here working.  Her father was also able to make a stop on his way to Bahrain.

Marina at her work station.

Marina and her dad.

So grateful to have this lady in my life!

The future we want...

December
Marina was still here for a bit in December and we were able to do some exploring and shopping around Doha.  She really enjoyed the souq and we had a great time shopping for scarves!

My dear friend Marina and I at the Museum of Islamic Art.

A beautiful day on the Corniche.

At the museum.

Sunset in Doha.

More at the museum.

One of my favorite places in Doha.

December brought with it another first for me.  I was able to fun my first half marathon in Dubai.  I have run three full marathons and it was time to experience the half.  I really enjoyed this distance and hope to do a few more in the future...

With Courtney and Kari after the race.

A sunny, humid day in Dubai.

After returning from Dubai, ASD welcomed us with one of my favorite events of the year:  ASD International Week.  Even though this is my third year at ASD, this week and the diversity of our school never cease to amaze me.  This year, we had 75 different flags from around the world represented at the opening ceremony.

This year the theme was "Sing," which was based from a song by Gary Barlow.  It was awesome to here out entire school sing it.  It is one powerful song!

International Week 2012.

Ready for the opening ceremony.

Half of the flags...

The other half of the flags...

Positive, Active, Global, Citizen on the jumbotron!

The International Buffet is always a big hit!

A traditional Qatari dance at the closing ceremony.

A high school skit about being different...

Baile de Venezuela.

A few videos to keep you busy...

• ASD International Week 2012 -- USA
• ASD International Week 2012 -- Qatar
• ASD International Week 2012 Closing Ceremony -- Qatari Dance
• ASD International Week 2012 Closing Ceremony -- High School Skit
• ASD International Week 2012 Closing Ceremony -- Baile de Venezuela
• ASD International Week 2012 Closing Ceremony -- Sing

I turned 29 this December.  This also happened to coincide with the end of my second graduate class.  Therefore, I celebrated with a quiet evening at home with a nice glass of vino, a delicious cupcake, a movie, and some candles...

Cheers!

Another fantastic event in Doha in the month of December was RAIN!  We had an entire day where it rained, rained, and rained some more.  It was a first for me in the desert!  We have yet to have anymore rain since then, so I guess we will take what we can get...

Rain, rain...don't go away...

December 18 is Qatar National Day and I have never been here to experience it as we have always started our winter break before that time.  This year was a bit different and I really enjoyed the experience of being able to watch the absolutely AMAZING display of fireworks along the Corniche!  I had never seen anything like it before!

Moving onto 2013...
This may be the last post again for quite some time...