Hello, Konnichiwa, Ni Hao, Halo 2008.

Its the first of the new year and I'm sitting in my study, thinking about the last three weeks.


It seems to be a hazy blur of strong drinks and beautiful women dressed in cute dresses, images of teeth biting into jerk chicken and random run-ins with celebrities, rich-kids and long time friends. I realize that I have not spent a night home in almost an entire month.


This doesn't matter, because partying is good if you have something left to do after you expend all that energy. I spent the day with my family at a friend's house. We ate, we danced, we sang along to some popular songs. I spoke about the year and my plans with a good friend of mine and ate some more chicken.

Thankfully i'm not experiencing the crawl. The "crawl" is the sudden reentry into the normal pace of your life after living a brief (or extended) whirlwind existence. I don't feel the crawl right now in any way. I'm actually considering watching a movie (Black Dahlia ) and doing some reading. I'm retiring my "party-man" persona for at least one night.

Today was windy, and it felt as if the earth was yawning from the stresses and effects of 2007, ushering in the New Year. I felt somewhat introspective, looking out at the beautiful Kingston landscape, watching pink clouds hover over distant moutain tops, while soft oldies played in the background. Even though I don't particularly advocate the whole "New Years Resolution" thing, like anyone, I still feel like the new year has its beginnings.

In my last blog for 2007 I mentioned that a New Year is a continuation of the past, which is true, but when I felt that wind hit me today it felt like last year was washing itself away. There are many things I accomplished last year that I am proud of, and I have many interesting plans this year that I hope to accomplish as well.

I tell myself quite often that I am happy to be alive, happy to be sitting in my house on a cool January evening, drinking sorry and chewing a piece of pastry while I type on my blog. My friend told me something I liked tonight.
"Yes, youth, we just moving forward for the new year. Straight forward."

I agree. Forward is the place to go, and it is the only direction that exists. In a week I will be back in the cold, wintry atmosphere of Washington DC. But I'll also be smiling, hanging on to the last breath of 2007 and using it to fuel 2008.