Hanoi, Vietnam - March, 2013

Another year over – Hanoi, Vietnam – March, 2013

Since we measure our lifetime often by years, I guess it is appropriate to divide up the years and summarize them, set goals, and continue to improve, experience, and learn.  I don’t agree so much with using a new year, like 2013 to do this, but more so an age.  You only turn 25 once, but you experience a new year many times throughout life.  Nonetheless, the more you reflect you what you’re doing and what you’ve done, the more you can gain from experiences.

– 2013 started celebrating the New Year in Bangkok. My friend Andrew arrived in mid-January, and his aunt a few days later.  Along with Darunee, we traveled Thailand for a month and a half.  We celebrated Darunee’s birthday with her family in her hometown.  I turned 24 back home in Bangkok.
– In March I traveled a bit into Vietnam.
– April was memorable with the celebration of Songkran, the Thai New Year.  For several days you just spray water on random people, drink, eat good food, and party.  It is a great way to meet strangers and interact like we supposed to.  Definitely one of the coolest holidays I’ve celebrated.
– In May I went to the Thai Rubik’s Cube Championship.  It was an awesome way to get into the cubing culture in Thailand, and met some great people there.
– In June, Darunee and I backpacked Myanmar (Burma).
– In late June/July, my German friend Martin and I traveled through Laos and Cambodia.
– In July/August, I headed back to the United States for Rubik’s Cube Worlds in Las Vegas, to see family in Denver, and for a family reunion in Minnesota.
– In late August, Darunee and I did a day trip to Koh Kred.
– September was more a month of reading, work, and reflection. Learned a lot, improved a lot.  I bought an acoustic guitar and started playing.  Spent time relaxing at home.
– In early October, went to the Cakes/Ngo affiliate meetup, met some people that would become friends.  In the middle of the month I went to a Thai wedding near Kanchanaburi, and after hiked to a waterfall. In late October I camped on a military beach in southeast Thailand (Sai Kaew Beach). I celebrated Halloween in Bangkok with some friends.
– In late November and into mid-December, I traveled the Philippines, including hiking an active volcano.

The above are the highlights of the year. All the time not spent traveling was typically either reading, developing my business,  hobbies, or out and about raging with friends, or meeting new ones. I studied Thai a fair amount, starting playing the acoustic guitar, and began studying chess daily.

At the moment, Christmas is around the corner.  Tomorrow I’m off to camp Khao Laem National Park, then return to Bangkok to move to a new condo.  Later that night I will head up to northern Thailand to celebrate the new year with Darunee’s family. 2013 was an excellent year.

Here’s to 2014!

Goals:

Recap from last year – Goals for 2013:

  • Double e-commerce revenue. DONE – Lots of changes made in 2013.
  • Focus on mobile – launch at least 1 venture into mobile. FAIL – Complete fail on my part.
  • Travel to many many more countries in Asia, especially Bangladesh, India, and Vietnam. DONE – traveled much of SEA.
  • Learn to read, write, and speak Thai proficiently. Depending on how you define proficient.  Still improving.
  • Take better care of myself – eat healthier, workout regularly, reduce alcohol drinking. DONE – worked out a lot more, ate healthier.
  • Balance my schedule more – quit working 12+ hours in a day. DONE – balanced work much more in 2013.

Upcoming 2014 Goals:

I’ll keep it simple again.  The world changes fast.  I just try to live each day improving, learning, and having fun.

  • Read at least 1 book each month.
  • Take mobile more seriously – learn everything mobile and launch a venture into it.
  • Travel to northern Asia.
  • Spend at least 14 days without speaking English (only Thai).
  • Do at least 1 30 day challenge.
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Patrick

Web Developer
I write for fun, I travel for fun, and I enjoy learning. I hate sugar-coating things. Understand the world in reality, not by dogma. Question everything.

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