So many things happened, good and bad. Mostly good. Chicago has been really good to me, and I’m so grateful for all the opportunities and fortunes it has given me. The apartment has been slowly but surely becoming my own. The job has actually become even more rewarding with more responsibilities and satisfying activities. The social life also improved as I resolved to be more active in meeting new people, experiencing different things, and making plenty of wonderful memories. I’m actually pretty happy with the goals I was able to accomplish within the past twelve months.

And now it’s time for another new year, full of possibilities. It’s also time to set new goals! I admit, I’ve been setting the same ones the past few years, but I gotta keep setting them. Hopefully I’ll be able to knock some more out this time around:

• Learn guitar.
• Learn to swim.
• Get a tv for the apartment.
• Finish my portfolio website.
• Launch a startup.
• Put more into my savings account.
• Get a pet!
• Exercise more (well, duh)
• Build a new computer.
• Read more books.
• Go to Harry Potter World!
• Get a tattoo…
• Get a motorcycle license.
• Learn more recipes to try out.
• Have a vacation in a state I’ve never been in before.
• I’d love to visit Japan…
• Learn how to shoot a gun (for the zombies, of course)

I’m ready for you, 2011!

I’m thankful for…

• my family that love and support me.
• my friends that make me happy.
• my best friend who I enjoy talking and listening to almost everyday.
• my independence for the last 2 years.
• my job that I absolutely love and enjoy doing.
• my apartment that I have slowly but steadily furnished.
• the CTA for providing me with transportation everyday.
• my laptop for without it, I’d be lost!
• CSS3, jQuery, Ubuntu, Chrome, VLC, and Eclipse (to satisfy my inner computer nerd).
• Tumblr for providing me with hours and hours of enjoyment and distractions.
• Netflix and its instant streaming for providing me with hours of television to watch.
• Joss Whedon for Buffy, Firefly, Dr. Horrible, and Dollhouse.
• my newfound love for free movie screenings.
• J.K. Rowling for HARRY FREAKIN’ POTTER.
• the finale of Lost.
• Schubas and Lincoln Hall for having lots of awesome shows.
• Chicago Comics for being my local comic book shop.
• Fables and The Walking Dead for being consistently entertaining comics.
• relationships; even though they can be turbulent, they still provide lots of good memories.
• the city of Chicago for being a wonderful place and giving me a home.

What are you thankful for?

So I’ve been looking up upcoming shows and added them to my calendar. I am determined to go to as many of these as I possibly can.

• 01/24 – Timbaland at House of Blues
• 01/27 – Everclear at House of Blues
• 02/02 – Utada Hikaru at House of Blues
• 02/22 – Jack’s Mannequin at House of Blues
• 03/05 – New Found Glory w/ Saves the Day at House of Blues

So yeah, all those are at the House of Blues. I’ve been there to see Gavin Rossdale, the place is good for concerts. I like to see other smaller, unknown bands and artists as well, but these are the bigger ticket ones I want to keep an eye on and buy tickets before they’re sold out.

If anyone else knows any other cool bands I should check out, let me know!

02/04 Edit: Also gotta see Switchfoot at the House of Blues on 02/16!

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So I guess I should probably check in with how life is going! Pretty exciting, I should say for the most part.

First and foremost: I got my own apartment! This was back in the beginning of October actually. Such a momentous occasion should have merited a blog post almost immediately, but again, I was just so damn busy with settling in and work. It’s a one-bedroom apartment in a building that was previously a brewery. The layout of the building is a bit awkward because of the conversion, but the place isn’t too shabby. I don’t have much furniture: a mattress and a chair. The living room is a very barren place. -_- I’m still saving up for a trip to IKEA or something. Maybe I should just check craigslist. That’s actually how I found both my job and apartment… so why not?

Also, a couple days ago, I was finally offered a full time position at work! YESSSssss!!!!! I’m very happy there, and the new position will be giving me more development experience that I’ve been wanting for a while now. AND I’ll be getting a nicer salary! AND BENEFITS! Oh, how I missed you, health, dental, and vision coverage… So yeah, looks like things are starting to take off!

I’m quite proud of myself for getting this far on my own. Independence is awesome. Also knowing that I accomplished this on my own merits and abilities makes it all the sweeter. But again, a HUGE BIG GIGANTIC thank you to my cousin and her boyfriend for letting me stay at their place while I looked for a job and my own apartment. I seriously wouldn’t have had this awesome opportunity without their generosity and support. I took a risk leaving my last job and coming here to Chicago, but I’m very glad I made it. There were many reasons for wanting to leave, and perhaps I’ll share them here one day, but let’s not dwell on the past, hm?

And just because I got a sweet job and my own apartment doesn’t mean I can slack off! My New Year’s resolution: Go to the gym and get back in shape! Yeah, that’s such a typical resolution, but now I actually do have time and money go, so no more excuses! And I also saw a friend over the holiday break who’s been hitting the gym like crazy—and she is looking GREAT. I’m quite motivated by that actually, so I have a LOT of catching up to do. So come next week, I’ll stop by the gym around my neighborhood and check it out. I got one more resolution, but I’ll post about that later…

Have a safe and happy new year! Hope you had a great 2009, and that the next year will bring you more happiness than the last!

Since regaining employment, and I hardly have the time to go visit any of these places. And I am a bit reluctant to go on weekends. I’ve learned that I really enjoy visiting during off hours, when there are hardly any crowds. It’s a more relaxing and enjoyable experience, for me at least.

I’ve been tinkering around with the idea to buy annual memberships to the museums. Basically, I pay a one time fee for a year’s membership; and I can visit the museums as many times as I would like. With a membership I would ideally go visit an exhibit after a day at work, maybe look at one exhibit for an hour or two, then go home. Instead of visiting all the exhibits in one day, I can see them all when ever I want at my leisure. I also think it’s great to support the museums themselves.

Once I get settled into my new place, I’ll definitely be looking closer at the membership criteria. What do you guys think?

So, yeah, I’m finding it a bit more difficult to figure out what it to write about. Looking back at old posts about 2 years ago, when my blogging frequency was up to almost 5x a week, I put up little blurbs like youtube videos or pics, etc. But I do that with my tumblr now. And then I used to write a little bit more in-depth posts with more substance. And then I moved to Chicago. And the posts kept coming later and later…

I can probably attribute the lack of posts to my job hunt, then my new job, and then the apartment hunt. I was fully focused on those goals, but still microblogging in between.

And now things are coming along more swimmingly. I got a job. I’m doing pretty well in it, and I’m really happy doing what I’m doing. And I also signed a lease for an apartment! This was about a week ago, so I haven’t exactly moved in yet. I’m really really excited about living in my own place for once. I am pretty sure this will be the first time I’ve ever lived alone by myself. I’ve either lived at home with family or at school with roommates. I felt like a total scrub. >:(

But I’ve gotten a surge of freedom and independence since I came to Chicago, and now I look forward to the next step as I move out of my cousin’s closet (yeah, did I mention that? I live in a CLOSET. LOL) into my own apartment.

Now I just have to figure out how to get the rest of my belongings from Maryland as well as start to furnish the place. My taste style in furniture and home decorating seems to be set in modern/contemporary… which probably equals to spending a lot of $$$. I’ve been collecting ideas on this other tumblr actually.

Cool… now I look forward to writing a new piece tomorrow. And I can’t back out of that now, cuz I am committed to getting back into the blogging scene.

• Was sitting in line for a Star Wars panel at the Chicago Comic-con (aw, hell yeah for my geekiness!) It would be a while before they let us into the room. I pull out “A Feast For Crows” and start reading. Girl next to me goes, “I love that series!” I agreed wholeheartedly. “I actually just got this,” and she pulls out “The Hedge Knight” graphic novel. :O It was awesome. Yay for finding another ASoIAF fan… who also likes comics! Who also likes Star Wars!!! We then proceeded to make out furiously.
• During Lollapalooza, my cousin/roommate worked with Venuszine to interview some of the artists. Her and some friends did the video editing in the apartment, so it was really cool to see the process and effort put into the videos. I loved seeing the creativity and passion they were putting into something that other people will view and watch. Check out the videos here.
• Decided to go out to Wrigleyville on a whim. On the red line up to it, a guy approached this girl sitting in front of me and asks to see her tattoo. You could see a part of it exposed on the bottom of her back. She stands up, her friends giggling, and shifts her top to expose all of her back. The guy and his friends all exclaim, “DAAAAAAAAMN.” This is literally right in front of me, so I couldn’t help but smile. She had a floral type vine growing up her back. It was pretty cool.
• Girl approached me at the bar and asked me to watch her bag and her sister while she and their dad go out for a smoke. I struck up conversation with the girl, who is a triple major in sports management, French, and something-something. I can’t remember… I do remember that I asked her if she was a Cubs or Sox fan; I said I was neither but rather an Orioles fan at the best of times. She admitted that that’s the team she wants to work for—apparently it’s easiest to get your managing career started there. The sister who went out to smoke turned out to be the singer from the band that had just performed that night. I said something way embarrassing which I will not divulge here.
• Dan and I were walking back to the El from a bar (for Redskins fans!) and I was wearing my Redskins jersey. I kind of felt awkward wearing it all day in Chicago, but on the way to the station, a cute girl passed us by and gave me a thumbs up, saying “Go, Redskins!” I’m very glad to see there’s a good number of Skins fans out here.
• Went to a BBQ with some friends. We were harassed by bees. We had a can of spray butter, which we used to spray the bees, making their wings heavy. They would fall the ground, paralyzed. We’d then pull out the lighter and BURN THEM. OK, not so we, but two of my friends. It was kind of cruel, but damn I hate bees!

That’s all I can post on right now. Hopefully this’ll get me back into posting regularly again…

Things have been real busy and chaotic the past month. I thought I’d just post something real quick before the month is up.

Biggest announcement: I got a job! ::does a happy dance:: I start July 1st, and I’ll post more about it then.

In addition to getting back into work this week, I got these things to look forward to:

- Dan and Trav are dropping by Chicago today. Excited to see what shenanigans we’ll be getting into!
- Flying to Maryland for the weekend! It’s July 4th, but also my birthday weekend! I really have no plans this year for it, but I’m really psyched to see friends back home. Still haven’t decided where I want to celebrate, but I’m kind of leaning towards Annapolis right now… we’ll see.

Stay tuned!

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