It's the end of the year, and a time for reflection.

Travel

In January I traveled to India with my ex-girlfriend, fulfilling a dream of mine. I visited New Delhi and Udaipur. I recall certain moments: the explosion of a transformer, children flying kites, vultures circling a dump, students competing in an inter-departmental sports event. I received about a dozen vaccines in preparation, and I managed to stay healthy until the plane home - and then I was sick for a few weeks.

In July I visited Spain with my coworker. We met in Madrid, where we visited the Prado Museum and I discovered the works of Francisco Goya: I was awe-struck by the power and emotion in the paintings. My favorite was the dog. We took the train to Barcelona for a few days, and I dipped my toes into the Mediterranean for the first time. The humidity was oppressive, but the hummus at Hummus Barcelona was the best hummus I've ever had - and the patatas bravas were fantastic, too.

In October I traveled to Los Angeles for work. I was put up in a nice hotel, walking distance to the Santa Monica beach. The weather was a perfect high-60s low-70s throughout. On the plane home, I was randomly sat next to a musician who collaborated with one of my coworkers - such a funny coincidence.

Books

In 2023 I read 25 books, the following of which stand out:

• Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything
• Codependent No More
• The Snow Leopard
• Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
• A Journey in Ladakh
• Sheltered Lives
• Attached
• Player of Games

Music

In my Spotify wrapped, Tycho topped the list - the first time Modest Mouse has been dethroned!

Work

I was promoted to Senior Software Engineer this year, marking a major milestone in my career.

I successfully finished several key projects improving our internal logistics. My personal initiative to automate route creation was rolled out and is in active use.

Projects

Back in March and April I worked on a tower defense game, creatively titled Tower Defense Prototype. It was a lot of fun to build, and it challenged me to work on a system quite different than the usual; namely, using entity-component-systems as the architecture.

Personal development

After a breakup this year, one of the hosts on a podcast shared that breakups can be times of great creativity and positive change. While at the time it did not sooth my feelings, it did prove to be true. This breakup was the catalyst for transformative change.

I attended improv acting classes for several months this year. This resolved a longstanding insecurity of mine: in high school, to impress my ex-girlfriend, I tried out for the school play, and did not get a part. In improv, I proved myself, and discovered the fun of acting, and the thrill of facing my fears.

I started attending a monastery regularly for meditation. This has been invaluable. The sessions include group meditation, followed by dharma talks by the monks. Each monk has a distinct style and preferences for the meditation and talks: some are pragmatic, some are philosophical. In this practice I achieved my longest silent meditation of forty five minutes. An incredible feat considering I couldn't meditate for three minutes a year ago!

Alongside my time at the moanstery, I started a daily meditation practice. This I have kept up with, according to Headspace, for almost 6 months, totaling 32 hours of meditation with the app!

The most impactful change in my life has been attending a support group for adults coming from dysfunctional families. With this group, I have learned the importance of feeling my feelings, and keeping the focus on myself.

Next year

My resolutions for the next year include:

• Regular physical activity
• Reducing screen time
• Learning about finances and investing
• Continuing to nurture my physical health
• Continuing to nurture my mental health
• Continuing to nurture my spirituality
• Continuing to invest in friendships
• Continuing to practice meditation
• Continuing to eat well
• Continuing to sleep well

It stands out to me that most of my resolutions are "continue to.." - which means that I don't have much new to do, mostly healthy habits to maintain.

I have a few travel plans already scheduled, including attending FOSDEM and PyCon US. I want to make at least one other international trip, and one other domestic trip (outside of work).

I am also weighing a move next year, whether local or not. I have a dream of moving abroad for a period of time.

The best year of my life

It's been a big year for me, the best of my life. Dreams fulfilled, immense strides in personal development. In many ways, I feel like not much has changed. But in key ways, I feel reborn.