My life in (the majority of) 2008.

Well, I guess it's time for another life summarizing entry. Actually this year has probably seen the biggest change in my lifestyle and state of mind than any other thus far. Back before Christmas Break I had applied to a couple of courses at Virginia Tech I wanted to take just because I was really interested in the subject matter, but I didn't get into both of them. I decided that without both of them, it wasn't worth attending Virginia Tech anymore at all. Instead, I decided I would begin my journey into the "real world".

Now, I wasn't in such a hurry. I had planned on celebrating by spending the summer with Thien in Vietnam. However, my dad disapproved, and my plans fell through. Instead, I did immediately begin looking for a job. It was quite an experience, living off of my leftover money from last summer's internship; I had to be quite conservative. Thien was quite the lifesaver (as she always is), as she had plenty of leftover funds on her dining plan. Finding interviews in a failing economy was quite an experience, but I did find an interesting position in March. I was to begin as an application developer for ICF International in Fairfax starting on April 7.

Thien and I made a trip to Northern Virginia to look for apartments, found a very nice one. Rather hurriedly, I moved to Falls Church from Blacksburg, and I started working. Since then, time just sort of flies. Thien is still in Blacksburg, and I miss her every minute.

My car did break down a few weeks ago as I was traveling to West Point to see my close friend Steve. Him, another old coworker named Josh, and I worked on it for a week before I headed back home, still carless. At first we thought it would just be a water pump. Quickly the problem turned into a blown head gasket. Along with a radiator. And, oh yeah, the entire block. Kyle, my old friend and roommate from freshman year at VT, somehow made an engine appear out of nowhere and dedicated a weekend to help us all put it into my car. He brought the cherry picker and everything. Still looks like we have another weekend of work, but I'm optimistic for the most part. There are still a few things that could go wrong...

This year, I feel like I've learned so much. I have obviously learned a thing or two about how automobiles work. I have dived into politics and voted for the first black PotUS (I really do hope he brings change!). I have significantly improved my development skills, and I've even contributed a little bit to a couple of open source projects. I have learned how to live and think independently. I don't know if other people go through the same transition, but it was quite a leap for me when my life was no longer being planned for my by my parents. They always encouraged me to go to college, and I got to choose to go to Virginia Tech, but it was always expected. After graduating, it was up to me to find a job. It was up to me to find a place to live. It was up to me to find food. It was up to me to take care of my insurance and car and retirement plan. I don't know, it just felt like a really big step.

This weekend, my parents are visiting Thien and me. I am looking forward to it; I think we'll have fun. I miss them.