non nye resolution

I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions because they often fail. After about a month, we forget what we said we’d do. Plus, 2016 is going to be pretty hard to live up to. I rang it in with my sweetheart in South Africa and turned 40 there. We witnessed many wild animals in their own habitat: dolphins, elephant, giraffe, hippo, birds and birds, rhino, monkeys and monkeys, crocodile, and the echo of lions (firing up the monkeys).

We hiked, we dined on the finest, sampled wines from the vineyard, swam with penguins.

And now I’m wrapping the year after 5 months living and working in Maldives. The sky presents magnificent cloud and sunset paintings each night, I’ve been in the sea with my shiny new diving certificate and have swam with manta and so many vibrant fish and coral variety I’ve lost count,

I’ve visited many islands and marveled at unparalleled Maldivian hospitality and friendship that has been bestowed here. I’ve finally fulfilled a dream to work for the UN.

So, as I embark upon 2016, I dare not make a resolution, because I am not sure how I could possibly continue my learning and luck at this pace. I will be more than happy to find my way back to familiar comforting arms, to find gainful employment that utilizes my assets and serves the greater good, to keep learning, to be healthy and take pride in my temple, to be grateful for friendships and loved ones, not just in words but in actions. That’s a lot, but that’s how one should live all year long.

photo: Ali Shujau