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On the 5th of September I had my 24th birthday. Actually I know there is no cultural or custumary significance toward achieving this milestone but it served to be a very important day for me. Since the beginning of this year I set my New Years Resolutions pretty high and after I moved to South Korea I have completed the entire checklist:

2010 New Years Resolutions
- Read 10 new books
- Lose 20 pounds by December
- Start eating healthier
- Find a new job
- Move out of Las Cruces
- Brush up on your French
- Start studying a new Language

Thanks to the fact that I live in an isolated area within South Korea I have made great leaps and bounds toward achieving every goal on the list. So as to deter any regression in my behavior I wanted my birthday to signify the start of a new list. While I am still editing the list currently I won't post what I already have. Because if I did it would spoil the whole movie and you would stop reading ;) Seriously though, my new list focuses on honing my new resolve and making sure that I purge anything out of my life which will serve as a hindrance toward claiming my bright future. I used the word "purge" not to be abrasive but to show that I am committed to develop a positive environment around me at all times to let others feel the change that elusively dodges description.



I also had a chance to read "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. Why didn't anyone tell me how amazing this book was?! This book has changed my life PERIOD. I think that the reason that this book continues to be successful is because of the authors' ability to give relatable anecdotes throughout his writing. Honestly there is bound to be some part of the book that you will say "Oh man, I can totally relate to this character." Although the book is packed full of memorable quotes this was my favorite:

"You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love...the Love that speaks the Language of the World" Coelho 120).

All in all I thought this book came into my life at precisely the right time. I have always felt that I have been a focused and ambitious person. But that was nothing in comparison to how I feel after I read this piece of literature. It's like I went to bed when I was 23 and woke up to be 24 and suddenly Anything and Everything was possible. It's funny because I am constantly trying to shake this feeling to see if it's just a temporary state of mind but it's not going away. So I am happy to announce that my original plan of staying in South Korea has been cancelled. Instead I am making my way back home in March. Not because I don't want to be here anymore, but my heart is telling me that what I am looking for is back in the states.