Holiday Update

Earlier in December I wrote the CFA Level I exam which I felt went fairly well. Unfortunately I have to wait until the end of January to receive my results. I am hoping for the best, and will begin studying for Level II in early January.

Following the exam, Hanna and I vacationed in Cuba for a week. We flew to Camaguey and stayed in Santa Lucia. The weather wasn’t optimal but we made the best of it and enjoyed some time away from the hustle and bustle of North American culture. Horseback riding on the beach was great, and beach volleyball was fun as always. The best part of the trip was giving away a dufflebag full of toiletries, old clothing, shoes and simple items to a poor family we found on the beach. Items we no longer wanted were greatly appreciated by a less fortunate family. The trip also provided some insight into the extent of materialism in the more developed world. Nice things make life nicer, but we should remember our real joy is found in our interactions with people.

We came back from our vacation just in time for the Christmas season. As always it is nice to have some time off work to spend with friends and family.

As with every year, Christmas brings with it my birthday, and I am now a year older. Combining my birthday with the upcoming New Year always provokes the need to reflect on the past year and plan for the upcoming year. Having some time off work is great since it allows me to think and refocus for the upcoming year. I like to treat each year as a clean slate, refocus on goals, and see what I can tackle.

One of my goals for 2009 will be to increase the frequency and depth of my blogging, so check back for more updates soon. I hope anyone reading will take the time to reflect on the past year, and put some goals in writing for 2009. The simple act of writing your goals down turns them from nice ideas to actual goals and is very powerful. Happy planning and all the best for 2009!

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