Therefore, alkA and I urged each-other to focus on the positives of the past year in order to appreciate life a bit more in the cold, short, rainy, even lonely winter Manchester days.
So, here's what defines 2011 for me:
I am now a Master of Research in Psychology - albeit a boring-sounding degree, I am very proud of it as well as of my Merit award of the course. Now I feel that I can finally be a bit more appreciated for what I know and what I do and not merely for how well I bow and kiss ass as it was with my U.S. job.
I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with my family core! - the three of us are the absolute heart of my life. No job, no band, no place in the world, no reward is ever more important than US. However difficult it may be for me to remember it in times of hardship, this is the ultimate truth. I would absolutely and without a doubt give my life for my alkA and Sami. And even though that's not just been true for this year, it has now solidified with yet another year.
We traveled and than traveled some more. This year alone we have been in a total of 5 countries! And it still feels like it wasn't enough. I realized that traveling is absolutely my favorite occupation. If I could travel and write, that would be it for me!
So, we were in Bulgaria twice;
in the UK we explored Liverpool, York, London and even the amazing Lake District, for which I will soon write you more.
In September we went to Spain, France and Monaco and I have been writing about those experiences since.
I had amazing, blissful moments of reconnecting with my wife and with my son. Multiple moments where I could stop my mind from always racing and enjoy the MOMENT - the look in my wife's beautiful eyes, the excitement in Sami's...
I found wonderful, honest ways of making money without being devoted to a 9-5 job.
My band - BFH - recorded our best, according to me, album ever, called Bits oF Humanity. I am mega excited about it and cannot wait to be able to share some of the songs with you,
We had a concert again! Being front-stage is an amazing feeling and sharing the intense energy with another 300 people felt like an out-worldly experience.
I mastered my diet a lot by reducing all dairy and learning to cook delicious healthy vegan meals. I found true joy in cooking.
I learned that I am capable of writing such a daunting thing as a dissertation and even enjoyed it.
I started volunteering for Manchester Drug Services and found out that I can experience true joy of going to work for the well-being of others even without being paid.
I worked quite a bit on my blog and developed its design to what I find a more eye-pleasing and interesting layout.
I found out about mindfulness and acceptance and opened the door to a new world of conscious living.
I saw my favorite bands live - Roger Waters from Pink Floyd - The wall and The Ocean. I even got to hang out with The Ocean and even had the displeasure of explaining to them that I would not be able to have them sleep in my tiny apartment.
I made a few (but very few) great friends.
I skateboarded with my son many many many times and experienced the joy of skating in a half-pipe myself.
and then...
I loved, I made love and I was loved back! And this is really what made it all feel like a LIFE and not merely like existence.
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