1. More travel: I think i'd die without getting out of Dhaka every few months. The plan so far: May in Nepal (work), June in Dubai (work), August in Hong Kong (fun), October in India (fun), December in Egypt (fun). February in US/Australia. I wanted to do the seven wonders tour, already have crossed the Great Wall off my list. I'm guessing pyramids and taj mahal are next.
2. Language immersion: I've tried Italian before, will try French this time after my MBA. And need to find a proper Spanish instructor after that.
3. Career progression: I love my work, but I think I'm ready to move onto the next challenge. I've trusted the process before, and it has rewarded me well. So, I know something more exciting is on the way.
Let's see. 1. I went to Dubai in June, and moved to Kabul, and didn't accomplish any of the other destinations. 2. Did not start any of the languages. 3. I did find an exciting career progression.
So, I guess 1.5 out of 3. Hmm, I think Kabul has been a bit of a downer in terms of travel. Plus there's no formal opportunity to learn a language here.
So, now here's my wish list for the coming Bangla New Year.
1. Physical and mental fitness: I've been a sloth since I moved to Kabul. Although I'm losing weight now according to my goal, I'm losing muscle mass too, I think. I'd like to run a 6 miles under an hour, develop a six pack, and be able to memorize three new words a week.
2. Reading: I'd like to catch up on reading at least 12 books from my all time reading lists. These are books that I thought would be interesting to read, or read in Bangla, or read an abridged version, but never had the time to actually sit down for the whole thing in the original language. Books for this year are: a. Dracula (Stoker), b. Gulliver's Travels (Swift), c. Cleopatra (Ebers/Safford), d. Lovely Bones (Siebold), e. Mayor of Canterbury (Hardy), f. Don Quixote (English version), g. Salem Witchcraft (Upham), h. Chronicles of Narnia i. Myths of Babylonia and Assyria (McKenzie), j. Inca Land (Bingham) and two more.
3. Math: I am becoming more and more math incompetent. I'd like to brush up on calculus and matrices.
