Following the tradition ( 2006, 2007 , 2008, & 2009), here are the 2010 Â highlights for me.
Achievements this year: The results of the multicenter clinical trial that I worked on while at Naviscan are finally getting published. I have about seven publications that are as a result of my work with PEM : two are published, three more are in press, one is submitted and three are at various stages of being written. On the personal front, I have also tried to keep my blog active, exercise a little more regularly, cook a little bit more at home and all in all try to maintain a daily routine—something that was missing during my frenetic days at a start-up!
Travels this year: The travel highlight this year was our much awaited and much planned family trip to Botswana and South Africa with a day trip to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  It was an incredible experience to interact with the wildlife in their natural settings and all I can say is I am glad that I could be part of this. On the domestic front, Seejo and I (along with our friends Pulkit and Sejal) visited Yosemite National Park in California for a long weekend in October – this was one of the most popular US National Park that we hadn’t yet been to. The scenery was magnificent and the company was wonderful and we had a very refreshing mini-vacation.
Since we couldn’t take longer breaks because of the lousy leave policy at NCI as well as Seejo’s MBA, we got a chance to visit some of the local spots that we had never been to such as Deep Creek Lake, Virginia Beach and Colonial Williamsburg. The lack of vacation travel was offset by my work trips , especially during the latter half of the year: I went to North Carolina, Minnesota, Boston, twice each to California and Chicago.
Best Buy of the Year: My Nook! I am a Nook-addict now. I can read anywhere and at any time and I never move out of the house (Seejo might say—out of any room) without taking my Nook!  I also finished cataloging all my books this year using Library Thing.
Focus of the year: Seejo’s MBA was the driving factor & our main focus for most of this year.  In an attempt to accelerate his MBA, Seejo had taken several extra classes as well as enrolled in many extra-curricular programs offered at U.Maryland. While he pulled several all-nighters and juggled classes, assignments, office-work and his other commitments, I am glad to report that it is almost over and I am looking forward to the next challenge in our lives.
Summary this year: Â Some ecstatic moments and some moments of agony but overall a relaxed and peaceful year ; I need to kick things up a notch next year!
Wish you all a very happy and exciting new year-2011
Nice one .. I can imagine some part of the ‘agony’ was caused by me towards the last part of the year :)!!