Year End Summary: 2013

Following the tradition ( 2006, 2007 , 2008, 2009 , 2010 , 2011 & 2012), here are my 2013 highlights.

Achievements this Year: Our biggest accomplishment in 2013 was losing weight. Between us we lost a combined weight of around 100lbs. What I feel most proud of is that we haven’t done this by embarking on any crazy diets, unsustainable exercise regimens or weight loss supplements.  We have not given up on any of our favorite foods and we still eat out atleast twice a week. On the flip side, we have had to shell out $$ to purchase a whole new wardrobe…..

Travels this Year: The big trip of the year was our two week vacation to Amsterdam, Paris, French Riviera and Iceland. My mom and my sister (with family) met us there and so it was a family vacation.  Apart from that we had a short weekend in New York City where we ate our way through Greenwich! And end of the year trip  to the Jamestown area for a weekend at the  Great Wolf Lodge & Water-park. It was intended as a birthday trip for Annika and she spent an entire day and half in the kiddie pools going up and down the water slides and had a wonderful time.  On our way back we stopped to see the historic Jamestown settlement – one the earliest settlements in the United States.  As usual I also had some work trips planned to Indianapolis, North Carolina, Atlanta and San Antonio. During the last mentioned trip I also managed to spend a couple of days in Austin to visit family and see my niece and nephew!

Letdown of the Year: After struggling for the last few years, the start-up I worked for earlier finally closed its doors.  The product is still on the market and is still being sold by another distributor but they are no longer evolving as a company. The medical equipment market in US is struggling so this wasn’t a huge surprise but it is sad to see a company that I poured blood, sweat and tears into end up this way.

Most Frequently Used Phrase Of The Year: “Where did she learn that?”  As Annika’s vocabulary is expanding at an incredibly fast rate, we are enjoying the string of words that she puts together to convey her needs and wants.  Sometimes they make complete sense and at other times it is fascinating to see how her thought processes work in putting together arbitrary words to make a point.  It is especially entertaining when she picks up commonly used phrases and inserts them wherever she feels appropriate , sometimes changing the entire context of the conversation. And that’s when we comment “Where did she learn that?!”

Cancer scares: Although I have been working in the field of cancer for the past 15 years, never has cancer really touched my life as much as this year. With friends & family & colleagues & acquaintances diagnosed with cancer, it is truly humbling to know how much limited our collective knowledge of the disease is. I feel helpless about not being able to provide guidance in terms of a definitive cure but I also feel a lot of pride that some of the work I do is directly helping many many patients.

Feeling Happy About: Finally owning our home!

Summary this year:  We are the biggest losers this year!

Wish you all a very happy 2014 filled with hope, joy and good health!