Just a quick note to let you all know I'm still alive! My mom and I are currently (freezing) in Beijing falling asleep to the endless sound of fireworks. Happy Chinese New Year to you all! May the Year of the Ox be your best year yet. I have a good feeling about this one. :)
My South East Asia trip was incredible, to say the least. Photos and details to come!

A couple years ago I decided to forfeit New Years Resolutions because it had me dwelling on "whats wrong" with me and I needed to "fix." Which only left me depressed and was not in the least inspiring! Since my birthday is a few days after New Years I get to start each year fresh, a new year, a new age. My new version of "resolutions" is a list of things to do that year. The only rule is that they must be things that inspire me. I haven't finished my list yet, but here's the beginning:

26 Things to do in my 26th year:
1. Ride an elephant
2. Ride a camel
3. Sleep in a yurt
4. Dance above 14,000 feet
5. Make a masterpiece
6. Sing karaoke (or as they call it here: KTV)
7. Star in a movie/TV show/Youtube clip :)
8. Grow something from a seed
9. Run 5k
10. Skinny dip
11. Sail somewhere...anywhere!
12. Light a wish lantern
13. Get 7 new countries stamped in my passport
14. Exhibit photos in China
15. Write a poem in Chinese
16. Learn how to cook a mean Indian curry
17. Meet someone famous/someone I admire
18. Learn how to perform a traditional Chinese tea ceremony
19. Watch the sunrise

Seven more to go. I wish I had my journal from last year with me so I could see if I completed my list of 25!
Some of my other New Years traditions include a "completion" exercise where I take time to acknowledge the year for what it was and what it wasn't and then declare it complete so I can welcome the New Year with a clean slate. And my personal favorite tradition: writing my own personal horoscope for the year. I haven't done either of these things because tomorrow I leave for my 37 day trek across South East Asia and China! I begin my adventure with two weeks in Vietnam, followed by 4 days in Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, a stop over in Bangkok, and then I am meeting my mom in Hong Kong! We'll see HK, Changsha (my home) and make it up to Beijing for the Chinese New Year. And THEN Mike is coming to meet us in Beijing! I am so excited I can't stop moving. I will have no phone or internet while I'm gone, so posts will be few and far between when I can find time to stop into an internet cafe. Wish me luck!
I haven't mentioned this yet, but the title of this blog, "Dream Far" is the English translation of my Chinese name: Meng Yao. Isn't that perfect?
Happy New Years to you all. May 2009 be a year of endless possibility, abundant love, and dreams come true.
Dream far!

*update* here is the completed list:

20. Ride a motorbike taxi.
21. Fall in love.
22. Learn to surf.
23. Learn how to make Chinese dumplings.
24. Revolutionize my handwriting.
25. Go out dancing in New York City.
26. Go home, wherever that is.