A New Start?

So here I am ... sitting here in the lukewarm sun in front of the window, typing away on my computer on the first day of the lunar new year. 2006 is the dog's year. They say it's good for the piggy ... and I was born in the year of the pig. I actually went to the Wong Tai Sin Temple and played around with some fortune-telling service there. They say that I will have a good year this year in terms of my career. It will be tough, and I won't make an especially large sum of money, but I will be rewarded with respect. I will get to where I want to be as long as I work for it. It also says that I will have good fortune in the love department. hahaha. Yeah right. The Love Department has been shut down for quite some time now. But it's always nice to hear that.

As I sit here, I just realized something that I've always known, but was always lip service to me. I thought to myself, "If I don't take care of myself, who else would?" And it's true. Not that my family and friends wouldn't want to take care of me, but wanting and actually doing it/being able to do it is another matter. If I don't help myself, if I don't care about myself, if I don't love myself, who else would?

I know that I am out of shape and not quite healthy, I am out of a direction in life ... or more like the road ahead is very foggy ..., I am out of self-confidence, motivation and spirit. In short, I'm not quite as happy as I want to be. I need to do something about these things.

So ...
1) I need start being more active -- swimming might be a good idea if I can figure out where to go swimming;
2) I have found some academic advisors' e-mail addresses I can write to for advice on what I want to do this year in terms of getting my shit straightened out;
3) I just quit my job -- more like didn't sign after one offer ran out;
4) I need to do my research;
5)I need to find some tutoring positions to make some miscellaneous cash and not spend so much, not that I am, really, but I just need to save up more;
6) I need to apply for 2006 summer internships in DC;
7) I need to figure out whether and when to take the GREs;
8) I need to figure out what to do to teach abroad, since I've decided that I still want to travel around before I settle down;
9) Figure out what I want to do with my MA;
10) Keep going on with that writing a book thing. I think I'm somewhat on the right track.
11) Cut my hair and donate it off;
12) Umm, relearn how to drive ... yes, I know. Drive.

10 things to do in a new year.

Happy Chinese New Year to you, too.