Why 2012 was good

In the post above I dwell too much on the negative.  2012 was a pretty good year because:

Friends:

My friends allowed me to join them on "date night" when I was back in March 2012.  

After getting screwed out of Egypt I took (an expensive last minute) trip back to the US for spring break.  It was what I needed.  I am really happy that I have great friends back home.

Mansour and me

On the trip to Canada there was a problem with one of the rooms so an Emirati student ended up sharing a room with me.  He was a former student and I liked him in class but after spending ten days with him as my roomy we became good friends.  The cultural divide runs deep here.  There are many Arabs who have westerners as friends but it is rare for good friendship to develop.

I also deepened a friendship with a guy from Morocco.  I hope to go with him back to Morocco for spring break. (I have no picture with him.  He really hates to have his picture taken.)

Lukas and me

Over the summer I went to Germany and saw Lukas.  He took me to the place where my great-great-grandfather left Germany 150 years ago.  It was an amazing trip and I am so grateful Lukas is my friend.

Sanjaya

Going back to Nepal to see my friend Sanjaya to close out the year was just what I needed.

Sanjaya procured a Coke apron for me!

2012 was also a good year in that nobody close to me died.  Also, I had a much easier time sleeping in the second  half of the year.  I could count the number of Ambiens I had in the last five months on one hand.

And ultimately, 2012 was a good year because I get paid well to do a job that I like and is really, really easy for me.  Standing in front of people and talking is more feared than death for most Americans; I live for it.

So I need to suck it up and move on.  2012 was not that bad and there are many reasons to believe 2013 will be better.