2009 Year in Review

Another year another decade. Man, time sure does fly when you’re enjoying life. I remember as if it was just last week that I was boarding a flight to Las Vegas for my first real trip on my own. That was way back in 2001 and it started a trend of me taking a trip every year during this decade, and little did I know what it would eventually become.

In 2002, I bussed 36 hours down to Southern California for a week of sun and fun at Hermosa Beach. The following year, I flew even further south to Baja, Mexico, just outside of Cabo San Lucas, where I surfed and got sick for 10 days. 2004 brought me overseas for the first time, as I backpacked around Australia for a few months, riding waves and visiting some friends. Then in 2005, I bought a van with 2 complete strangers and drove across Canada for a month and I haven’t really returned from this ride yet, as my travels have just exploded from there.

As each year went by in the second half of the decade, my trips became more frequent, more extravagant, and less logically. But the fun level has continue to rise, so I keep doing it. Around this time every year, I spend some time to look back with fond memories and do a year end review, which I started doing in 2006. And everytime, just when I thought it could not get any better than the previous year, it does. This year is no exception. 2009 continues this pattern and even further exceeds the year I had in 2008.

For the first time, I managed to go a full year without working, which allowed me to freely throw darts on a map to determine my next destination. And even when it all seem to go to shits in the middle of it all, everything worked out the way it should have, as it usual does. Karma is a powerful force and it has taken good care of me over the years. Thanks to this, things are even brighter for me now and I am happier that I have ever been. In fact, 2009 was so grand that I decided to do a video review of it all for the first time. So this is a look back at the extraordinary year that I had. Enjoy!

Here are some stats from the year:

TRAVEL
-43 days in Hawaii
-14 days in Hong Kong
-5 days in Macau
-3 days in Bangkok
-25 days in Nepal
-10 days on the road driving to New York
-70 days in Montreal
-7 days in Croatia
-2 days in Munich
-4 days in Italy
-5 days in the UK
-2 days in Toronto
-7 days in New York
-4 days in Wisonsin
-6 days in Los Angeles
-15 days in Seattle
-5 days in Philly
-133 days in Vancouver
-5 days in New Orleans

TOP SHOWS OF THE YEAR
1. Nine Inch Nails at Webster’s Hall in New York Aug 23
2. Pearl Jam at The Spectrum in Philly Oct 30
3. Nine Inch Nails at Wiltern in Los Angeles Sep 10
4. Pearl Jam at GM Place in Vancouver Sep 25
5. Pearl Jam at The Spectrum in Philly Oct 31

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
-347 consecutive days without working (Oct 30, 2008 to Oct 12, 2009)
–Beach day everyday in Hawaii, sometimes twice a day
-Sunset Surf Sessions on boards bought from Costco
–Spam Musubi
–Behind The Van mockumentary and Pearl Jam Lip Synch Videos
-Family in Hong Kong and food in Bangkok
-Getting my ass kicked for an hour at a Muay Thai Boxing class
–3 weeks on the Himilayas Mountains
–Mount Everest
–Flight To Mars benefit show at the Showbox in Seattle
–Sasquatch Festival: The Family and the Flabongo
-Across America Roadtrip
-Chicago Deep Dish
-Cubs game at Wrigley Field
-Summer in Montreal
-1 month as a Poutine Chef
–Schwartz’s Montreal Smoke Meat
–Croatia
–Il Palio di Siena
-Tom and Ingrid’s Wedding in Wisconsin
–The Dream Tour consisting of 7 Nine Inch Nails Shows and 9 Pearl Jam Shows
-Pearl Jam Europe shows
-The Amazing Race to Manchester (Video pending)
-Friends in London
-Nine Inch Nails Wave Good Bye Tour in New York and Los Angeles
-The Downward Spiral at Webster’s Hall
-38 songs played over 3:30 hours at the final NIN show ever
-Ventura, CA
–Backspacer Week in Seattle
-101 uniques songs out of 135 played in total over 4 Pearl Jam shows in Philly
-42 songs played at nearly 4 hours for the final show at the Spectrum
-Philly Cheesesteaks
-Flyers game in Philly
-Snow White
-Neil Young at Ambleside Beach
–Cold Water Classic in Tofino (Coldest Surf Comp in the world)
-Two Thanksgivings
–The Pixies and Mudhoney in the same night
–The Eddie was ON
-New Orleans

LOWLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
–The Z is Dead
–Getting screwed by Avis Rental Cars and Carrentals.com in Croatia
-Getting fucked by Ryanair
–The food in Italy
-Having to book brand new flights 3 separate times for the final NIN show in Los Angeles
-Wave goodbye to Nine Inch Nails
-Not having any time to finish The Book

2010 WATCH IT GO TO FIRE
-New Years
-My 30th Birthday in February
-Winter Olympics in Vancouver Feb 12 to 28
-Back to London
-Malta for Keith & Lara’s Wedding
-Hungary for Dora & Toru’s Wedding
-My Brother’s wedding in Vancouver
-Rock Werchter Festival
-Portugal

2009 has been wonderful. See you all in 2010. It will be the best year yet!