Doing Things That Am Passionate About

Wow! Its almost a year since I posted anything on this blog.
I do not feel bad though, cause I would rather not post than post useless material that are not important in my life.
So what I have been up to since my last post?  Well, a whole lot and I will share those events as I post regularly.
I remember watching the last lecture by Randy Pausch...a former Carnegie Mellon professor.  The lecture was titled: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo. Professor Pausch was on the verge of saying goodbye to this world due to an illness.  In the lecture he shared the things he dreamt of doing/becoming when he grew up..and then he told the audience how he managed to achieve those dreams.
As I watched the lecture, it inspired me to look within: what were my childhood dreams?  Have I achieved any of them?
I sat down and wrote the few childhood dreams that I could remember and promised myself that I would work to achieve them.

The dreams were:
To be a soldier
To be a martial artist

Other ambitions that came along as I was growing up were:
To attain a high level education
To travel and see the world
To own my own business
To have the most fantastic wife/marriage ever.

I managed to achieve quite a few of these dreams in 2012.
I met a lovely lady whose charm, kindness, warmth, love and care won me over in a very short period.  I got engaged and married in the same year and its been the greatest decision and the best addition to my life.  I wake up everyday with a smile when I think of my wife.

I joined the US Army in May 2012....Its a great feeling to become something you have always fantasized about.  Being a soldier has exposed me a different lifestyle of following orders, following a strict schedule, being sent wherever and whenever deemed necessary.  Its an honor to be part of the the greatest military force in the world.

In Jan of this year I was asked to participate in Taekwando training by my unit. I was more than happy to participate in the training.  This was my opportunity to achieve another childhood dream.  In 40hrs of intense training, I became quite proficient in basic martial arts. I love the training so much that I have signed up for more classes.  I plan to use the training to become a self defense trainer to supplement my income once I am out of the Army.

I enrolled back to school; I am currently taking two refresher courses before starting my MBA in entrepreneurship.  This degree and the business plan that I will be working on while pursuing the degree will empower me to start my own business once I am done with the Army.

I have managed to travel to Rwanda, Uganda, Japan, S. Korea and I have entered UK and Netherlands so far. I plan to travel more when my schedule is not overly controlled.

2012 was a year of great achievements.
Getting married, joining the army, getting out of debt, getting closer to my family, overcoming some fears, getting in better shape and much much more.
I have great plans for 2013 and I hope to share my journey with you through this blog.

How was 2012 for you? Did you have any newsworthy events?