2024 Revenge Travelling

and just like that 2024 just past. definitely another year worth reviewing and reflecting. I think this annual kind of blog post is worth doing as the process kinda grounds me a little. ok so, here's the 2024 goals review / summary (lets try do it in chorno order)

• i still did not get my class 2 bike
• finally got into SAFVC
• Revenge travel list:
• China, Beijing. first time sleeper train to Pingyao with mother poon
• Company's DEC Fund to Bali
• Japan: Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo with fam and niece
• Japan: did not summit Mt Fuiji with Dickson. but first time atas glamping.
• Nepal: finally did Everest Base Camp!! hiked further to Gokyo Lake via Chola Pass
• Vietnam, Hanoi & Sapa. first time sleeper train for sis and mother poon at 3000m. her first alpine coaster ride too.
• lost 2 close friends (Uncle James and Boon Tong) within 1 week to totally unrelated circumstances
• surgically removed bottom left Wisdom tooth and extracted the top one. EBC gave me the courage to do so.
• drank more coffee and matcha this yr
• did more pilates and yoga this year thanks to Class Pass
• gymmed more consistently when i'm not travelling
• did not climb as much as I wished
• got fitter for awhile as I was training for EBC and IPPT but now recovering from a knee injury
  
  

ok so that's more of the quantifiable listable things on top of my head rn. I'm thankful that I managed to do all the things i more or less planned out for the year. Also bc i think i've finally reached financially equilibrium this yr. i wouldn't say financially stability coz i dont wanna take things for granted, but this is also the first yr i've got a legit bonus from a company. previous companies bonus sucks and on my first year of this company, i got the 'defaulted' bonus as 6mth i was in trng. so this yr, this bonus is really quite life changing. usually its like 1 country max for 1 yr, but look at this long list, and baller me even went Japan twice a year. (ZipAir budget airlines $400 with return haha)

i practiced more self-love. i bought alot of materialistic things; as in i bought things i wanted and not bc i really needed. haha. i think its a good feeling, but i would like to be more grounded this year. i've also finally built my up my camping gears, bought better technical gears for hikes too. now thinking of a touring bike and reliable riders to camp out with. 

this yr, 2 full yrs without u and i still miss you but occasionally. i think this has become more...'under control'; as in i no longer go into full on emo mode. definitely there are some days that i miss you like crazy, but on such drowning days, i am reminded to love myself bc its pretty clear you didnt love or care about me so there's really no point to use all the effort on energy on things that shouldnt matter. i dont break down as much too, as of today, i still miss you from time to time, but i believe its bc of the good memories and times we've had tgr. but through this episode with you, i feel even more liberated than b4 i've met you. i feel happier or rather, safer when i'm surviving on my own as i just needed to care for myself and it can be pretty easy if i make conscious effort to. 

i'm thankful that mother poon is still in good health but its very noticeable that her strength in her legs are deteriorating day by day. her flat foot is like way beyond flat and stubborn her dont wanna wear the arch-support insoles. i just hope that life will continue to be good for her, and if really it is time for her to go, i hope i would be painless, comfortable and peaceful. sounds morbid, but i think that's just reality and for some reason, i'm just feeling that this day will be closer. i do fear, but its not like i can do anything about it but to only pray and trust God on this. meanwhile, i just hope to spend more time with her and make her feel young coz it seems she like adventuring touring too (minus the age factor haha).

work-wise. lol. i guess i've stopped searching for self-fulfilment in the company. i've succumbed to the fact that i can't fight nor change the legacy. because i feel that my value system is shifting, this yr i've looked for exit strategies. it's really not an easy decision because i love the airside, i feel that my whole being belongs there. i grew up there and have so many emotional and intrinsic attachments that i know i will never feel in place if i'm out of it. so i've been accepted to another company. still in Aviation, but not civil aviation. i think its also something that i've always to explore in life but didnt want to do it as i was committed to civil aviation. however, i feel that my experience and expertise can be of good asset and also, this expanded horizon would definitely help me make better decision in the future; and also give good advice to teenagers should i be an aviation lecturer when i'm retiring. i dont wanna say out loud here where i've been accepted, but erm, i've cleared ippt (lol i know, big clue) and this is also the last yr i would have such an opportunity. really not an easy decision. have been talking to ppl from diff walks of the career path just to hear their advices but tbh, I dont have a clear distinct answer. However, when i was talking to some of my ex-cols and ground ppl, the simple advice is this 'do what makes you happy.' i guess i'm also thankful that i'm able to make such big choices based on what i want vs being forced by life's circumstances. so as of now, i'm still waiting for the official offer letter before i give one last consideration and sign off the next few yrs of my life away, and away from the airside.

Safvc. really a privilege and honour to be working with very like-minded ppl. the 2 wks BT was a very fun first-hand experience of the army. i actually cried during trng coz i was very touched by the efforts to what makes Singapore safe. i guess it also subtly compelled me to do more and better make use of my expertise. i enjoy this one yr journey so far though i'm still waiting for my QT oppportunity. however, if i do many that career move, i would have to cut this journey altogether. i feel like i can and want to do more, but i also need to priortise and know what i want too.  

ok so in summary, 2024 was really a kind year albeit the emotional work struggles. i think its also a good buffer reset yr. haha idk what that means but i think i'd find out in 2025. I've also learn to pick my battles this yr as what i told myself to do.

2025 is really The Mid-career crisis year for me. I'm expecting the big career changes and because of this, there's some more things i wanna do b4 i go in. the next top of my list is: Kilimanjaro. it's gonna be the highest alt i've been. ok let's do a list for easier reference:

• Kilimanjaro
• buy macbook
• bring mother poon to Chong Qing & Cheng Du
• do one bike tour. (idk how with my mx king) probably just a camping-coffee trip
• finish up some quantitative analysis to support my ops strategies. probably as my farewell gift haha.
• and then career change (tbh, still not solidified)
• strengthen back and arm strength. also work on core.
• improve cardio and probably start swimming again
• climb more when i can
• say more politically correct things. think before i speak or dont speak at all.
• ok, time that i wanna brush up my command of English. comg from IJ sch, i (used to) speak and write relatively well. but since poly and engineering days, i just dont bother constructing my language properly. probably needa start reading again (but i dont think thats a realistic goal haha), but i guess, i'll consciously work on it. i choose to think i have the foundation, just not the execution.
• to be less OCD. more free spirited. 
• less hoarder. pack clear my room b4 mid year.
• the KIVs coz the timeline dont fit:
• Island Peak (Nepal). would be by first ice climbing technical hike. but i dont think possible by 2025
• Mera Peak, Nepal (also not possible this yr coz the seasons dont really fit)
• Himalaya Bike Tour. one of my guys is organizing in Aug. but i think i'd have to miss it. :((
• off-road biking and Caving in Vietnam

i think overall, its ok. I'm also learning to accept things that dont go my way. probably can work on my initial response to it - like reduce the intensity of disappointment and regret lol. this yr i think i only run to God when i need Him. I wanna listen to His voice again and trust that His plans are always higher than mine. A few times i question bc i admit that i'm of little faith. its the year of the snake and for chinese saying - usually ur yr wont be the good year. not that i believe or not believe haha, but i'm definitely not expecting an easy year. i'm actually ready for a challenging year. i still rmbr 2018, comg out of that tough brutal year, things have been up and down which is how life is right. we wouldn't want a plateau life but i think what's impt is our outlook and how we learn to climb out of the troughs with the lessons learnt. instead of becoming bitter, we should get better. lol. the aircraft takes off against the wind and not with it. haha. not motivational speaker poon here; though mid-career crisis, i dont wanna think i've hit mid-life crisis yet. i really hope to enjoy another year of living and give back to wherever and whenever i can.

Thank God for everything, and i'm just so blessed to have 2024 as a year for a restart. 2025, pls continue to be kind, but I'd appreciate the challenges to be a better me.