New Year and New Things

I think we all have a part of us that deeply desires for that crazy holiday or vacation memory that one time from the rest. Since I could ever remember, I always had Christmas Eve with my Dad's side of the family in Chicago at my grandparents' place. Opening present at the stroke of midnight and getting barely any sleep then spending the rest of Christmas Day with my Mom's side. New Years would always be at my aunt's house and ironically enough they moved to the east coast the same time my family did so that tradition was kept. We would always stay up waiting for the ball to drop on TV and cheer with a glass of champagne. Despite the traditions my family has and how much fun I have had taking part in them, I have always wanted that crazy holiday to remember for a lifetime. It could be anything. Literally... ANYTHING!!! Something memorable like a trip to the beach late at night with good friends, crashing your car into your parents (which actually happened three new years ago), or even something as hopelessly romantic as a special kiss under the mistletoe.

This holiday was not crazy, but it definitely has been memorable and different from all of the other holidays in years past. I mean aside from discovering that my mom has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, there was no trip to Chicago for Christmas, or sleepover in New Jersey for New Years. I'm spending my time this holiday with my parents and sister in Maryland. Aside from a change in location for the holidays, the festiveness nor the decor was present. My dad's new apartment has no tree, no lights, and nothing green or red, with exception for the red and green bell peppers in the fridge and my dad's road bike. For Christmas dinner, we ate out at a seafood restaurant near the docks in Annapolis which was really nice but it did not have that Christmas feel to it. I didn't really mind it because I have not had a chance to spend time with family or the opportunity to have such a nice meal.

That brings me to now, the New Year's Eve of 2008 changing to the year of 2009. There is no champagne, or celebration which is definitely different. But the biggest thing missing is my family because they decided to fall asleep a good hour or so before midnight. Surprisingly, I'm using this time to reflect.

For some reason a sermon from OIL 2007 came to my mind. I know the phrase "home is where the heart is." is a very cliche line but that is exactly what this sermon was about. In the Old Testament, Moses was constantly without a home, he was born, raised, and groomed in so many places that one would lose track. Even near the end of his story, Moses did not enter the Promised Land which he lead his people to. Of course he went to a better place and so on, but that's besides the point.

I feel like this uneventful holiday break is my time for reflection and my calling card. I feel like I'm being called to never be content with anything whether it is where I live, who I am, or where I am spiritually. I guess instead of riding the holiday traditions, a time is coming where new ones need to be made.

Happy New Years! : )

Personality Tests and Then Some

I have been searching to find out more about myself as of late. With the possibility of a major change to Advertising from International Business, I find myself at a point where I have to reevaluate what I want from life (which is ironic because I really have no idea). My parents insisted that I take the Meyers-Briggs in order to help with my decision and for their benefit because they found out after twenty years that they still have no idea who I am. Usually I am not a big fan of personality tests, zodiacs, or anything of the sort. If a Korean asks me for my blood type, I get ticked off and tell them that a) "I don't know!!" and b) "I'm Chinese and don't care about that superstition." I scored as an ENFP (Extroverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Perceiving) on the Meyers-Briggs and after researching this temperament a little bit more, I discovered that it nailed me with pinpoint accuracy. I am a creative who finds joy in diversity with a vast supply of ideas. I find pleasure and energy in being with others and ironically as an extrovert, the ENFP needs time alone to recharge. I can be found in the fields of journalism, mass communication, advertising, business, marketing, education and healthcare, and am approximately twelve percent of the world's population. My nickname is the "Inspirer" and I am well known for bringing the best out of others.

The funny thing about these tests though is that as much as it helps a person identify their strengths and weaknesses, (here's the punchline!!!!) it does not help you make the next decision in your life. I know that such a statement is common sense but as much as I struggle with what I want as a career path, my parents nor the test is going to make the decision for me.

Maybe I am going about this whole process wrong. Some people say the end justifies the means, but I guess I am against that. I feel that the means should justify the end, that what I learn along the way and what I experience makes me what I will turn out to be. It's time to figure out a little more about myself besides a few hopelessly romantic ideals and my basic morals. Call me pathetic, but the test said that a good creative outlet for an ENFP is to write things down. So here I am writing to empty space for others to see and myself to reflect, taking up God knows how many bytes of space on this world wide web.