I WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I HOPE ALL YOUR GOALS AND DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE ARE SUCCESSFUL!!

SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE LIFE IS TOO SHORT, AND SOME DAYS I FEEL LIKE THE DAY WILL NEVER END. EVER NOTICE HOW TIME SLOWS DOWN WHEN YOU'RE ANNOYED, AND SPEEDS UP SUPER FAST WHEN YOU'RE ENJOYING YOURSELF?
LIFE, IT'S SO ABSURD.
THE HOLIDAYS ARE APPROACHING QUICKLY, TOO QUICKLY. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS ALONE IS REALLY SAD. I WAS SUPPOSED TO SPEND CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK, BUT THINGS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY IN MY LIFE RECENTLY.
EVER FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO RUN AWAY, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO? YOU KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE, AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO LEAVE.
LIFE, IT'S SO CONFUSING.
A PLACE I USED TO EAT BREAKFAST AT WAS CLOSED AND RE-OPENED AS SOME TRENDY, OVERPRICED RESTAURANT THAT DOESN'T SERVE BREAKFAST AT ALL.
LIFE, IT'S SO DISTURBING.
I'M LOST.

FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS ENTRY MAY OFFEND ANYONE WHO BELONGS TO AN ORGANIZED RELIGION. MAYBE YOU SHOULD PRAY FOR ME.....

SINCE BECOMING AN ADULT, I'VE DISCOVERED MANY THINGS TO BE FALSE THAT I BELIEVED IN AS A CHILD. RELIGION IS ONE OF THESE. AS A CHILD, I REMEMBER MY FATHER BEING A STRICT BAPTIST CHRISTIAN. EVERY CHRISTMAS, MY SISTER AND I HAD TO INCLUDE A BIBLE ON OUR WISH LIST, OR MY FATHER WOULD GET ANGRY. I WAS TOO SCARED TO TELL HIM I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT BIBLES OR CHURCH.
NOT TO BASH RELIGION, BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE, RELIGIOUS PEOPLE TEND TO BE THE FIRST TO JUDGE, GET VIOLENT, AND HATE. I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON RELIGION, BUT I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT RELIGION WAS AGAINST THOSE THINGS.
LAST FEBRUARY, I MADE A TRIP TO HONG KONG AND LEARNED MORE ABOUT BUDDHISM. ALTHOUGH I AM NOT A BUDDHIST, I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE MAIN PRINCIPAL OF BUDDHISM, WHICH, IF I INTERPRETED IT CORRECTLY, IS TO BE A GOOD PERSON AND TREAT EVERYONE WITH KINDNESS.
DO WE NEED RELIGION TO DO THAT?

IN AMERICA, WE HAVE A TERM CALLED "GREENER PASTURES". IT REFERS TO A PLACE YOU SEEK WHEN YOU ARE UNSATISFIED WITH YOUR CURRENT SURROUNDINGS. I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS CONCEPT. SINCE I WAS 18, I HAVE LIVED BY THIS CONCEPT. OFTEN, IT WORKS. IN A PERFECT WORLD, THIS CONCEPT WOULD NOT EXIST. I AM MAINLY REFERRING TO THE FINANCIAL ASPECT OF THIS CONCEPT.
IN MY EXPERIENCE, LARGE CITIES TEND TO HAVE THE MOST OPPORTUNITIES. BUT, LARGE CITIES EQUAL LARGE ANNOYANCES, SOMETIMES. GROWING UP, MY FATHER DENIED HIS FAMILY MANY FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF HIS FEAR OF LARGE CITIES. HE CHOSE TO STAY IN A SMALL TOWN WITH A SLOW ECONOMY FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. BUT, THAT IS A WHOLE OTHER STORY...
AS BEFORE, LARGE CITIES COME WITH LARGE PROBLEMS. HIGHER CRIME RATES, BIGGER TRAFFIC JAMS, AND LONGER LINES AT THE GROCERY STORE, TO NAME A FEW. AFTER GROWING UP IN BORDERLINE POVERTY, THESE FACTORS RARELY BOTHER ME. IF I THOUGHT I COULD BE SUCCESSFUL LIVING IN THE MOST CROWDED CITY ON EARTH, I WOULD BE ON THE NEXT FLIGHT THERE. 
MY POINT IS, WHEN IT COMES TO OPPORTUNITIES, DON'T BE STUBBORN. EVERYONE LOVES TO BE IN A FAMILIAR PLACE, BUT DO YOU LOVE IT ENOUGH TO LIVE IN ITS STREETS AND ALLEYS?
A PERSON SHOULD NEVER ASSUME THEY ARE STUCK. THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE. THE ROAD TO HAPPINESS IS USUALLY LONG AND UP A STEEP HILL. IT IS YOUR CHOICE WHETHER TO TAKE THAT ROAD OR KEEP WALKING IN CIRCLES.

ONE OF MY DREAMS WILL COME TRUE IN 2 WEEKS. I BOOKED MY TRIP TO HONG KONG TODAY. I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL LAND THAT I HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO SEE IN MOVIES.
I SPECIFICALLY CHOSE EARLY FEBRUARY BECAUSE I READ ONLINE STATISTICS THAT SAY FEBRUARY IS THE COLDEST MONTH OF THE YEAR IN HK. I KNOW, IT SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT I AM ATTRACTED TO COLD. I THINK THIS IS BECAUSE I WAS BORN DURING A BLIZZARD.
THIS TRIP IS A COMBINATION OF PLEASURE AND RESEARCH.
I'VE BEEN TOLD HK IS ONE OF THE GREATEST CITIES IN THE WORLD TO SHOP IN. I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR RARE CLOTHING. MOST OF MY WARDROBE IS FROM EBAY OR AMAZON.COM.
I AM CURIOUS TO COMPARE DISNEYLAND HK TO THE OTHER PARKS I'VE BEEN TO. SO FAR, DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA IS MY FAVORITE.
THIS TRIP IS ALSO RESEARCH TO DECIDE IF I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN HK FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD.
TO BE HONEST, I'VE NEVER CALLED ANY SPECIFIC PLACE HOME. GROWING UP, MY FAMILY MOVED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR, SOMETIMES TWICE. I ATTENDED AT LEAST 14 SCHOOLS THAT I CAN REMEMBER. MOST AMERICANS ONLY ATTEND 4.
BUT, ENOUGH ABOUT THAT...
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ANY OF MY FRIENDS IN HK WHO READ THIS TO HAVE DINNER WITH ME DURING MY STAY. MY TREAT!