2008 what a year!!!!

Hi everyone this is just a quick entry to wish everyone a Great New Year ... 2009 is going to be GREAT!!!!!

But before I get all enthusiastic about it I wanted to share with you the adventures I had in 2008.

2008 was a really good year for me with lots of traveling as it:


Started 2008 (new year) in Madrid
Drove to Lisbon
Stayed in Paris on my way to Aberdeen
Drove to Manchester (saw Old Trafford)
Discovered the West Coast of Scotland on weekends
Bought my Mazda 323:)
Played for Bridge of Don (11 a side amateur football team - like 6th Division in Scotland)
Went to Amsterdam for a holiday
From Amsterdam went to Brussels
Flew from Aberdeen -> Amsterdam -> Lisbon
Went with a few friends: Lisbon -> Heathrow -> Doha ->Bangkok
Stayed in Thailand for a week and a half
Went to Phuket and visited the Phi Phi Islands:)
Flew from Phuket -> Bangkok -> Doha -> Heathrow -> Lisbon
Stayed in Lisbon for a few days and flew back to Aberdeen (via Paris)
I met my girl friend on the plane from Doha to Heathrow. She is a Dutch nurse who had just finished 6 months voluntary work in Nepal and New Zealand:) She lives in Amsterdam...
Went to Colombo (Sri Lanka) on work
Worked hard at Oceanscan and organized Oceanscan Football Team and continued playing for Bridge of Don (as well as a couple of other 5 a side leagues in Aberdeen)
Flew from Aberdeen to Amsterdam to Beijing then to Dalian for work
Stayed a couple of nights in Beijing on the way back
Stayed in Amsterdam for 7hours on the way to Aberdeen from Beijing (it was good to hook up with Martine)
Went to Amsterdam for a wonderful romantic weekend.
Joined Potterton amateur football club (11 a side)
Flew from Aberdeen to Amsterdam to Beijing to Dalian for work
Worked hard in China (in places you could not imagine....) GREAT experience
Stayed in Beijing for a couple of nights and took some leave to visit China
Caught a train from Beijing to Shanghai
Stayed and discovered Shanghai all by myself (made lots of friends while I was there)
Flew from Shanghai to Macau
Stayed in Macau for 3 nights
Flew from Macau to Beijing
Went to see the Great Wall of China
Flew from Beijing to Amsterdam and back to Aberdeen
Martine came over from Amsterdam and we drove around Scotland for a week and a half (very romantic trip:))
I flew back with Martine to Amsterdam (met her parents) and flew to Lisbon for a friends wedding
After the wedding flew back to Aberdeen via Paris (lost a few flights stayed in Paris for a night), not that great all by yourself... but still good fun:)
Flew to Amsterdam for a weekend. And discoverd Eindhoven with Martine
Had 6 interviews with MathWorks in Eindhoven
Got the job at MathWorks in Eindhoven
Resigned from Oceanscan
I am flew to Amsterdam->Beijing->Dalian on work
I came back a week and half later, Dalian->Beijing->Amsterdam (see Martine) ->Aberdeen
December I packed my things in Aberdeen to live in Eindhoven
Arrived in Amsterdam stayed there for 1 week
Amsterdam -> Lisbon
Lisbon-> Armacao de Pera, Silves
Back to Barreiro and Lisbon
Flew from Lisbon to Amsterdam
Xmas in Amsterdam
Amsterdam Eindhoven
Got a new flat and moved in
Started 2009 new in Eindhoven...

I would have never have guessed what 2008 was going to bring me... but working for Mathworks in Eindhoven was not on the list... I guess one just has to go with the flow:)

All I can hope is that 2009 will be as challenging and fun as 2008:)

Gareth