Justin's Journey

It was nice to have the whole week off during the Christmas holiday. I had a list of things to do, mainly errands around the house. I just went with the flow and did whatever came into my mind.

I always wanted to visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History. I was told that there is a big collection of glass plants. Glass flowers sound very interesting to me. I went to Clover Food Lab in Cambridge for brunch. They always try something unusual – ingredients, cooking methods, or flavors. I got a popover sandwich, a glass of fresh orange juice, and a cup of peppermint tea. It was delicious, especially in this cold winter day. The museum is incredible. I couldn’t figure out the glass plants are really made with glass or not. It is fascinating. The texture, the color, and the structure of the plants look so real. I also explored other exhibits in the museum. It is a great place to wonder around and discover. After the museum, I did a little clothes shopping in Cambridge, and ended the day with a sushi dinner at Toraya – my favorite place for sushi. The Agedashi tofu and the sushi dish were perfect for the cold winter night.

I came home and saw a package lying in my driveway. It’s a Christmas gift from my friend Markus in Germany. The second year in a row, he sent a Christmas gift to me. I met Markus in Munich during my around-the-world trip. It is very nice of him. He keeps an eyes on my website now and then. If you see this posting Markus, thanks!!! Inside the package, besides some chocolate, there was a Christmas star. I opened the package and realized that it required assembly. I waited until the next day to look into it. I had to browse the website to find the assembly instructions, and started to put it together. My friend Craig in Portland, Oregon used FaceTime to watch me putting it together real-time. Thanks for talking with me and helping me put it together, Craig. I was pleasantly surprised that I did it! I hung the star next to the fire place, along with the Christmas cards above the fire place. It’s perfect for the holidays.

Thanks Dennis from the Yoga class for inviting me to spend the Christmas Eve with his family. The beef tenderloin was delicious. I spent the Christmas holiday to do several errands: organized my files, changed all of my passwords, and shredded old documents including lots of checks from the Yoga classes that I have deposited with my iPhone the whole year. I decided it’s about time to go out and do something. I went to the Wachusetts Mountain near my home, and did the night skiing. I haven’t skied for two years, and haven’t done the night skiing yet. I decided to give it a try. Although there weren’t too many trails available, I got several good runs in the evening. I took a break and got some dinner. After 2 hours of skiing, a bacon cheese burger, fries, and a cup of hot chocolate tasted really good. After dinner, I went for another 2 hours of skiing. Boy, I was tired and sore. Thanks Doug’s homemade chocolate dipped snacks. I was drinking orange juice and having his chocolate, It’s a good day, and I slept really well. 🙂

The New Year is approaching. I still have a couple of days off. Who knows. I might do something or nothing. It’s a privilege to go with the flow. Happy holidays!