new year eve with a new age meditation group

I had the most beautiful and peaceful new year eve with this new age meditation group. The program included a guided meditation, an amazing vegetarian potluck (a few dishes I am dying to get the recipes), and then sharing gratitude in music, poetry, and songs. A piece of solo piano performance was so moving that wet my eyes. I cannot explain why, maybe the combination of touching tunes, warm lighting, and a gradual heart?! I escaped the session of sharing intentions for the coming year since it was very private to tell or to hear. One thing for sure is that I will travel in 2018. See you is New Zealand, Australia, and Taiwan! Here are some highlights of my 2017 trip to Central Asia & Silk Road. Happy new year!

16m hike at the end of 2017

I woke up 5 am to carpool to a hike along Appalachian trail from Rt 522 (Front Royal) to Jenkins Gap in a dry 20f day for 15.6 miles with 3700 ft elevation gain. It was freezing cold, and my fingers froze whenever there was a more than 10 minutes stop. The thin layer of snow on the trail was tying, but I was glad to spend time outdoor and see great views. I rewarded myself with a big bowl of Korean seafood noodles soup after the hike. One of the waitresses greeted me and said long time no see. Yes, it has been a while since my last visit to the restaurant with a group of hikers. Happy 2018 🎉🎉🎉 which ever time zone you are!

Christmas Eve at Nova Lab

I just spent my most nerdy Christmas Eve at Nova Lab potluck. I swung by the tail of the event but still got my tour of the 10k sf volunteer-operated makerspace with so many tools and gears!!! I am so excited that I can take classes in programming and engineering fundamentals, building and using devices such as 3D printers, drones, laser cutters, Arduinos, robots, and CNC machines, and fundamental wood working and carbon fiber mold making, and the lab is less than 2 miles from my house. My engineer blood is boiling now!

10 miles run & Christmas dinner

I skipped a 9 mile hike 1.5 hrs drive away, and instead ran 10 miles in my new community which has a lot of trails and lakes. After lived in Tysons Corner for 17 years, everything in Reston looks fresh and new for me to explore like a foreign tourist and the trails remind me some of my overseas trips! My townhouse is the most expensive Christmas gift I bought for myself. I just enjoyed a home cooked Christmas dinner: sticky rice meat balls (糯米珍珠丸子, last time I prepared it was in junior high), tomato barley lentil soup, and banana bread.

White Oak Canyon hike

I hiked up White Oak Canyon trial and then hiked down Cedar Run Trail today with a meetup group (11 miles with 3000 ft elevation gain). Some sections were covered with snow and some ice patches. Three of us skipped Hawksbill Peak, but still felt the knee impact from Steep down of the Cedar Run Trail.

2017 Office holiday party in DC

Had my office holiday party in DC on the rooftop of W hotel with the White House and the National Christmas tree as backdrop.

Holiday party hosted by a major builder

I stayed home on this snowy day to continue unpacking after the move, and then attended a holiday party hosted by a major builder. I need to work out hard to burn off all the spicy Indian food I ate tonight.

magic show at Startnut cafe in Mclean

My old colleague Nancy invited me to a cafe in McLean to see a magic show by a famous retired Italian chef, Savino Recine. I was shocked by his performance and still cannot get my head around his tricks!!! Who says seeing is believing?! I saw but still cannot believe what I saw! You just have to experience it yourself. More at https://www.savinosmagic.com