Signing off

Well! It's been a completely unforgettable summer and certainly one of the most defining years of my life. God has blessed me so richly and given me so much! Here's a list of life-long memories from just this year:

• Wrote software for the fastest computers in the world.
• Drank sulfur spring water in Aachen.
• Visited "Bodies".
• Went clubbing in Berlin.
• Visited the Alhambra.
• Heard the orchestra in the Budapest Opera House and drank wine on the balcony during intermission.
• Got my first apartment.
  
• Visited Auschwitz.
• Started my PhD studies.
• Ate Roman gelato.
• Knocked down a house in New Orleans.
  
• Competed in the USA national triathlon championship.
• Lost a good friend and mentor in a school shooting.
• Bathed at the Szechenyi Bath & Spa.
• Ate ox tail.
• Ate cock testicles.
• Ate millet mixed with blood.
• Visited the Cologne Cathedral.
• Got sunburned on the clothing-optional beach at Malaga.
• Visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
• Watched fireworks in Prague.
• Got my first publication.
• Drank espresso and ate crescents in Paris.
• Saw my sister get engaged.

So that's that! I'm back in the USA now and getting ready to fly to Utah to see my sister's wedding. I hope God is as good to you as he has been to me, and I hope the second half of this year is as wonderful and eventful as the first. Transatlantic Giraffe signing off!