Christmas Letter 2009

Here I am with our annual Christmas letter. Sure, it’s a bit late, and not nearly as pretty as past efforts, but such is the life of a father/graduate student. I wrote last year about the big changes that were in store; this year has been all about the realization of those changes. After deciding to attend the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, we spent most of the late spring and summer preparing to move, well, back from Taiwan, from my prospective, and abroad, from Jasmine and Aliana’s. That move has been a good one, for which Jasmine and Aliana surely deserve the credit.

I am keeping extremely busy; I took five classes last quarter, and will take another four starting in January. Meanwhile, recruiting is starting to heat up; earlier this month I, along with several of my classmates, traveled to Silicon Valley to visit several prospective companies with an eye towards a summer internship with a technology company. Jasmine has been staying home with Aliana, a welcome change of pace for her. She is a tremendous cook and is adapting pretty well: we were both shocked when, after a trip to the store in -8°C (18°F) weather, she remarked, “It’s not too bad out!” Aliana is amazing. She loves to sing, dance, and draw, and already knows her ABC’s. Like all children, she is clearly above average. No matter how busy I may get, knowing she and Jasmine are waiting for me makes it an imperative to get home as soon as possible. Every day she learns something new, and if there is anything I myself have learned, it’s too not miss a single bit of that.

The coming year looks to be more of the same. In addition to classes, this spring I will (hopefully) finalize a summer internship; ideally, I will have the opportunity and desire to continue with that company in a full time capacity when I graduate in 2011. Regardless, there is a decent chance I will know where this part of the journey will end by the time I write you next year.

In that respect, this Christmas is a time for rest and reflection, both to recover from a momentous 2009, prepare for a defining 2010, and enjoy time spent with my extended family for the first time since 2002. Once again, here’s to you, our friends. May your year be similarly filled with appreciation for the past, anticipation for the future, and the joy that each individual day brings.

Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!

Ben, Jasmine & Aliana