I'm sitting in the Atlanta airport awaiting the flight that will whisk me into Jamaica to celebrate the marriage of my oldest friend. I'm short on sleep, having lost three hours on the flight over from the Pacific coast, and am oddly reflective on the previous year.

Never have I considered my life to be anything interesting. When I'm not at work, I'm generally doing nothing. Or, at least nothing outside. My down time consists of bumming around on the internet, watching TV, or playing video games. It's an introverted bachelor's paradise; I wouldn't even know what to do "outside" if I were to venture out of my hallowed kingdom. But, somehow, 2013 has turned some of that on its head and been by far the most interesting year of my time alive. Items of particular note are:

• Got a job at fuckin' LinkedIn. I still don't understand how this happened, but it's been by far the best thing that's happened to me
• Moved to the fuckin' Bay Area. Second best thing that's happened to me. I don't think I could live anywhere else again (except maybe Japan)
• Went to fuckin' Japan! Ever since my brothers and I were bitten by the anime bug back in 2008, this was something we wanted to realize... and we made it happen! Every now and then I still get super bummed that I'm not there right now.
• Fuckin' presented at my alma mater. Perhaps it was slightly egotistical of me to want, but ever since I graduated Full Sail in 2009, I'd hoped to return as a presenter. And this year LinkedIn helped me realize that on a campus recruiting mission.
• Got fuckin' drunk... many times. Perhaps this shouldn't be a highlight, but these drinking sprees have given me an opportunity to connect with so many awesome people. Perhaps it's not the medium so much as it is the setting. Either way, I've had many great conversations over one too many beers.
• Fuckin' brackets, son. In addition to the awesome people I get to physically see on a daily basis, there's the community over at /r/awwnime that I've come to know as well. And running the brackets this year is fun for me both because I get to watch people enjoy (or hate) a thing I've created, but also because it brings out a lot of interesting discussion.
• Went (or am going) to fuckin' Jamaica to participate in the wedding of my oldest friend. (Holy shit dude. You win!)

Those are only the major highlights, but 2013 has been a hell of a year. It's made me realize just how awesome my life is and at the same time makes me wonder what I ever did to deserve it. And every day I'm so thankful that I get to wake up where I am, go to where I work, and interact with all the wonderful people that I know. If I were manlier, I might even shed a tear.

But enough of that smarmy ass sentimental bullshit, expect pictures of Jamaican shores and the annual anime reviews to be kicking up soon. But until then, I leave you with this.