Since it’s new year’s eve, I can talk about myself.. 
Time doesn’t stop, right?. I vividly remember welcoming 2008 in a pub in Israel paying $10 cover and welcoming 2007 serving food at a party in Toronto earning $15 an hour. But the best things in life cannot be bought or sold. This year I am going to spend time with my family, at home. Aai made traditional Puran Polis and ours is probably the only family having this delightful food on a ‘western’ new year’s eve.. hehehh… 
The Thatte’s. LtoR: Shrikant, Prachi, Manju, Priyank. At Chamundi Hills, Mysore, December 2008.
So What did you do in 2008? Most bloggers will blog about this, and I will too. For me, this was a very educative and travel-filled year. I visited 7 countries: Israel, Canada, USA, Peru, Russia, India and Bhutan (in that order) and I was never so close to my target of traveling to 11 countries by 2011. I also studied, worked, played Sitar, biked and did the usual interesting stuff.
You might know that I was officially homeless for past 4 months (although I lived in so many homes), so I am excited to go back and resume everything in Toronto. There is going to be lots of snow around and I am itching to skate on ice and wear layers of jackets that make me look like a young Sumo fighter.
Going out on 31st December is difficult, noisy, expensive and mostly frustrating. Also, it’s just another day in the calendar, no? I say this as I deal with a bunch of emails and text messages sent in an impersonal style.
I depart tomorrow, Mumbai to Toronto stopping en-route at Moscow. Do visit my Travel Blog since all travel stuff will be written there.
Happy 2009 to whoever is reading this. And may all your wishes come true.
cheers,
Priyank
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It was definitely a busy blogging and traveling year for me. I traveled to several new places (including India) and connected with so many other travel bloggers, which I’ve learned so much from (including you!)
As for the new year, I’m aiming to improve my writing in a number or ways, posting more ‘travel photos’, and hoping to get a guest post or two.
…I’ve got so many more goals as well, including implementing a number or design changes.
As for New Years, my plans have changed so many times that I’m not quite sure what I’ll be doing!
↵Anil,
↵One of the highlights of 2008 for me too was discovering so many blogs and wonderful people behind them. There is so much I learn from everyone (you included) that is inspirational.
Whatever you end up doing tonight, all the best and wish you a fantastic year ahead.
Hello. Happy New Year! I have been stalking your blogs for quite a while now, I bloghopped from Zhu. I have been enjoying reading about your travels, and I am so fascinated by your stories about Bhutan. It is one destination I want to visit as well someday.
Good luck on your travels, like you, I have a goal for myself as well, I want to visit 100 hundred countries before I die, and so far, I am at 18.
Saying hello from across the border here in Buffalo, and a Happy 2009!
↵Hey Linguist-in-waiting
Welcome to my blog and thanks for stopping by! 100 countries and you’ve visited 18? Thats a lot 
Nice to discover your blog and wish you a wondeful new year 
↵Hey Dude.. Whats up!!! Happy new year, have a rocking one.
↵You visited 7 countries !! Woww.. So it was an exiting year for you. Same for me. I think I should post something in my Random Thoughts.. Take care and welcome back to this continent..
Thanks Pijush! Do post on your blog and wish you a rocking 2009
↵Priyank, if it is possible may you travel even more in 2009!
↵Thanks Mridula, I know, 2009 is not going to be travel-filled. But looking forward to your tryst with Himalayas this season!
↵Happy New Year. Hope this year brings you good fortune and provides you with the chance to have may more experiences. We are alive just for that no?
↵Odzer, Amen to that. Happy traveling and I hope those silly plastic bag bans will die soon!
↵I think meeting people and bloggers was what made 2008 memorable for me..Happy new year and have a safe flight
↵Lakshmi, that was an important highlight of my India trip too! The flight was safe (sleepless, bad food, delayed etc.)
↵A very happy ’09 to you! Keep traveling and blogging. You’ve got quite an interesting travel blog here
↵Hi Ameeta, welcome to my blog and thanks for commenting. I am going over to your web now. Happy 2009
↵Wish you the same darling
↵haha *blushing*
↵
↵A very eventful 2008 and congratulations on almost achieving your 2011 target
Have a very Happy 2009 to you and your loved ones!
↵Thanks Kiran and happy 2009 to you too!
↵Hi Priyank!
↵Wish you many more travels in 2009! Happy New Year!!!
Varsha!! So nice to hear from you, wish you a lovely 2009 too!
↵Priyank you said: ‘…me look like a young Sumo fighter’ – lol I can just see it, lol. Thanks for sharing your life, very nice picture. Even though you did not reach 11 countries, I still think you did better than most of us, lol. Happy healthy new year to you and your family, all the best, happy travels, and adventures. Anna
↵Anna, I just landed today and I did look like a sumo fighter since it started snowing heavily as I got out of the airport! I still have 3 years to reach my target of 11 countries (4 more to do) so lets see! Wishing you the same for 2009. It has been a good year so far… hehehe (8 hours sleep in Mumbai followed by 25 hours in flight)
↵Have a very happy new year priyank..
↵Thanks Kiran, happy new year to you too
↵Wish you the best for 2009. Hope to meet you somewhere when you catch up on your target of 11 countries
↵Thanks GV, and we must strive absolutely hard to meet it
↵Wishing you a happy new year. All the best, Americanised Desi.
↵Wish you the same Gopal! Should I call you a ‘nationalised’ Mallu?
↵Priyank undiluted, Priyank at his unadulterated best is when Priyank talks “about himself” thru his perspective on life and the world around – hope you dont stick to the “new year – so lets talk about me” rule too seriously
↵you are the prime attraction of your blog Pri! keep doing the “me on myself” stuff ALL the time – make it personal n intimate n intense n passionate n coloured as the built in shyness allows
Trisha,
I like your note on ‘built-in shyness’ !!
↵Hahaha, you are always so full of encouragement.
I always meant to ask you – Why 11 countries? Why not 10 or 9 or 12?
↵Target seems to be reachable – 4 countries in 2 years. It will be a piece of cake for you.
Hi Vamsee, well no reason, he he he. Simply because 11 rhymes with 2011, and that’s when my current passport expires.
↵The problem is, I wont have any money to travel this year (2009) so there is lots to do next year!