Wow, I am not too sure how to start this. I guess in rough chronological order would make sense ie. from January to December. This was a most fascinating year and our first full year back on my mother’s home island.

I sold my little business and finalized the sale of the house in Calgary that my brother and I co-owned. We had lived comfortable bachelor lives for over 10 years and that phase had come to an end. We now have wonderful spouses, and in his case, a beautiful daughter as well [I get a cute niece out of this deal, so I can’t complain].

The beginning of the year was spent reigniting my love for comics and illustration. I have to say it was hard, having spent several prior years trying to be an entrepreneur and CEO [the title makes the position sound way more extravagant than it actually is]. I had numbed myself in regards to any personal fulfillment, changing my focus to the pursuit of money and scrounging resources for my little corporation. In hindsight it was a wonderful learning experience, and my only regret was not being able to fully appreciate the friends and opportunities along the way.

Back to reigniting my passion: I find that there was some good spurts of activity this year. A few false starts but I can forgive myself since it has been so long. I finally feel that I’ve been able to tap back into my core skill set, which is both awesome and scary. I have been wrestling with a sense of being ‘left behind’ by my artistic peers, but that has waned dramatically.

Having my parents nearby again is a huge change. I appreciate the fact that I can catch up after a decade of being the prodigal son. Being able to visit them almost every day has allowed me to re-establish a true relationship along with authentic dialogue, which I have been craving.

I have had the honour to work with my friend Mikko on his personal game project, and I hope to make him proud and help him realize his vision. In fact, I have had tonnes of opportunities to hone my pixel art thanks to commissions and I am truly grateful to everyone who has indulged me.

A pivotal figure in my life passed away this year. My grandmother was an incredibly patient and tough woman. She had sacrificed much to allow our family to prosper. Hard as it was, I am glad that I was there to talk to her and witness her passing. To go from chatting with someone, wishing them goodbye one last time, then touching and moving their cold body into a coffin, followed by picking through their ashes and scattering the remains into the ocean, was a heart wrenching experience… but it brought me closer to my family and the culture on the island. I feel that this experience was her last gift to me.

I have also bought house. Right down the street from my parents so that we can keep an eye on each other. I look forward to moving in next year once the construction is complete. My wife has managed to amass a miniature zoo over the year, so I am happy to give them a permanent home.

Finally, this year has also reignited my love for wanting to be doctor. Nothing special, just a GP since that is what I have wanted to be all along. I have realized that maybe it is not too late to resume my studies and finish my medical degree after all. The future is looking spectacular and I hope to achieve many wonderful things in the year to come.

I wish all you wonderful people a Happy New Year and may you all be blessed with love and good fortune! See you in 2016.