Ahh upgrades. I've been getting quite a bit of them lately. Moved from Vista to Windows 7, which is performing quite nicely compared to its predecessor, renovated my room with a shelf and lighting system to house the library of books I've collected over the years, finally started appreciating loose leaf tea thanks to a serendipitous encounter in China Town, and now as of this day, I have turned 22 years old.

Yep, today is my birthday, and as unremarkable as it is to become 22 as opposed to 18 or 21, it seems to have a similar feel of signifance. It is the first birthday where I have no school to worry about. You see, I have the unfortunate circumstance where December the 16th often lands squarely on an exam date. If I'm lucky enough to dodge that, the whole week of the 16th is still usually busy with exams or final assignments before we go on winter break.

For the first time, I can enjoy this day without any regrets or worries, and that feels quite liberating. Of course, that's not to say that I'm planning to have a big party or anything. Quite the opposite. I hope for a quiet day with my family, a nice dinner and perhaps a movie afterward.

I expect no big gifts or surprises, because there is already something else that has made this day significant. I just received a large envelope sent via express mail. Inside it was a glossy black folder with the words "Every Journey Has a First Step...", and inside that was a letter addressed to me with an offer I had been waiting for since I graduated.

Yep, for my 22nd birthday, I received the 'gift' of favorable employment. XD My first industry-level job begins next Monday! I'm not quite ready to reveal who this employer is, but I can say that it's an unexpected dream come true to be able to work for them. =]

Speaking of upgrades, I should also mention that the Technoguild satellite here has just been turned into a full fledged DA Group!! For those of you interested in joining, go check it out. We're hoping to update it soon. Also all current members, do us a favor and join up, yeah? Many thanks in advance! =] *bows*