Hey Everyone,

Happy new year.  

The family and I just back from an amazing trip to Japan, and Ilove  to share with you what I brought back.  

And no, its nothing material, even though there was lots of shopping at our disposal.  

I may have spent about 50 dollars at the capcom store and and 20 bucks on a mug that I liked in Disneyland, and thats about it.  So, physically, i barely brought back anything.....except for a little bit of excess baggage if you know what i mean. 

So, here's stuff that came back with me from Japan.

1. Patience

Now, honestly, i'm not the most patient of people, especially while driving.  In the side streets of japan, you'll notice pedestrians, scooters cars, and bikes all share the same space....all at the same time.  There is a trust that everyone has eachother.Nobody is yelling, nobody is honking, and nobody is concerned for their safety...because they all know that they are all just trying to be somewhere  just like the next guy.  

2. Embracing effeciency
I've always been the kind of person to be in control of everything.  What comes along with that is an ineffecient way to do things.  I have teammates, colleagues and technology on my side that I know i can use, I just choose not to. And I'm sure if i can embrace effeciency, i know that will free up time to do more things that matter.

3. next level courtesy
I feel that I am a couteous peson, both personally and in the workplace.  If you ever go to japan, you'll notice the level of courtesy is a reputation that precedes them. I just know that there is something that can be unlocked that can level up a level of courtesy can go unexpected.  

4. Street food galore
For anyone that knows me, I'm a total sucker for street food.  This trip to japan gave me a number of ideas on what to try out when the barbecue season comes back.  I even bought myself a takoyaki pan off of amazon and used it the moment I arrived!  But hey, who knows, maybe my next summer mingler will be over a japanese bbq

Now, i know i can't bring this stuff back from japan and expect to use it the moment i came back.  These are all virtues that you kinda have to beleieve in, work on and practice....especially the cooking. 

So, looks like this will make a good new years resolution for 2026.  

Happy New Year everone!