of anyoneThis is one thing I've been thinking about as I approach the end of the first year of my master's degree. One of the biggest changes that has happened to me during this program is that I've learned to become comfortable with math problems that involve millions, billions, and even trillions of dollars. I started with the accounting course I took, basically, where the numbers on a balance sheet are written in thousands, but they stand for millions or billions.

There was a point in elementary school when I switched from basic single digit arithmetic to double digits, and that opened up the whole horizon of precalculus and calculus and all that. I'm excited to glimpse at the world that's opened up when you start being comfortable adding and subtracting millions and billions of dollars in your head. The total market capitalization in the world is $100 trillion. Fourteen zeroes. Wow. I want to do some work with some of that market cap. But I also want to go back to bed. It's one of those rare Sundays where I get to sleep in.

On an unrelated note, it was fun to have two Gtown kids from the grade above me come visit. I'm reasonably confident that I have the lowest IQ of anyone in these photographs. (Joking. Kind of.)

I have a lot to be grateful for. I really do. I make as much money as the typical salary offered to a BYU Marriott School undergraduate. I make enough money to put food on the table. I make enough money to pay for Georgetown. I make enough money to pay for fancy dinners in town. I make enough, and I am grateful.

Kurt and I had a really fun adventure in town last night. Geting drunk, goofing off in fancy restaurants. Among my friends, he definitely is someone with whom the rapport is exceptionally strong. We just have so much in common, and it's great. I'm thankful and grateful for him, for sure. He makes this city that much more fun.

I do have a chance of getting an A in corporate finance, and it's really important to me to do so. But it will require getting strong A's on all my future exams. So it's time to buckle down and really internalize this math and these concepts.

Almost done this book Ryan recommended to me. I better go finish and then start Amelia's recommendation.

Some Georgetown kids are coming up to visit me in town tomorrow. Exciting to see Gtown literally coming to my front door.

Winter break was great! I don't think I've ever in my life had a winter break that was quite so long--a full 3 weeks, thank you Georgetown. I found out that I got straight A's in my first semester, which was one of my biggest hopes for 2017. And life besides that is going pretty well, too. 

I was able to chart out a plan in 2017 through which I might be able to build $10,000 in savings this year. I've resolved to strive for the ten thousand as much as possible but also to be comfortable and accepting if something comes up and chops away at a few hundred here or there. I had several new years resolutions, but I guess this is the biggest or the most important one. I've never really had this much savings to my own name in my entire life, so building up that much would really change myself and put me in a new stage of adulthood.

One and a half years into the paleo diet, I look and feel great. My abs are showing, my biceps are huge, and I think my body is generally in the best shape of my life. There are a lot of new fitness frontiers that I'm on the verge of crossing sooner or later. I remember when it was difficult for me to do even one burpee, one wallball, or one pull-up. Now I'm doing dozens and dozens of reps of these things, as well as attempting more difficult gymnastic elements of CrossFit, like rope climbs and handstand pushups. It will be exciting to see what new frontiers I cross in 2018.

Here is a picture from the New Year's party with Kurt last night. $150 dinner bill, just to contradict everything I just said about being financially responsible and on a diet. Haha. I don't know exactly who does and who doesn't read my blog, but I hope it brings you some sort of enjoyment to read abut my life, and I hope you have a very good new year.