My resolution for 2013: to go on vacation

2012 was another busy year for me. I spent most of my waking moments working, doing choirs and attending to social engagements. The only ‘me-time’ I had was my almost-daily 30-minute sessions in the gym during my lunch break, or the late nights I spent working on some music.

For the last few years, I’ve tried to make myself available to the classical guitar community, but it has taken its toil on me. One of my friends has been telling me that I’ve been doing enough. I agree.

This year, I have two very simple resolutions to fulfill:
1. Make more time for myself
2. Go on vacation

Originally, I planned to attend Wrestlemania next year. I had set aside about $5,000 for that trip.

“Woah, why so much?” you may be asking.

Firstly, travelling to the US is expensive. Secondly, ringside tickets for Wrestlemania 2013 cost a whopping US$1,000 and up. Ouch.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I haven’t gone on a vacation in nearly 5 years. I’m been very frugal since my last trip, so I’m willing to splurge a little bit.

Eventually, I couldn’t get the Wrestlemania tickets I wanted so I decided to reroute that $5,000 to a bunch of tech toys- something I’m arguably more interested and passionate about. Honestly, I’m not a wrestling fan anymore, I haven’t even watched it for years, but I grew up watching wrestling, and going to Wrestlemania was something on my bucket list.

After buying a MacBook Air, Sony Nex 5R and an iPad Wifi 4th Generation, I still have some money left over from the $5K vacation fund. So I intend to use the leftover funds to fulfill two of my New Year’s Resolutions.

ipad-fourth-gen-and-macbook-air
The Retina display on my new iPad is gorgeous. Despite its small size, its sharpness makes it a surprisingly capable tablet to read music on.

I haven’t figured out the “when” or “where” of my vacation though, but currently I’m leaning towards a 4 or 5 night stay at a ClubMed resort sometime in March.

I can totally imagine spending my days on the beach drinking margaritas and working on my tan.
I can totally imagine spending my days on the beach drinking margaritas and working on my tan.

Other options include:
Las Vegas
New York, then Canada to vist my nephew and niece (unlikely given the cost)
Japan (a ski trip perhaps?)
Taiwan (for a NomNom expedition)
US (for the next Google I/O event)
US (to visit a gun range with my army buddies)

As you can see, some of my options are more exciting than the others. Aw well, let’s see what happens. If my wallet complains too much, I may just lock myself in my room for 5 days and work on as much music as I can. :p

Author: Dedrick Koh

Dedrick Koh is an acclaimed , fully-booked classical guitar teacher who teaches from his home studio at Sengkang. He has been teaching the classical guitar since 2006 and has successfully prepared students for ABRSM and Trinity exams and he holds a flawless 100% pass rate, and a 90% merit/distinction rate for his students. He was previously an instructor cum assistant conductor at Ngee Ann Polytechnic Strings under Alex Abisheganaden . Dedrick Koh is also a former public relations and communications specialist, having carved out a notable 10-year career in both the public and private sector. He has work for/on brands like Nanyang Polytechnic, Coca Cola, DHL, Nokia, Nestle, the Health Promotion Board, the Economic Development Board of Singapore and the President Challenge. He also also been featured in the Straits Time, the New Paper, and CNN.

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