Ryan's Year in Review

2011 has been an amazing year for me.  My highlights for 2011 are being promoted from first class to staring my boy scouts of America program, having a vacation in Alaska and getting my black belt.  This year has ben a fun and interesting year for me.  I cannot wait for what other plan 2012 unravels for me.

            

Near the beginning of the year I was promoted form being a first class scout to a star scout in boy scouting. This took me a good 6 to 7 months to accomplish.  Because of this I only have to achieve one more rank till my eagle.  Although I was put back a few months because of my sickness last year, I tried my hardest to get this rank and to catch up with my friends.  This rank has been a highlight for this year because my sickness had put me back yet I was still able to catch up with my friends.

            

Fishing in Seward, Alaska

Another highlight for this year was going to Alaska in the summer.  I had never been there and was very excited.  We went to many places there and only go to stay in the hotel for a maximum of 2 days.  We flew in from Los Angeles to Anchorage and drove to Denali national park.  We stayed there for three days and took an amazing plane tour around Mt.McKinley.  We also went on a bus that was most likely the worst tour that ive ever been on.  After the Denali our family went to Homer where we stayed there for 2 days.  My dad caught fresh halibut and salmon for our families.  After that we drove all the way to Seward where we stayed there for three days.  We had about three hikes to go see glaciers that were scattered all around Seward.  Exhausted (or at least I was) our family drove all the way back to anchorage where we spent one day as a city tourist.  Only a day passed as we got on our red eye plane back to Los Angeles.  That trip was one of the best trips I had in my entire life.

            

My final highlight of this year was getting my black belt.  This was one of my first real accomplishments of my life.   I had been training since I was four years old and now I had finally got it, my black belt.  After getting my black belt certificate I felt very prestigious and felt as if my first long term goal had finally finished, but I knew that the black belt was only the beginning.  I had so much help from not only my instructors, but my parents also.  My mother and father had pushed me ever since I was four.  Without them I would have quit for good along time ago.  I also thank my dad for making a video of my journey to black belt.  Enjoy, the video below that my dad made.  And that about wraps up my year.

            My concluding feeling for my year have been very good.  I have accomplished many of my long term goals.  I have felt that this year had not been my favorite year but definitely on my top 3.    I hope that 2012 will be a lot better but not worse.

-RYAN TING

City of Angels Ride, 34 miles.

Dad taught me how to tie a tie.

Shooting with Uncle Jean.  AWESOME firepower!