Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I've got a feeling
This year's for me and you

Another year has drifted past and that quaint little diner on the corner of your street has just turned two years old. It looks a little different than it did way back when; the tablecloths have been changed and a new coat of paint applied, but some of the same regulars still drop by for a sip. There's the businessman rushing through, always taking his meals to go; he likes his soup hot and quick. At the front table sits the professor, who sips her soup slowly and pensively; she likes hers mild with a mixture of subtle flavours. At the bar is the student, who's always got a story from the night before to tell - that is, if he can remember it; he likes his soup with a spicy kick. In the centre is the housewife, who never seems to stop complaining; she likes her soup exactly the same way everyday, with spotless cutlery and a serviette folded just so. Sitting in the corner is that girl you never had the courage to approach. She sits on her own and stares out the window, leaning her cheek upon her hand in that certain sort of way that makes any man melt. She likes her soups exotic - a bowl full of fragrances that make the senses tingle with wonder. Some of these people have accepted time's changes more easily than others, but there never seems to be a shortage of patrons. The menu may look a little more flashy nowadays, but the meals are still served with care and a smile, and the cups of soup are always hot and fresh for those who want a quick sip to savour the world that speeds past them each day.

Would you be happier if you weren't so all together?
Would the Sun shine brighter if you played a bigger part?
Would you be wonderful if it wasn't for the weather?
You're going to be just fine

I have little doubt that this past year has been the greatest of my life. Opportunity, experience, and adventure have come my way like never before, and I've jumped at each with endless enthusiasm. I finished a summer away in Montreal; I went skydiving; I partied through the best school term I ever had with some of the most interesting people I've ever known; I worked continuously and diligently on a project in my final school term that required every ounce of effort I could muster, but I enjoyed every moment as an opportunity to immerse myself in my favourite hobby; I finally graduated from university; I've taken time to sit and relax, and spend some time with myself; I've travelled some of the greatest cities on the planet, and realised some of my greatest dreams. Now, as the third Noodle year dawns, the world is yet to settle, and "normal life" seems but an expression of boredom and repetition. Why let the suburban nightmare of blandness and routine sink its clutches my way? Happiness is in the mind, and as far as my mind is concerned, the best may yet be up ahead.

O the posh, posh travelling life, the travelling life for me
First cabin and captain's table regal company
When I'm at the helm the world's my realm and I do it stylishly
Port out, starboard home, posh with a capital P-O-S-H, posh

It's a spiritual feeling to have finally accomplished something for which you have yearned for so long. For years I have studied Ancient Rome and Greece, and I have longed to visit the places where some of history's greatest stories took place. This summer's trip to Europe let me do that, and it was an experience well worth the wait. I think back on the trip with a sense of relief and accomplishment, but it also leaves a bit of a tingling feeling that nags "What next?" It's given me a travel bug; now there are so many more places I would like to see. Likewise, my other various accomplishments have let me set some lofty goals for myself to tackle over the coming years. I want to make my way into the video game industry; I have yet been able to learn Portuguese; I've always wanted to play the guitar; I want to see more of the world, from the far reaches of the Earth, to my parents' homeland, to the rest of this beautiful country in which I live. The odds of accomplishing all of that are slim, but aim high, I say, or you might as well not aim at all.

I don't have digital, I don't have diddly squat
It's not having what you want, It's wanting what you've got
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna tell everyone to lighten up
I'm gonna tell 'em that I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame I'm looking up
I'm gonna soak up the sun

C'est la belle vie.

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, "What a wonderful world"
Yes, I think to myself, "What a wonderful world"

Feel the radiance. Take a stroll on the beach. Eat some Oreos. Skate the neighbourhood streets. Hang out with your friends. Enjoy the shade under the backyard grapevines. Share a drink with the waitress. Don't panic. Play hockey. Confide in the one person that always confides in you. Sing. Trace the city skyline. Turn up the bass. Watch the pretty girls go by. Eat some more Oreos. Accept a challenge. Go wild. Be happy. Love. Tell your stories. Take a sip...

SPU
Sane Person Undercover