First and foremost, I want to apologize for not blogging as much... This past semester kicked my ass, to sum it up... But all those late night work sessions and constantly grinding paid off as I ended the semester with a 3.788... Not the 4.0 that I hoped to have gotten, but considering the workload I had, I'm pretty damn happy... And that's a 3.788 with a little slackin' involved... SO NOW I KNOW FOR SURE THAT A 4.0 is in arms reach.

But enough of that, on to the next one... That's what we will all be doing in the matter of days... A new year, a new decade, a new start... I can't believe that 09' is coming to an end... This year has been a great year for me... A year of a lot of "firsts." Right of the bat, I witnessed the FIRST Black president step into office. That alone made this year great. People can say what they want about Obama, but the fact is that he provides HOPE for every minority in this country. And we ALL know that in order for this country to progress, the "minority" populations need to progress, and we will do just that with this new hope.Another first for me and one that will undoubtedly change my life was my first plane ride... Which came along with my first trip out of the Northeast. New Orleans... Changed my entire perspective on life and has become my motivation for life after school. I KNOW that I want to live in NOLA and do some work down there... Rebuilding an entire city, one with so much historic value and rich culture, that would be a wonderful legacy to leave. This trip has also inspired me to travel, and learn... Something I plan on doing as often as I can.

Another big first for me this year was taking my first art/design classes in college. After switching my major in the Fall of 08' I finally say that decision pay off. It was great. I finally found myself doing something I loved doing. It felt great ending this semester with some great critiques... Staying up for 2 days straight to finish my 2 final projects was awful... But it paid off when people appreciated my hard work and effort. I cannot wait to take my designing and art to the next level and see where it takes me. Maybe one day I'll have a nice condo in the beautiful art district of New Orleans with a gallery...

Staying on the art tip... I was finally able to get into the darkroom and develop my own prints... Photography has become a great part of my life and I owe this in large to my friend Lisa (check her out here)... She put me on to film photography a little over a year ago and I've been loving it since...

The last thing I want to talk about that happen in 2009 was the planning of my Spring Break trip for 2010! I CANNOT WAIT TO GO TO ARUBA, ARUBA , ARUBA! This upcoming Spring myself and fellow RAs/Friends Beth, Lisa, Jack, and Malcolm, will be heading to the beautiful island of Aruba for a week. This will be a first for 2010, as it will be the first trip out of the country for me. I cannot wait for this trip... These people have become great friends over the past year and a half and have become in a sense family. {Beth if you read this, I did go to get my passport already! : ) }


In summary, 2009 was a great year in the development of my future. I finally started taking strides towards what I want to do and who I want to become. It was a wonderful year... Full of wonderful friends and family. Made some new ones, lost some old ones... But that's life... And you have to take the good with the bad and play the hand you are dealt with. I am thrilled for the new year and cannot wait to gain new experiences and new relationships...

Goals for 2010:
1) Learn
2) Read 1 book a month
3) Get some of my clothing designs printed and sold
4) Take my photography to the next level (Start a site to showcase and sell my prints)
5) Travel to at least 3 places
6) Work out min. of 3 times a week
7) Explore the art of painting
8) Blog more often

Motto for 2010:
"I have to keep grindin', because the guy behind me is waiting for me to slip."

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, whether you celebrated Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, etc... I hope you were able to spend time with those you love and care for. I wish you all a safe and happy new year. And remember that "Progress is an option for everyone. It doesn't matter who you were or what you did. It only matters who you are." And if you want to make some changes, start now and work towards becoming the person you want to become. Leave the legacy you WANT to leave...

Thanks for tuning in...

Jose Cotto