They're a lot longer than you'd think at first.

I mean, I look back and think, "2008 is over already? It feels like it's barely begun!" But then I think more... and I realize a heckuva lot of stuff has happened this year. Earlier this year, I was still in 11th grade. When this year started, I hadn't even taken my SATs yet. By the end of the year I've finished applying to colleges. This year I spent the summer in Pittsburgh, and the last day there we watched the Olympic opening ceremonies... and that's right, the Beijing Olympics happened this year, and Michael Phelps made history.

And then the election made history too. And that was this year. But that's very recent...

And so what else happened? Back, February, March, April... I participated in the Chemistry Olympiad, and the NJ Chem Olympics. That was this year? Yeah, all this year. Ah, my tablet mouse broke this year. I remember I dissected it. Then I had to wait months for the replacement to arrive in the mail... and that was all this year. Seems so long ago, but that's the way it goes.

And you don't notice when it's happening... but a year is a long time. And then the new year comes around the corner and catches you by surprise and you wonder where the old year went, but it's right there, all of it.

So anyway, not quite sure what I was getting at there, but hey! See y'all in 2009!