Month: January 2024

2023 Year in Review and 2024 Goals

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What an incredible year it’s been – definitely one to remember for the rest of my life. To summarize, here’s how it went: 

I got married. In September, I married my partner of 5+ years, Michael.  We celebrated over the Labor Day weekend this past year, and without a doubt it was such a surreal and incredibly memorable life event. 

Wedding Day!!

I bought a condo in San Francisco. In March, Michael and I closed on our first real estate purchase: a 2bd/2ba condo in San Francisco. I would’ve never expected to be able to buy a place, but we did it! 

Our condo in San Francisco!

I read four books. 

  • Life on the Mississippi: An Epic Adventure by Rinker Buck (Feb 2023)
  • Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond (Nov 2023)
  • The Next American City by Mick Cornett (Dec 2023)
  • The Injustice of Place by Luke Schaefer and Kathryn Edin (Dec 2023)

Maintained a health-conscious lifestyle. Had 146 running/walking sessions that totaled 450+ miles. PR’d my 5k time: 25:56min at the Claremont Turkey Trot. Completed 69 strength training sessions. Hiked 23 trails totaling 88+ miles.

Claremont Turkey Trot 2023

Flew 70k+ miles in ‘23. Between my employer’s work from anywhere policy, I managed to travel and visit so many places in one year. 

All the flights I took in 2023, totaling 70,131 miles flown.
  • Florida – Sarasota and St. Petersburg
First sunset of the year from Siesta Key
  • New Orleans 
Having a delicious dinner at Couchon in New Orleans in January
  • Israel – Galilee, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv
Walking around and touching the waters at the Sea of Galilee in February
  • South Korea and Japan – Seoul, Tokyo and Kyoto
Walking around Myeongdong District in Seoul in March
Admiring the beautiful cherry blossoms in Tokyo at the Shinjuku National Garden in April
Sake tasting in Kyoto in April
  • Texas – Houston and San Antonio
Visiting Houston (for the first time!) to see family in May
  • Alaska – Kenai Peninsula, Denali National Park, Anchorage
Evening hike at Exit Glacier Trail in Kenai National Park in June
  • Michigan – Detroit and Ann Arbor
Checking out the Smith House, a Frank Lloyd Wright Home, outside of Detroit in September
  • France – Nouvelle Aquitaine (Bordeaux, St. Emillion, Medoc)
Wine tasting in Sauternes in October!
  • Mexico – Playa del Carmen 

Making pottery during a long weekend visit to Xcaret Arte in Playa del Carmen in October
  • New Zealand – Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch, Marlborough, Queenstown
Biking the Alps2Ocean Bike Trail from Tekapo to Twizel in New Zealand in December!

GOALS for 2024:

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been keeping this blog for over 10+ years, and from a goal perspective, at this point many of my goals remain the same. They’re all related to health, travel and knowledge, and the more I can spend time doing these activities (in addition to my day job), the better!

Here’s a summary of my goals’ stats from this past year, and what I can benchmark against for 2024.

  • Hiking – completed 23 hikes totaling 88.7 miles in ‘23
  • Walking/Running – 146 sessions in ‘23
  • Reading – read 4 books in 2023
  • Weight Lifting – 69 sessions in ‘23
  • Wine Tasting – 27 wineries in 5 regions tasted in ‘23
  • Biking – 145 bike trips on BayWheels in ’23
  • Complete a wine class
  • Complete a language class

Here’s to another year around the sun!