Reflecting on 2023
As always, my yearly reflection started with a review of last year's reflection. 2022 was a tumultuous year, leaving the nonprofit that I founded and led for 5 years, experimenting with contract work, then eventually finding my full time role at Trinsic, where I’ve been for the entirety of 2023.
I’ve learned not to be too specific about intentions for the new year, but last year I wrote: My plan is to stay active, get stronger, play sports I enjoy, do work I’m proud of, and spend time with people I love.
2023 was the year I started going to the gym consistently. Lifting weights at least 2-3 times per week, maintained for the whole year. Keeping this habit and seeing gains in strength is one of the biggest accomplishments of this year.
Sports were always my source of exercise, but as you get older, it’s harder to find consistent opportunities to play soccer, basketball, tennis, etc… The gym is fully in your control. You can go whenever you want, at a moment’s notice. I still love playing sports when I can, but they’re much harder to fit into a busy schedule. With that being said, this summer I committed to playing a lot of tennis and won the city singles and doubles tournament here in Concord, NH.
Spending time with family
I spent a lot of time with family in 2023. It was a year of loss which means funerals and hospital visits brought everyone together. I lost two grandparents, which I wrote about earlier in the year. But it was also a year of graduations, weddings, and celebrations. As you get older, you realize that you can create your own traditions. Yearly trips with a certain group of people. A party at a specific time of year. It’s in your control to create the type of adulthood you want to live. Sometimes it just takes a little initiative to put together a plan.
Highlights from 2023 travel
A LOT happened in 2023. I looked through my camera roll this morning to re-trace my steps and remember all of the places we went in the last 12 months. I visited 20 states in 2023, so here’s a short recap of some of the highlights:
January: Visited Savannah, Georgia for the first time and loved how walkable and tree-covered it was. We also went to St. Petersburg, Florida and enjoyed the great weather and abundance of cool restaurants and cafes.
February: We went to Ohio for Sophia’s great grandma’s 109th birthday then traveled to Denver for a conference.
March: Did a trip up to the white mountains in New Hampshire for a little ski weekend with the family, then we went to New Jersey for my friend’s wedding.
April: I started off the month in Austin, Texas for an all-company retreat where we enjoyed rock climbing, biking around the city and barbecue. We then spent a weekend in Manhattan with friends and a weekend in Kennebunkport before I flew out to California for another work conference.
May: After a busy April, we stayed local for my sister’s graduation from University of New Hampshire and did some local visits to family.
June: We drove up to the mountains north of Quebec with my family to celebrate my sister’s graduation. After a peaceful retreat, we went to North Carolina for Sophia’s cousin’s graduation.
July: We started off the month in Charleston, SC for a joint bachelor/bachelorette party. Then we hosted friends from out of town most weekends so we did some local adventures, showing off our favorite coffee shops, restaurants and towns to visit.
August: We hosted some more friends in Concord, then we took a trip to Portland, Maine. Portland is full of great restaurants, breweries, cocktail bars and little islands that you can hop around via ferry.
September: We had a reunion with my Dad’s side of the family, so we got to see a bunch of cousins. Sophia and I went on a long awaited honeymoon to Italy, which I wrote about in depth in my newsletter earlier this fall.
October: Our work retreat was in New Orleans, so we all got together for a week of great food, jazz music and warm weather. I flew straight back to Philadelphia for a wedding of one of Sophia’s coworkers from Delaware. Then we went to upstate New York for a mountain weekend to celebrate 30th birthdays for two college friends. I attended and spoke at a conference at MIT related to innovation in supply chains.
November: The warm weather lingered so we enjoyed some time outside in New England, then we went to Virginia for a wedding. We had Thanksgiving in New Hampshire, then visited Manhattan to see Sophia’s family.
December: We closed out the year hosting a party in Concord for a bunch of friends in town and local family. Then we went out to Steamboat Springs with Sophia’s family for a few days of skiing before the holiday season parties kicked off. We got home on the 21st, then kicked off nine family gatherings in nine days. We’ve enjoyed a few days of relaxing to close out the year.
Looking ahead to 2024
We’re heading to Florida, Georgia and North Carolina again this winter to escape the cold winter, work remotely and to visit family. We’ll be in Savannah, St. Petersburg, Bradenton and coastal North Carolina during January and February.
There are a number of potential trips on the horizon, but the only one booked right now is a trip to Scotland in September to play golf with my Dad at St. Andrews. It still feels like a lifetime away, but I’m super excited.
Intentions for 2024
My intention for 2024 is finding more energy and joy. Things in 2023 felt heavy. We experienced a lot of loss. Work was difficult at times. We traveled a lot, which can be super fun, but sometimes gets exhausting.
I got into some positive routines, like going to the gym, working, making dinner at home, etc… but at times I felt like I was losing the joy and energy that is so core to who I am. I’m not sure where it went, but I want to find it again. My hunch is that small changes like mindfulness, journaling, good music, and appreciating little moments are what will make the biggest difference. If anyone has good habits, routines, prompts or content they would recommend, I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks for reading, as always. Here’s to more newsletters in 2024!