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2023 Review & 2024 Preview

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I’ve loved using the Year Compass to reflect on my past year and plan for the year ahead. If you’re looking for a way to be more intentional about the coming year, I highly recommend it.

I haven’t known how to start this update. For years I did an annual review/preview blog post. How in the world do I begin again when the last time I posted was nearly 3 years ago?!

And yet, they say, that the place to begin is where you are.

Right now, at this moment, I’m in Walla Walla, WA at Valencia Cottage, the ground-bound small house that I purchased in my 20s, the house that taught me how to make home. I’ve got Raffi on my lap, curled up in a ball of fuzzy sleepiness. (For those of you who have been long-time members of the Raffi Fan Club, you’re probably doing the math and yes, he’s now 17-1/2 in human years and 86 in cat years!) This house is now a furnished rental and I’m between tenants, so I’m here working on projects.

My sweet lil Valencia Cottage!

… And I have big adventures ahead of me. Last night I booked a plane ticket to Japan for my upcoming Round the World Trip!

I’ve told enough of you about my plans and enough of you have asked how to hear About that Walkabout that I am resuming the blog. I’ll be posting to Instagram and Facebook and the links will bring you here for the version of updates that’s more words than images. Thanks for letting me know you want to tag along!

A recap is certainly in order as we begin again. Three years ago, in early 2020, I wrote my 2019 Recap & 2020 Look Ahead and considered The Power of Visioning. I’m still a huge proponent of visioning, but boy golly, I sure didn’t see the surprises of 2020 coming our way. Before long I was writing about being Not Alone in Solitude and Silver Linings & Global Challenges. And once I realized we truly were living in Real Virtuality more of my courses went online. I’m probably not the only one who is still recalibrating even now from the shake up.   

Catching up on three years feels daunting, but here are some highlights: 

  • In Fall 2020, I packed all my belongings (besides my two houses themselves, The Lucky Penny and Valencia Cottage) into my newly acquired Honda Fit and moved cross country, Brattleboro Bound. I shared stories about my first cross country road trip and I shared a few vignettes about my life in Vermont, including an introduction to My Apartment at Punalu’u. That fall and Winter 2021, I was Working Remote(r) for Green Hammer. I began doing online curriculum coordination for Yestermorrow Design-Build School as much of the programming went digital during the pandemic.

  • In Spring 2021, Raffi and I made the cross country trip to Poulsbo, WA to help my auntie who was downsizing, packing, moving, settling into a new place… and she added on knee surgery, too. So I got to be her right hand woman for 6 weeks. This was a time of precious story collection and caretaking. I also learned some valuable lessons about downsizing and death cleaning. 

  • In Summer 2021, Raffi and I made the trip back to Vermont where I took a long-anticipated timber framing course at Knoll Farm through Yestermorrow. I began contract work with an architect named Andrew Webster, a connection facilitated by Helm Construction Solutions. I also began working on a set of ADU Case Studies for AARP Vermont and an accompanying post, 10 Ways Your ADU Can Support Your Retirement. 

  • In Winter 2022, I joined Andrew as his first employee to do design and operations as he transitioned from a sole proprietor to an LLC. As he introduced me to the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Better Building by Design, Building Energy Boston, and Bottom Lines, I was impressed by the collaborative spirit of New England’s sustainable design-build industry. (I’ll likely share more about Graphite Studio in another post because it was a phenomenal experience for me.)

So many ridiculously fun times with wonderful people! Like that summer day when we we all showed up for a work/play party in our coveralls…

Over the past two years, I also continued to teach for Yestermorrow both online and in person as well as offering Tiny House Considerations with Ethan Waldman. I served on the Brattleboro Planning Commission. I engaged with the Southern Vermont Young Professionals, which connected me to a fantastic friend group. I’ve dated a couple truly fantastic men. I’ve co-created fun experiences and many fond memories. I’ve jumped in rivers, hiked to mountain tops, co-led e-bike rides, and walked The Loop more times than I can count. I traveled to Paris and Italy with friends, practicing both languages again in preparation.

I love Vermont and it has a really special spot in my heart, and/but I’ve decided it’s time to finally do that Round the World Trip I’ve been dreaming of since I was 16 years old. So a few weeks back we had an Around the World in 80 Minutes party as my send off and I began yet another cross country road trip, this time with a good friend of mine from both college and grad school. We arrived back in the Pacific Northwest during the winter holidays and I’ve enjoyed catching up with loved ones amongst the projects. 

Here’s what I’m looking forward to in 2024: