2013 began with many promises - promises of budgeting, of hiking, of traveling, of genuine growth. I had nothing but good intentions when I planned my year out ahead of time, but here I am in July and so far my year has been nothing but unexpected change and constant surprise. Let's take a look at the highlights and low points of my 2013 thus far.
- I began the year with an incredibly painful slump. A long Christmas break and slow New Years, combined with the usual drama in my personal life, led to a very sudden withdrawal from my normal routine for almost a month. This grew to a head in January at CodeMash 2013, when I realized that I was repeating old social mistakes and jeopardizing good friendships. After a couple of stern conversations with my closest friends, coming to terms with my relationship issues was the lowest point of my year.
- The fallout from January calmed in February and trickled into March, but this grew back into a big deal when one of my long-time friends Kristin and I went our separate ways. Years of uneasy tension finally boiled over, and for the first time since 2006 I found myself at ease with letting someone go from my life, and this was the beginning of my turn around for the year.
- The Green Day concert that closed out my March was a phenomenal opportunity to get to know a whole group of great people. A genuinely fun road trip with a diverse group, the concert itself was just one great closer to a weekend of great food, sights, and insane GD fans.
- April and May brought some unexpected change at work. With another senior engineer leaving the company, my responsibilities and reach at Computol grew a bit more. Along with new iOS-based work, my comfortable year at work suddenly became filled with new challenges to overcome. The pressure to become a competent Android and/or iOS developer is huge now - there is a lot of mobile app development that is asked of us, and I feel like I am in the best position to lead one of these paths.
- June is typically my biggest month for biking, and this year's Summer of Biking has been a wash. Almost literally. With 85% of our June being rain and thunderstorms, I have missed my bike. A few important rides still happened, though, so I am making due with what I can until we get consistently great biking weather.
- On the few good days that we have had this summer, I have spent them at Indians games with Laura. She introduced me to all the fun that comes with major league games, and I can honestly say that I love making the two-hour trip to Cleveland on a Friday or Saturday night.
- In late June I set out with a friend to do my first low-carb diet, and the results have been amazing: 8 pounds down in five weeks. This will probably continue for the rest of the summer, and if nothing else, has taught me a whole new way of making health-conscious decisions. In a similar vein, I tried a robust new budgeting system this June and July that has literally fallen apart, so I am back to square one with my financial situation. Oh well, you win some and lose some.
- And here we are in July. It looks like the scorching summer heat we have all been missing is beginning to arrive, so I get to spend the next few weeks sweating at almost every turn. The particular weekend, smack-dab in the middle of July, feels like a turning point for me. This weekend was filled with drinking, friends, and traveling. In the process of having an incredible time, I also lost a huge part of my Friday night to alcohol and then followed up with an exciting trip to Cleveland that my body wasn't ready for. The Friday night shenanigans was something above and beyond my usual self. This is a part of me I am not used to: the kind of carefree, abusive, do-anything spirit that thrived in my late teens. This brings me to one question that I never thought I would have to ask this year: is my overwhelming desire to excel with money, work, and professional goals holding back something more in me? I just don't know.
- Perhaps the scariest thing about July is just how fast it's going. The Wood County Fair begins in two weeks - a sure sign that fall is encroaching faster than I want it to. Really? Two weeks. Goddamn.
The biggest change in 2013 actually rolls over to 2014: I won't be hiking the Appalachian Trail next year. I simply have not been able to dedicate the time I need to training and preparing, so for now that trip is a 2015 venture at the earliest. This means other priorities now take precedent - first and foremost, surviving the rest of the year without any more major surprises. Then again, this year has been a fantastic demonstration for one of my most personal beliefs:
Change is inevitable - it's how you handle that change that defines you as a person.
B3 out.
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