One Story Alone

"No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath... We get one story, you and I, and one story alone."
— Donald Miller

2009 was an incredible story. Here is where I tell you about it, but here is where you can see it...

2009 In Review

Memories:

Moving to the Lindblad's cottage. Best decision ever. A housewarming party full of friends old and new in a home to be proud of.

Body boarding at Raglan Beach in New Zealand. One of the first days of my epic trip, and I knew that the months of saving and years of hoping were redeemed as I took wave after wave during summertime in this paradise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Partying in Queenstown with our new travel friends after days of hiking and exploring the town. This is what traveling is about for me these days... the carefree, spontaneous, shared experiences with new friends in foreign settings that I can do now in my free-as-a-bird days.

Went to Mexico with some of my favorite girls on a cruise ship listening to John Mayer live all the way.

Dancing at Indochine with my Santa Barbara friends and Swedish friends after pre-parties full of wine, singing, youtube videos, and dancing.

Swedish DJ concerts in Hollywood... swaying to the beat all night, it didn't get old.

Watching Carly start to crawl, start to talk, start to walk, start to run, and become the brightest, blondest, happiest, most determined baby I've ever been around.

Fourth of July weekend where I hiked and ate and watched fireworks with my parents and went out dancing with my friends.

A July where I transformed my perspective and had some of the most amazing days I've ever spent in this town, posting a picture here for every day.

Concerts in Hollywood with the Stichters and Quinlans... Phoenix and Ray LaMontagne. Music and southern California and wine and summertime go perfectly together.

August and September spent in research, studying, emailing, planning, and intense personal growth... the reason why will be explained.

Meeting Sabina and Emilia, creating an Autumn unexpectedly laced with Swedishness, like my Spring had been.

Lovefest in San Francisco.

Vegas with my best girls for my birthday.

A Thanksgiving in Napa with my foreign friends and awesome family, where we jumped on the trampoline in the colorful fall forest for hours and hours.

Winning tickets to see John Mayer in Hollywood right after his new album came out.

Christmas Eve breakfast bonfire in the cold Oregon forest in my dad's treehouse.

New Year's Eve with Emily and Zac in Hollywood. Nothing like old friends and an insane club to ring in the New Year.




Challenges of the Year

Being in a new relationship... I learned just how direct I've come to be, gained confidence, learned more patience, and grew from the significant interaction with someone so different yet so similar to me. It gave me a thirst for more new experiences, places, knowledge and people.

As summer began I learned from the Swedes to soak up the sun, they practically worship it, and once they left I took that and ran with it to a place where every day I woke up more in love with Santa Barbara and summer life than the day before. I've always been a somewhat grateful person, but this summer my gratefulness and

I moved from real estate into educational consulting and tutoring, and grew exponentially as a person from it every month. I've improved and gained skills in communication, managing, being assertive and direct and persuasive, analytical problem solving, and speaking honestly to inspire others. I'm happy in what I do and am better at it than I've been at anything before... and it continues to spur me on to want and reach for more...

And in my aim to reach for more professionally and personally, one of my biggest challenges of the year has been the process to get there. I made a decision this summer that required so much from me over the fall in regards to work, self-examination, follow-through, writing, and faith. The journey continues, and I'm am infinitely the better for it. More in the New Year.


Songs of the Year

*Face to Face on High Places by School of Seven Bells
*Burning in the Sun by Blue Merle
*Everything Leaves a Mark by Pictures & Sound
*So Here We Are by Bloc Party
*Praan by Gary Schyman
*1901 & Love Like A Sunset Pt. II by Phoenix
*Use Somebody & Notion by Kings of Leon
*All My Days by Alexi Murdoch
*Vid spilum endalaust by Sigur Ros
*Moths Wings by Passion Pit
*Feel It In My Bones by Tiesto
*Yes by LMFAO
*Fireflies by Owl City
*Pjanoo & Call on Me by Eric Prydz
*Leave the World Behind by Axwell & Ingrosso
*Leende Med Kniv & Stunder Som Den Har by Bo Kaspers Orkester