At the end of the year, I like to look back and reminisce about my last 365 days. Three-hundred and sixty five. It feels like an eternity when you are looking at something that is mere months ahead on the calendar. But, envisioning the time passed makes me almost believe in time travel. Surely it's not the end of the year already? The holiday lights, foiled-chocolates, Christmas music, and ugly green and red sweater with little jingle bells that I am wearing currently in this coffee shop remind me that it very much is.
So, 2022, how do you stack up to my other 26 years on record? Did you change my perspective? Did you give me adventures? Were you memorable?
Simply put, yes to all. If I had to break the year down into the Big Three, it would be the following:
I quit my PhD program in March
I biked across the United States
I started a new PhD program in August.
But, I find value in giving each month some attention; they gave me ~30 beautiful days on this Earth. Days where anything could happen. Where new friends could enter my life and new life decisions could be made. It's easy to forget all the little noteworthy moments, even the bad ones, so I want to write them down.
January
Somewhere in between pipetting viruses, wearing a fully ventilated white suit to not contract a deadly disease, and being told my PhD research would be infecting and killing mice, I decided that I could no longer be a student at Upstate Medical University. Over winter break, I (a few days before deadlines) sent in applications to other schools- surely one would take me! Even if I was rejected, I was not going to return to school after spring break. Also, sometime during this month, the friend group went winter camping in the Adirondacks, and temps drop to -30F. We lived to tell the tale.
February
I was accepted at SUNY ESF in Syracuse! With a fall job lined up, biking across the country with Casey was a solidified decision. I actually enjoyed rotating in a different lab (testing patient samples for COVID) for the last few weeks at Upstate Medical, avoiding my boss who was salty about my departure.
March
Spring break had arrived, and the bike trip began! Casey and I began the Southern Tier Route! We made it across California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Our knowledge of bike repair (fixing flats, especially) grew. The sun shined, and we met wonderful people: Marshall, Dave, Parker, David, Corde. I met Casey's partner, JJ!
April
Our legs powered us to the Texas border and then across all of it. We watched the bare, dry land turn green. The air got stickier. Tumbleweeds were replaced by moss hanging from the power lines. We gained new perspectives on the way people lived in Southern Texas. Regardless of race, background, religious or political affiliation, everyone showed us such kindness.
May
We spent time in New Orleans with JJ and Uri and then blitzed through Alabama and Mississippi. A group of cyclists got us a hotel and bought us dinner; our morale improves. The end neared as we crossed Florida, verging on tears. We ran into salty water, called Ocean. We relaxed.
June
My new job began at SUNY ESF, and slowly I settled in. I loved the work environment, the people, and the school. I'm a Mighty Oak!
July
Endless Summer things! Plastic-free July, swimming, biking, Adirondack hiking, field sampling in the wetland. Turned 27!
August
School started, and I got a taste of environmental-oriented graduate classes. I finished biking around all 11 Finger Lakes. Outdoor Book Club read its first book! I finally biked 150 miles for the first time. I also found myself at the Spa for the 3rd time in one year, and I wondered why I've waited this long in my life.
September
School is jam packed with GIS labs, biogeochemistry equations, field trips, and coding. Elton John dazzled Syracuse and blew us away. We hiked the Cranberry 50, and I squeezed in another 150 mile ride with Uri.
October
School ramped up; there was no free time for blogging. With the cold weather, it was hard to bike outside, and I felt guilty about it. We squeezed in a peak leaf hiking trip in the Adirondacks but everything was frozen. Porchfest happened in Ithaca!
November
School got intense with work responsibilities. Everything was due. Friendsgiving with Eve was a highlight, followed by Thanksgiving with the family. The weather got crappy, and it was challenging to find time to workout.
December
My first semester ended, and I felt accomplished. I started some weight lifting, and it felt amazing. Bike tour plans for early summer started to creep in. Christmas with the family and spending time with my baby nephew!
Would I have changed anything? In reality, very little. Usually regrets come from not experiencing more and wishing I spent more time with friends and family. For instance, I would have lingered a little longer with strangers on the bike trip, particularly in Hillsboro, NM or at the desert tower in AZ. We rushed because of a tenuous deadline that we beat by almost 2 weeks. I would have built stronger connections instead of being a passerby. Maybe I would have also detoured to more National Parks. In the moment, though, everything felt right.
General things I hope for in 2023
I know I always plan for more than I'm actually able to accomplish, but, in a perfect world, 2023 would have a few of these things:
The big one: Join Uri for part of his Europe bike trip (I hope!)
Become better at bike repair and maintenance
Read more books for fun (thanks, book club!)
Improve Spanish speaking skills
Try to beat my 2022 bike mileage
Commute the 30 miles to work more often
Bike at least three 150 mi rides
Bike a 24 hr time interval
Try a race?
Cook more international foods
Keep book club active!
Publish my first paper at SUNY ESF
While all of these things sound really great, I know that if I blink, I will be writing a blog post that summarizes 2023. Time has been slipping away. I wake up and have another ache here, another pain there. I find myself thinking and talking about actual adult things: What kind of mattress should I buy? How much money should I put away in savings? My friends and I even caught ourselves talking about the importance of annual blood work. How is it possible that two separate individuals within days of each other told me that my favorite foods are that of an old person (butter pecan ice cream and vegetarian omelette with rye bread).
I do want to make plans, but I want to be conscious of not wishing my days away, waiting for the next big thing.
After all:
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon.
Anyway, thanks for everything '22. I can't wait to see what's on the docket in '23!
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