2017 In Review.
2017 was a good year, with a TON of life changes :). This year felt like I was finally exhaling after holding my breath for a very long time. Things also started to slow down compared to previous years.
Work-wise the end of 2016 brought the end of World Wide Web Hosting LLC and Bweeb INC which was a big weight off my mind in 2017. I exited Pressed in June 2017, and although it did not end the way I wanted, I am happy the team landed with a great company (Envato). I spent the rest of the year resting, spending time with my family, and a few small side projects. It has been a much-needed break after the craziness of the last few years (2004 through 2016).
The biggest change this year was the arrival of Calico Jack on December 30th, 2016. We are having such a blast with him! His mom loves to dress him up, and this is a spectacular family gif that represents why I love them so much :). It is fun to see his personality develop, and I love getting down on the floor to crawl and play!
The Amazing
Lindsey and I have been married for three years and it has been great :)! Marriage is crazy hard sometimes, and also super rewarding. It really does get better and better every year… and Lindsey is an awesome partner in crime!
Boulder is starting to feel more and more like home. We were both so nomadic for so long it is a good feeling to have. I am loving the sunshine, instant access to nature, and our house.
I sold my stake in Pressed to Envato in June, and I took the rest of the year off to relax and spend time with my family. This is the cumulation of all the chaos and hard work since 2014 and I am happy to have a break. I am also ready to be do something besides web hosting I think… I’ve been in that industry since 2001 (16+ years!).
What fun stuff did I do this year?
– Lindsey, Calico, and I went on an amazing month-long trip to Strasbourg France. We wanted to travel with him when he was a little and the timing was perfect. He was 5 months when we left, and 6 months when we got back. Just barely crawling, sleeping a lot, and a good travel baby. His nighttime schedule was chaos, but oh well. Rose & Steve visited which was a blast too. We had fun :).
– I had a two week solo vacation to St. Maartin to help decompress after selling the business. It is incredibly challenging to sell a business and then start disconnecting all the routine and energy you built to support that endeavor. I took this break in July/August and in hindsight, it would have been smarter to take it later in the year. It took at least 3 to 4 months to feel like my energy levels were reset.
– I took a 3-week trip with my dad to China. We visited my brother, who lives in Shanghai, and look around. The highlight was the Yellow Mountains and getting to spend time with my brother and dad (I wish I had more time with my brother as I had fun watching movies and hanging out). There are a ton of pictures from this trip here and a summary here.
– I started working out with a trainer on my annular disc tear and it feels so much better. I found that I enjoy the strength training and started doing that 3x a week. I feel a lot stronger and it has been super fun.
– I did a ton of hiking with Graham and Daniel this year, fun times! Daniel moved to Portland in June, but hopefully, I can make my way that way to visit and do some hiking there :).
– I bought a super fun truck!
– I launched a site for Entrepreneur Parents to crowdsource advice in that department. Check it out at EntrepreneurParents.org. It is just a fun project but it aligns with what I want to do next… which is to help entrepreneurs do amazing stuff. I’ve got another three sites coming down the pipeline in early 2018.
– April 23rd 2017 happened, it was magnificent.
The Challenges!
USA / Faith In Humanity:
Trump. I have found it is key to remember he did not win a majority of the vote, and that the people who did vote for him did not really vote for him, rather they voted against politicians and a system that they feel has failed them (especially economically). I also remind myself how blessed I am to be living in interesting times, I just hope the country survives it.
Health:
My health has been good. I’ve been doing a pretty strict diet, with some treats while on vacation. I just got a pill cam and the results were ok, the doctors think they further confirmed I have Crohn’s disease. The hardest part is the anxiety and I worked a lot this year to ease those worries. I plan to get back on my strict diet next week after Christmas (enjoying a little dairy, gf bread, and sugar right now).
Mojo:
After the sale of Pressed, I took the rest of the year off to be with my family and rest. That has been really good and I am looking forward to some more rest through mid-2018. I need some wide open space as I figure out what is next for me.
2018…
I am looking forward to 2018 :)! I am playing with some ideas on a new business that I have been kicking around for a few years.
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