2023 in Review

​Just like that 2023 is all but finished. It has been a year full of great things. Accomplishments, adventures, education, friendship, and family are just a few of the themes throughout 2023.


Looking back at this year is probably a good practice for all of us to gain perspective and appreciate all that has happened. Therefore, this blog post will serve as just that.

The Good

-Saw my family four times in 2023
-Travelled to CA for the first time in April
-Visit CO in July for Elisabeth’s grandmother’s 90th birthday
-Mollie lost her snaggletooth
-Made it to northern Michigan for Grandmom’s memorial
-Drove to Maine to visit for a long week in September
-Ran my first half marathon
-Visited Milwaukee for the first time in nearly 15 years
-Travelled to Puerto Rico for the first time in October
-Dove deeper into PRI education
-Continued to build my own business while coaching at the gym
-Logged more miles on my bike than I have since 2017 or 2018
-Drank a lot of good wine
-Got my sourdough recipe down

The Bad

-Did not prioritize my sleep
-Read fewer books than I have in several years
-Did not get to finish all the PRI coursework I would have liked
-Got a record number of flat tires
-Did not read the fine print on the rental car agreement and nearly missed out on our trip to Maine

The Next Year

Looking into 2024, it should be a great year. Many things are already planned in fact. There is much to look forward to and much to challenge us that we are ready for.


2024 will start off with Dry January as I have done the last couple of years. I think that it is good practice for myself to show some self control, but more importantly I like to do it to support those who may be challenged by it further than myself.


We have some trips in the works too. In 2024 we hope to travel to Michigan several time to see my family. After all, seeing my family more was a big motivation to move back to the midwest.


Speaking of the midwest, we hope to explore more of the midwest. Maybe Minneapolis? The UP? Places that have always been “near” to me that I’ve never made the effort to reach.


Later in the year we have our first proper international trip in years- which is funny for us. We are planning to go to Mexico City which will be my first trip to Central America.


Sometime mid-year we plan to head to the Pacific Northwest to see some of the beauty of Washington and Oregon while enjoying some of the wines from the region.


Hopefully in the fall we’ll make another trip back to Maine to see family and fiends.


Educationally, I plan to finish some coursework I’ve been eyeing. If one comes up locally enough, I’d love to attend another NSCA conference. I’ll continue to look for degree programs that may suit my wants (although I’ve been striking out here).


Business-wise I plan to continue to maintain my current level of work and maybe add a little more. Work and the gym continues to be steady and enjoyable too. Wherever I work, I plan to further help people through all the education I prioritize, but also through all the things I learn about my clients over time.


On the day to day in 2024, I will continue to get more and more miles on the bike, eat good food, drink good wine, walk Mollie more, sleep better, read more, meet new friends, run steadily…


Oh yea, that’s another goal. Fall 2024 I plan to run my first Marathon. I’ll be running it right here in Chicago and I secured my spot by running on a charity team.


Since moving to Chicago Elisabeth and I have been volunteering at an organization called Nourishing Hope. The organization exists to provide people right in our neighborhood with food and necessary services. Every time we volunteer we are always surprised by how many people are being served and by how many groceries each family gets. The organization does great work to help a lot of people.


Because of that, both Elisabeth and I chose to join their Charity Team to fundraise money so that they can continue to serve so many people in the community.


If you’d like to help me raise money, you can follow the link HERE

2023 was a good year. We learn a lot, saw great things, spent time with family, and continued to live healthy lives. We plan all the same for 2024 and so much more. Wishing you and yours all the same!