At the start of this year, I began recording a second of video every day (using 1SE). I’ve done this twice before in my mid-20s, and each time I’ve become more grateful for the effort. In the short term, these clips remind me of what I’ve accomplished and how my family and friends bring so much meaning to my life. In the long term, they act as a time capsule, capturing the perspective of a younger version of myself. This is a lot to write, but I’m assuming I’ll be very happy to have these moments bottled up when I’m older.
Here’s what my 2024 looked like:
What I’ll remember about 2024
Mountain miking improvements - This year marked big progress on the bike. I’m still not at my friends’ level, but watching clips from earlier in the year reminds me how far I’ve come. Credit goes to lessons with Fluidride and pushing myself outside my comfort zone.
ACL Rehab and setbacks - Recovering from an ACL tear went exceptionally well, though a severe groin strain mid-year set me back. I got through it with rehab, but being less disciplined probably prolonged the recovery. It’s a reminder that consistency pays off.
Memorable vacations - This was my first year traveling with Leah and her mom, with trips to Puerto Vallarta, San Diego, and Hawaii. Each trip brought its own unique experiences, from incredible dinners to exploring new places together.
Adventures with friends - Patrick was a constant partner for outdoor adventures—climbing at Red Rock, biking at Darrington and Index, and more. Friends visiting Seattle made for great memories too, like the long Lake Washington loop with Tom and Greg that turned into a tour of ice cream spots.
Cycling adventures - My bike took me to amazing places: Washington Pass before cars reopened, the San Juan Islands, the Olympic Adventure Trail, and Obstruction Point. Whether with friends or solo, these rides were meditative and fulfilling.
Exploring Seattle - Injuries kept me from the outdoors at times, but exploring the city filled that gap. I enjoyed the Seattle Aquarium’s new wing, long walks with Leah, and spots like the conservatory gardens.
Ski touring - Ski touring stood out as the most memorable part of skiing. From a perfect day at Mt. St. Helens to incredible snow at Camp Muir, every outing reminded me why I love being in the mountains.
Changing my wardrobe - After a decade of relying on gym clothes, I overhauled my closet at the end of last year. I donated my old wardrobe to relatives in Bangladesh and thoughtfully rebuilt it with things I liked that would last a long time. It’s a small change that’s made a big difference.
Learning Italian - I’ve spent over 40 hours learning Italian this year and even have a penpal now. Italians are so welcoming, and I’m excited to put my skills to the test during next year’s trip to Sardinia and the Dolomites.
Personal milestones - I finally got over my reluctance to surf after consistent lessons in Maui. I also presented our Corsica bike tour with Leah at the Mountaineers, which was really fun.
What I’ll focus on in 2025
Continue the video project - The 1-second project takes effort, but it’s always worth it.
Build new friendships - I’ll put myself out there more, tapping into friends-of-friends networks and meeting new people.
Run more - Running is never fun at the start, but I know it gets better with consistency.
More backpacking - I should do more backpacking if I can ensure it’d be scenic and not crowded.
Climbing gym - I have a ton of punch passes to burn at the climbing gym and want to make it a bigger part of my routine.
Favorite memories
Puerto Vallarta dinners - Going to Puerto Vallarta wasn’t something I had planned on, but I decided to check it out on a whim. It has a reputation for being a party town, but we were able to find some superb dinners (Makai, La Tienda Grande, Tintoque, and Café des Artistes) with Leah and her mom.
Mountain biking Port Gamble - Patrick and Paul joined Leah and me for some superb riding on an unusually pleasant January day. It was a big loop that we had planned and we covered a ton of ground.
PT graduation - Leah celebrated my graduation day from ACL rehab by getting cupcakes from Deep Sea Sugar and Spice. They were phenomenal and I’m glad I got to share it with my physical therapy team since they’ve helped me so much.
Crystal powder day - It was my first time at Crystal mountain and I went on a weekday right after a big storm. There were no lines, and everyone I saw had a huge smile on their face.
Skiing Mt St Helens - I went with Paul just before the permits were required. A perfect bluebird weekend day meant tons of people who had no idea what they were doing. Thanks to all the Youtube videos I watched, my third time ever ski touring was an epic blast. Someone died falling off the corniced lip just an hour before we summited though.
45 inch box jump - I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do this again, but I cleanly cleared a 45 inch box jump at PT and I was really proud of it.
Red Rock climbing - Patrick and I got out to Vegas for some climbing at Red Rock, having a blast on some moderate trad routes that took all day to complete. I ended up slightly hurting my finger on a sport route that I TR’d in approach shoes. I won’t do that again.
Skiing Camp Muir on Rainier - Went out early in the morning with Cliff to make my second attempt at skiing Camp Muir on Mt Rainier. It was brutal dealing with altitude but I had the best snow I’ve ever skied in my life.
Audiobooks - On the drive over to Camp Muir, Cliff was playing John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. It reminded me of how much I loved reading. I unsubscribed from a bunch of podcasts and added several gems of books that I completed this year including: East of Eden (of course), Pachinko, Shogun, Project Hail Mary, James, and many more.
Board games with Ben - Ben was visiting and we had some time to burn in the afternoon, so I took him to Mox Boarding House. I’m not very into board games because I find learning the new rules takes too long, but he found some great ones like Splendor and Codenames that I picked up quickly and really enjoyed.
Olympic Adventure Trail - Got a big group of friends, many who were new to me, camped out at Fairholme. Only had to ride the trail one way thanks to shuttling of cars.
San Juan Island road ride with Kara and Woody - We spotted a rain shadow in the San Juan Islands, and Kara and Woody joined us for a bike tour of San Juan Island. It was a perfect escape from the overcast skies in the city and the scenery was spectacular.
Friends dinner at Delancey - I wanted to treat my Seattle friends to dinner this summer, so we did it at Delancey. A bunch of folks hadn’t ever met and everyone had a great time. I might do something like this every year.
First gap jumps - I cleared all of the jumps on Gravy Train in Duthie! When the class started, I placed myself in the group of people who would not try a single one. After some tabletops, I realized I could probably clear the jumps without issue. I ended up getting two more laps after the adrenaline surge settled down.
Galbraith with Greg - Greg is a complete noob at mountain biking but has some interest in it. I wanted to show him some real riding when he visited so Leah and I took him up to Galbraith. The highlight of the day was our lap on the new Blue Ribbon trail.
Biking Washington Pass - The stars aligned and I was able to bike to Washington Pass in perfect weather on the weekend just before cars would be allowed. At the top, a bee that had gotten caught in my hood ended up stinging me right in my neck. I learned that I was not allergic to bee stings that day.
Presentation at the mountaineers - Leah and I presented our Corsica bike tour slideshow style to the Mountaineers bikepacking group. Lots of people showed up and I had a lot of fun sharing our experiences.
Colchuck Peak - I went solo up Colchuck Peak, and ended up moving much faster on it than I thought I would. I did have some nervous moments on slushy snow traverses (which reminded me to resole my boots) but I had a lot of solitude on the mountain since I started far earlier than anyone else.
Bike/Ski Pilchuck - A week before the long and steep road to Mt Pilchuck opened up after years of being closed, I got on my bike and pedaled up with skis on my back. I heard there was still some snow up there and I figured I could get a few turns in. It was a brutal slog up the road and even worse trudging through the snow. On the way down, the snow was more like a slurpy and very uncomfortable to ski through. I got three turns in before deciding this wasn’t a good idea. I still had fun though.
Galbraith with Patrick and Paul - Patrick and Paul joined us for a Galbraith trip, and we lapped Unemployment Line several times, which is what everyone really wanted to do.
Number 2 Canyon riding - After spectacular riding in the Methow, we headed back home to Seattle the next day, but stopped by Wenatchee’s Number 2 Canyon. Even though there were clouds and some rain, we had such a fun time on the Sundance trail, since the flowers were fully in bloom. It was a perfect flow trail. Even the climb to the top was fun.
Seafair - I found a perfect spot in Seattle that isn’t crowded where I could enjoy unobstructed views of the Seafair show while enjoying takeout from Lil Red. It was absolutely incredible to watch what humans are capable of.
Temple Crag hike - I knew the High Sierras were cool, but it really was spectacular to hike on some of those trails. The view of Temple Crag is up there with the awe I felt when I first saw Torres del Paine in Chile. What made this memory more special is that I had no idea what the trail would look like since it was a last minute decision to go.
Yosemite tunnel - Leah and I had a few hours in Yosemite, and my buddy Jeff had just arrived to climb El Cap. We met up with him and his partner, who worked in the park 20 years ago. He gave us a secret bit of locals beta and Leah and I got a private vantage point onto the park. If you really want to know, find me in person and ask.
Alice and Brohm - I loved this Squamish ice cream shop so much that 20% of the reason I’d like to plan another visit to Canada is to try this again. We had it twice a day for a few days.
Amazonia wall sport climb - Patrick invited me to go climbing with him at the Exits and I agreed. I led my hardest sport climb without breaking a sweat, confirming again that I definitely can climb harder than I think but I’m just scared to fall.
Poppy's Peril w/ Patrick - Getting to this route in the Middle Fork was a fun adventure. We biked in a few miles on a trail, stashed our bikes, and then worked our way up an easy slab for several pitches, within arms reach of a beautiful waterfall. It wasn’t hard at all, just purely fun.
Walk around Geneva - I had a full day of walking around Geneva before Peter’s wedding. I started early in the morning and tried to cover as much ground as possible. I don’t have any special love for the city, but I had a great time. Writeup is here.
Vesper Peak hike - Leah was craving a hike and we made our way to Vesper Peak. It doesn’t take long before the views open up, and the scenery is incredible.
Backpacking near Mt Stuart - Full credit to Leah for making this happen. On a busy weekend for hiking, Leah found a loop that had 10/10 views and none of the crowds without being inconvenient at all.
Cle Elum riding - Leah and I got to ride in Cle Elum twice and it’s been a blast both times. We love Brass Monkey and Beer Can.
Cyclocross race - I joined a cyclocross race and was the only person on a mountain bike. I had a gravel bike that would be perfect, but I was interested to see how I’d perform. I did horribly, but Leah also raced it and it was so much more fun to watch and support her.
Seattle Aquarium - I haven’t been to an aquarium since I was in the first grade. I went to the new wing of the Seattle Aquarium this year and had such a good time staring at sea creatures on my own. It was like looking at alien life forms.
Mariscos Submarinos with the boys - I love visiting Jeff, Ben, and Greg when I’m in NYC. I wish they were in Seattle. We had a fun dinner bullshitting over dinner and then wandered into a bakery in Jackson Heights just before they closed, eating flan and tres leches on the street.
Boise with Luke - My good friend Luke was visiting his family in Boise and I went over to visit him. I got to meet his parents, new wife, and new baby which was very special. We also did some rad riding around Boise which was an absolute blast.
Ben Sollee concert - I got tickets to see Ben Sollee at the Fremont Abbey. We were already in a good mood after a stellar dinner at Lupo across the street. He put on a very personal and intimate concert that I’m very grateful for. I only heard of him over ten years ago and just from a single song that Spotify had recommended.
Sunny day on Tour du Mont Blanc - Most of our Mont Blanc ride had overcast skies or rain, but there was one day, on the most remote section where abundant sunshine poured into the mountains. It was so peaceful and green and I felt lucky to beable to experience this moment with Leah.
Leah’s birthday dinner - We were in San Diego for Leah’s birthday and we had dinner with her mom at Kingfisher. The food was phenomenal and there were some nice touches, like printing a birthday greeting on all of our menus.
Dinner at Bob and Joanie's house - Bob and Joanie hosted a Citymaps team reunion in their house on Hastings-on-Hudson. I always love seeing my former teammates.
Trampoline park with niece - My niece is five years old and I want to give her some of the experiences that I had wanted but my parents couldn’t afford. I had always wanted to go to a trampoline park so I took her there on a recent visit. We both had so much fun. I was far more tired than she was.
Interview with parents - I missed my family a lot this year. Mom had a stroke that she recovered from, but it was another reminder that my parents won’t be around forever. I started interviewing them about their lives and learned so much. There was so much that I didn’t know and my friends were telling me that I should just make a blog about his life instead of mine. I have so many hours of footage and I’ll do something cool with it.
Gianmarco Soresi comedy show - I went to see Gianmarco Soresi at a tiny club with my little sister. He was trying out new material and I loved it. I decided I’d make more of an effort to see live comedy in the coming year.