After a year hiatus I've returned. This post is going to be somewhat short; I'm using it to tie continuity between what's happened in the last year and the following posts which will be a 2 month travel blog.
Like many things in my life, I put this blog down for a while. I'm glad to get back to writing. I have missed it. There were a number of reason I stopped posting: proliferation of social media, focusing energy toward other interests, not having anything to say, or just time spent vs. people actually reached. I will focus on fixing those things as I move forward. The site is overdue for a overhaul for a number of reasons. The plan is to have a redesign and a CMS upgrade by the end of year.
To recap changes since then there hasn't been much to say that someone hasn't already heard from me in person: freelance web development. My long standing goal for 3-4 years has been reached. It's been very liberating in someways (pursuit of my own career challenges, setting my own hours, etc.) but detrimental in others (day-to-day social activities, juggling many different problems at once).
Overall, it has been a good thing. I feel much less anger and stress in life with a feeling being in control of my own fate, to the extent that it is possible from reflection and self actualization. With my own little business and base of operations established I feel accomplished and confident. There is very little that worries me these days.
While professional life has been great, the personal life has been more a mixed bag. There has been many fun things I've done. I've meet a handful of new people. However, there's only so many activities, games, movies, etc. I can do before I start to get bored of them. Many of them feel like distractions more than anything else, nothing that really ignites any sort of passion.
That should be enough of a boring recap there. What follows will be my long-planned, finally-executed, excursion out to the west coast of the country: a 6 stop tour of many different people, places, insights, and experiences.