It occurs to me that my ’17 Bests from 2017′ post is only a few entries back. So maybe in 2019 I’ll resolve to write more. If not, then you can look forward to ’19 Bests from 2019′ a few posts away. Regardless, as with last year, while the rest of the world was riddled with chaos, 2018 turned out pretty well for the Deckard household. Here are a few of my favorite memories in order of occurrence.
1. Jan 26th – Alta Pow Day
For skiers, there is nothing that compares to an Alta weekday powder day when the snow is deep and the crowd’s are thin. The skiing was too good for picture-taking, so the only visual memory I have from the day is from the après portion.
2. Feb 4th – Brighton Estates
Brighton Estates is one of those places that if you know, you know, and if you don’t, you don’t. Always feel fortunate when I get an invite to hang out up here.
3. 3. Feb 17th – New Orleans
New Orleans had been the one American city that was on my must-see list. And wow. There is nothing I can say here that hasn’t already been said about it so I’ll just say this: It’s one of the few places I’ve visited that A) stays with you well after you depart, B) has me thinking about my next visit the day after I return. Additionally, extra gravy for the group of friends we have that we were fortunate enough to share the experience with.
4. March 30th – Family Visit / Heber Creeper
With family spread out all over the country, it’s rare that Josie gets to hang with more than one cousin at the same time. When it does occur, silliness ensues and if we’re lucky we can get everyone to stay still enough for a split-second and document with a photo.
5. April 9th – Thunder Mountain
Perhaps the most scenic and Dr. Seuss-esque bike trail in the world – Thunder Mountain never ceases to blow my mind.
6. April 16th – Moab Spring Break
Family spring break trips to Moab are becoming a yearly ritual, and for good reason. Nothing better than to see Josie growing up exploring these places.
7. June 15th – Moving Day
We took a major step this summer in selling our house. There were many reasons why, but the main emphasis behind the move was a conscious shift to a less car-dependent lifestyle. While I do miss the view and the space, we love being back in Park City with all the amenities and lifestyle it affords within a walk, bike, or bus ride away.
8. June/Summer Bike Riding with Josie
As a result of #7 above, 2018 was the summer of family bike rides, and perhaps the best purchase/upgrade I made was the Mac-Ride bike seat. Lots of memories made on two wheels this past summer, but I think the below photo sums it up best.
9. July 18 – Redfish Lake Summer Trip
Any successful road/camp trip is sure to sponsor a few lifelong memories. Forever grateful to be in a position to spend this time together. See also – Sawtooth Summer.
10. July 25 – Indiana Summer Trip
Due to dealing with moving and house stuff throughout June, we crammed most of our summer travel into July. Our last trip of the summer was back to Indiana for a family visit, where Josie got to experience midwest lake life in earnest for the first time.
11. September 25 – Park City Fall
August and most of September were spent recovering from a travel-packed July as well as returning to school and schedules. As such, I was more than happy to lay low and enjoy fall in Park City, which in my view, is the absolute best time to be here.
12. October 22 – Florida
One of my goals for the year was to take Josie to the ocean for the first time. So when my sister called and informed us that she had a house on lock that corresponded with fall break – we jumped at the opportunity. Josie’s favorites from Florida: Yellow Ice Cream, Sand Castles, Watching the Sunset, and Sesame Street at Busch Gardens.
13. November 17 – Uinta Fairy Forest
I had low expectations for the fairy forest. However, perhaps due to the fact it had the perfect amount of snow for our visit, it turned out to be quite magical indeed. One of those experiences better had just once lest we taint the original memory.
14. November 25 – First Family Ski Day at Brighton
Day one was one for the books! Josie skied (first day ever) from 9:30 to 1:30 and threw a fit when we made her stop for the day! I’ll always remember the car ride back when she fell asleep five minutes in eating veggie straws.
15. December 1th – Trip to India
When the prospect of visiting India arose, I would be lying to say I didn’t have hesitation in accepting. Traveling alone, to the opposite side of the world would have been no big deal five years ago, however with Josie in the picture there is a whole new set of circumstances to consider. With that said, India was an experience unlike any I’ve had. I was constantly out of my comfort zone, and came away with a great deal of context for the world we’re in. Choosing one photo to define my time there is impossible, however the one below does a good job of fitting many qualities and experiences into a single image.
16. December 15th – Return from India
No image for this entry – just the memory itself. Coming back home after 2 weeks in India will forever be seared in my psyche.
17. Dec 25th – Christmas/New years in Colorado
As of writing this, I haven’t had a chance to process my photos from our trip to Colorado, so I’ll have to update upon doing so. For now, I’ll just say that it was an extra special holiday as we got to spend time with best sets of families. Josie had two grandmas, two grandpas, and five different cousins (plus many aunts, uncles, and friends) she was able to see over the holidays. I’m sure these memories will be forever cherished (minus the front range traffic) and of course a big thank you to everyone for all the gifts and well wishes.
18. 2018 Reading
For whatever reason, I read a ton of books in 2018. I lost count of the exact number, but it was certainly a personal record. Of particular note and highly recommended are the following:
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (Favorite read of the year!)
- Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
- Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides
- Dark Star Safari, by Paul Theroux
- Lamb, by Christopher Moore
Note: the below book was good and well worth reading, but did not make my “noteworthy” cut.
I’m not big on setting goals or resolutions however I do believe in putting out into the cosmos what you hope to achieve. For 2019, so far I have the following:
- Take Josie on an overnight river trip
- Take Josie on an overnight backpacking trip
- Explore a new place/city (Boston & LA are likely candidates for 2019)
- Find our next home (if not in 2019 then definitely in 2020)
- Become semi-competent at fly fishing (aka: intentionally catch a fish)
- Make something in a print shop
- Take a class or workshop (non-professional)
- Raise money or volunteer time/work for a cause
- Continue to build out products, brands, & services
Here’s to all the best in 2019!