2020 will be a year unlike any in my life. Between now and March 13th, I need to pack up all my belongings and send them to Seattle. I will begin winding down my life in Los Angeles and say goodbye to those friends who have come to mean so much to me. Then, on March 13th, Elizabeth and I will begin hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington. Somewhere around Labor Day Weekend, that journey will come to an end and I will begin living in Seattle again. The end of my year will more than likely end with a new job and there is even a possibility that Brandon and I might buy a house.

In all of this transition and change, there is an opportunity of a lifetime. For two years, I’ve been planning my thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. I’ve researched gear, practiced, and planned. Soon, the countdown will end and the only thing left to do will be to hike. It felt like it took forever to arrive at this moment, but I also know that it will be gone in an instant. Like Christmas morning when you are a child, what took forever will be gone in a flash.

Knowing this reality is waiting for me, I am resolving to stop and cherish each of these moments. I want to think deeply about what Los Angeles has meant to me. I need the people I have met here to know how special they are. Instead of spending every day on the trail thinking of the next point I need to get to, I want to spend considerable time soaking up the scenery, moment, and the privilege I possess by being able to do this. I want to arrive in Seattle with a new way of viewing the world. I want to find work that is meaningful to me; a place where I can pour my heart and soul. Finally, I want my time with Brandon and the major decisions before us to be joyous and full of celebration.

If I can achieve these goals, this year has the potential to be the most significant and meaningful of my life. Who I was on Jan. 1st will not be the same person I will be on Dec. 31st. This year can dramatically change me for the better, but I must be open to it; a lofty resolution for sure.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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