credit: lindsey snow

I get quite reflective and often sappy during the final weeks of the year. After reviewing the past 12 months, this is what I learned: 

1. Tame Impala is a great band. In an increasingly digital, attention-deficit world, Kevin Parker’s Tame Impala is a deep breath of analog fresh air. Their latest release Currents is a near-masterpiece and my favorite album of 2015.
2. Highbrow and Long Reads make me smarter. In bite-sized, emailed chunks, even. I highly recommend them both: Highbrow | Long Reads
3. Song Exploder details how good music is made. As an amateur musician, it’s also my favorite podcast of 2015.
4. Paddleboarding deserves its hype and popularity. The family and I drop in on the Provo River by our house and paddle out to Utah Lake. Sun, relaxing fun, and exercise all in one.
5. My weekly travel column renewed my wanderlust. I mostly write about technology for a living, so this side gig lets me flex different muscles and took me on some really great adventures last year, including the easterly most point of North America and the southernmost point of Africa among others.
6. Dancing lessons taught me more than fancy footwork. A lot more. Story here.
7. I’m increasingly insignificant in a vulnerable way. Or at least I’ve always been. Regardless, I’m slowly starting to realize this.
8. Recognition might be the best way to edify others. A silly game my wife invented taught me this. Story here.
9. My scooter makes mundane travel fun again. Like riding a bike for the first time. Story here.
10. I have the best job in the world. I worked for “giant” clients last year such as Google, Cognizant, American Express, Marriott, NEA, Protiviti, Broadcomm, ClearPeak, and Udacity–all of whom let me stand on their shoulders and make a rewarding living. I’ve known I had the best job in the world since I first started feature writing more than 10 years ago. Last year hit overdrive, however, thanks to new-found speaking engagements and the aforementioned travel column, in addition to my regular stable of storytelling assignments that let me meet people that are a whole lot smarter than me.
11. Bad days don’t exist; only bad hours. Proof here.
12. Failing to identify my feelings was my greatest discovery last year. Like I’ve said before, my passion bubbles very near the surface. But it wasn’t until this year that I discovered how poor of a job I normally do in identifying my feelings, which is why I often mask and quickly surface them with anger instead. Knowing this has filled my life with all kinds of zen.