Okay one is from 2019 but it was almost 2020 and it’s where my 2020 began so it counts.

Every sunset is different. But occasionally a sunset stands out. Sometimes a sunset changes from minute to minute. Other times it continues long after dusk. One thing remains consistent: the sun will always rise tomorrow.

I spent a lot of time with my parents' dog, Denali, in 2020.

Denali is an 8 year old Vizsla. He still has a lot of puppy energy. He loves to run, sleep in, and paddle board.

One of the most useful lessons I learned on my year off was to live presently; no matter what is going on, to be mindful of what I am feeling and to listen to what those feelings are telling me. That skill was valuable throughout 2020 as I had to deal with lockdown and the nonstop stream of unfortunate news. The entire year felt like my anxiety and depression Super Bowl. I’ve been learning how to manage, learning how to sit with my feelings, learning how to be alone and okay.

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t difficult. Just look at what I let happen to my facial hair. But I took time to enjoy the small things and even learned some new things. And hopefully 2021 will bring slivers of hope and progress.

At the end of our week in Moab it was time to pack up and head back to Florida. Our first stop was Denver, to drop John off at the airport so he could fly home. I spent the next few days driving back, stopping in Missouri, Tennessee, and Alabama.

On day four in Moab I drove into Arches National Park. I didn’t hike any of the long trails but I stopped by as many arches as I could.

In the Spring of 2018 I visited Storm King Art Center with some friends.

Day three in Moab was spent on another road trip. I drove up to Sego Canyon, which is in the tiny town of Thompson, Utah. Then back to Moab to climb up to Courthouse Wash. Each site contains Rock Art dating back thousands of years. The pictures are a site to see, and you can’t help but wonder what story or message the artists were trying to convey.

The Summer of 2019 was one for the books. It was the end of my year off and I spent it exactly how I wanted to: with my friends and family. I did a lot of reflecting on what I learned over what ended up being 15 months of not working. I made the decision to go back to work at The New York Times. And I set the aim for the next few years of my life - my Early 30s.

It was the perfect ending to a very meaningful chapter in my life.

After exploring down US-191 on my first day in Moab, I took another road trip. This time I drove up SR-128, which follows the Colorado River as it winds down from Colorado through valleys and BLM land and passes by Arches National Park. The whole drive was full of magnificant scenery.

I was first surrounded by towering plateaus 800+ feet high. Then the landscape opened up as I entered Castle Valley and the road meandered away from the Colorado River. Towards the north end of the valley the road met back up with the river and I drove through a few small farms and a winery, eventually making it to Dewey Suspension Bridge.

I began my year off by spending a few months at my family’s lake house. It was a busy summer but I was able to unwind and settle into my new not working reality. I did a lot of travel planning and reading and spending time with family and friends.