Readers of this blog will note that most of my posts (like the ones from earlier today) are largely lengthy pull quotes from articles that I’ve been reading as of late. It’s not often that I sit back and reflect on what’s going on in my life. But this year has brought a lot of change to my life both personally and professionally. I began a book project and my career as a full-time freelancer in January 2007, and it’s gone surprisingly well.
January 2007: I celebrated my 25th birthday, began my book research, and spent a few days in Morocco en route to Senegal. I even ate camel liver in Mauritania.
February 2007: I spent the first half of the month bouncing around Europe, including my first trip back to Switzerland since 2001. I also hit up Berlin en route to returning to Estonia and even made it to Riga for the first time.
March 2007: I returned home, made my first awesome tadiq, saw Barack Obama speak in Oakland, conducted a burrito tasting, and celebrated Persian New Year.
April 2007: I visited South Korea, made new friends, ate freshly-killed octopus, and even visited the DMZ.
May 2007: I covered the Estonian cyberattacks for Slate and watched the I-580 connector get fixed in record time.
June 2007: I traveled to Mexico City with Martin, and before that, New York City. I was also wowed by Knut’s cuteness.
July 2007: I was back in Europe, this time with a few days in the Netherlands, two weeks in Estonia (where I opened up a bank account!), a couple days in Berlin, and a night at the new Yotel.
August 2007: My piece on taco trucks aired on Latino USA.
September 2007: I destroyed the OLPC, again, also in Slate. Before that, I bought, and unlocked, my iPhone.
October 2007: I covered cell phone unlocking for The New York Times, I started working again with NPR, and I got glasses.
November 2007: I, um, got engaged and interviewed MC Hammer and Mohammad Ali Abtahi.
December 2007: I attended the opening of The Trappist, and Becky and I spent our first Christmas together.
Today, the second day of 2008, I celebrated my 26th birthday — and thanks to the magic of Facebook received far more well wishes than I ever have in the past. Thanks to everyone who IMed, emailed, called, or left Facebook messages!
My mother used to have a tradition of keeping printed copies of newspapers on me and my brother’s birthday — but in the interests of how the world is evolving, I’m going to start a new tradition, taking a screenshot of the top few stories on The New York Times site on my birthday.
I spent a lazy Wednesday with my family here in Connecticut that concluded with an interesting dinner at a Bosnian restaurant in Hartford (more on this later), a few gifts and dessert with family at home, and then a couple of rousing rounds of the Settlers of Catan. Basically, my kind of evening.
So what will 2008 bring for me?
Hopefully, more freelance work, including more radio. I’d also like to start getting into more of some of the big league pubs, like more stuff for The Economist, Wired and The New York Times. My book is also due to my publisher in July 2008 — yikes! Oh yeah, and Becky and I have a wedding to plan. Plus, we’re still trying to figure out what we’re going to do this coming October, most likely after our wedding.
Right now, options include teaching English in France, teaching journalism in Estonia, doing a fellowship at MIT, or keeping the status quo in Oakland.
A happy new year to all from snowy Connecticut — I’ll be back in Oakland on Friday night.
Again, I am reminded of just how lucky I am.
