A Year of Silence

Can it really have been nearly a year since I wrote anything here?

First of all, I'm sorry to anyone awaiting updates month after month, only to find nothing. Believe me, it's not for lack of anything interesting to say, that's for sure. Indeed, if anything this year has been the most exhilarating, bizarre, and delightfully chaotic of them all, full of new people, places, and experiences.

This was the year I added 7 additional states toward my goal of visiting them all. This was the year I had my photography exhibited professionally. This was the year I finally got to see the Pacific ocean. This was the year I hiked some of the Appalachian Trail and saw the Shenandoah valley from 3,400 feet above. This was the year I found a house of my own, and promptly added a stone tiki head to the front yard. This was the year I rescued a tiny orange kitten from a drain pipe. This was the year I saw the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, and the Rio Grande. This was the year Madeline and I went our separate ways. This was the year I decided to cover my car completely with stickers, and I'm making great progress along those lines. This was the year I met Lis, Marsha, Ashley, Kathy, Nicole, Cait, and others who have shown me just how wonderful central Virginia can be. This was the year I climbed to the top of a lighthouse. This was the year I learned to make burritos all by myself. This was the year I got quoted in the Washington Post. This was the year I had a major ankle sprain that made it look like I had a baseball under my skin. This was the year I began experimenting with infrared photography and even made my own stereoscope.

The odd thing is, even with no new posts, my statistics show that my number of visitors has actually grown in the past year. As a reward for your loyalty and patience, I promise no more long absences in the future.

It's a fresh start, so let's dive in!