You will be hard-pressed to find a single person that will claim that 2021 was normal - f*ck, it was not - but I will not define it by what it was not. It will not only be the year that loved and lost—hard. It is the year that I proved that I could survive days that should have destroyed me. The year my brother Shawn and I conquered the Colorado Trail. The year I learned I could off-road a truck through the mountains and change the monster truck tire with the still-very-large spare. It is the year that my brilliant team and I brought Skipti to 34 cities across the continental United States. The year I built a Cottage in the middle-of-nowhere New Mexico - some parts with my own two hands, and lots of help from a couple of dear, dear friends. I slept in a tent, a truck, a trailer, a few airports, and bus stops. I dragged a 26' camper into the woods, and the mountains, and across the desert. I booked international solo-travel, visited three countries and about 17 states. I met some beautiful strangers along the way who now hold a permanent place in my world and in my heart. I completed three cross-country trips, ate far too much Indian food (that didn't surprise anyone), got tattoos with Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys, and proudly watched a Mars helicopter exceed the expectations of the mission, (that didn't surprise anyone). I loved, I lost, I survived, and I lived.
So welcome 2022.
I welcome you as I continue to move forward in this precious life. I’m taking my memories, wisdom, and perspective with me and leaving anything I don’t need behind.
Cheers, and thank you to every single one of you that stood by my side, gave me space, fed me two meals a day for 31 days, dropped everything to live with me for a month, bought me earrings on Valentine’s Day and dropped off secret early morning flowers on my stoop.
Love, truly with all of my heart. LP
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