The first thing I did in 2022 was sign up for therapy. I was not in a good place. I'm doing much better now, in no small part thanks to said therapy. As 2023 approaches, I'm taking a much more hopeful approach. Here's some things that are keeping my spirits up:

A new digital life: "The world is changed." Obviously, Twitter beginning its slow descent into a ghost town will have a major impact on my internet habits. I'm on Mastodon more and more. Hopefully I'll write here as well. But it's not just social media. I'm using a new browser, a new RSS/read it later service, and a new music setup I wrote about last week. For the first time in years, it feels novel and new to use my computer. I'm looking forward to changing my habits and discovering better ways of being online. The internet should never feel static.
Learning my new city: This fall, I moved to Cleveland. My wife is from here, but it's all new to me. As a card-carrying member of the coastal elite, I'm learning to embrace the excitement behind a term like "legacy cities." Driving around Cleveland, you can see the decay and abandonment, with vacant properties strewn across the city. Cleveland's population peaked in the 1950s at nearly a million people. Roughly a third of that number live here now. But there is also the hope of renewal, the opportunity that maybe we can get some things right this time. I'll never be more than an interloper, but I hope to participate with that spirit this year. Cleveland has been nothing but wonderful to me so far. Come get a Polish Boy!
Getting an ebike: I'm planning on getting my True Kvlt Urbanist Badge this spring by purchasing an ebike. I'm hoping it has a positive impact on both my health by getting me outside and my experience of Cleveland by encouraging me to go more places without my car. I don't know what bike I'm going to buy yet, so I'm taking suggestions. Hit me up on Mastodon or Twitter with your ebike takes.
A year without burnout: I burned out twice this year. First, I burned out while building the Tiny News Collective. It is the sole reason why I left a project I love so much. Then I joined the Post's elections team three months before a general and in the middle of moving to a new city. Getting up to speed and getting everything ready for November was a lot of work, and unsurprisingly, I burned out again. But the benefit of being on a permanent elections team is the off-cycle years. This year, we get to build with less deadline pressure, with the intention of making 2024 easier on ourselves and more useful to our readers. I've never had this opportunity before; usually elections work starts when the cycle starts, a continuous sprint the length of a marathon.
More travel: We're still in a pandemic, but I'm starting to understand how to navigate this world while taking the proper precautions (please wear a mask, for yourself and for others). Already, I have plans to be in Seattle, Nashville, and Chicago this year. I'm hoping to book more as the year goes on. Hope to see you there!

Personal essays

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