Top 5 in 2009

In past years, I wrote a fairly long and detailed summary of my year in review in hopes of trying to pull some semblance of a theme together. I shared this summary on Facebook, so its audience was limited.

This year is one that I’d consider the best in my life. Like every other, it had its shares of ups and downs, but ultimately I’m feeling way up coming out of 2009. Here are my most memorable moments of the year.

1. Benny: Earlier this year I got a phone call from my neighbour who was taking care of my family’s dog, Benny, while my parents were on vacation. “I think it’s time,” he said reluctantly, referring to the pretty rough road Benny was going down with his body giving out on him at 15 years of age. When my brother Jason and I made out way out to our family’s home east of Toronto, Benny was happy to see us, wagging his tail, but couldn’t climb a single step on his own.

Not an hour or so later, I was in a small room at the vet’s office with my Brother and Benny between us. I don’t think I’ve ever lost it so much emotionally before, petting my dog, telling him he was a good boy and he ate ice cream the vet gave him to keep him calm just before giving him the injection. He slumped over a few seconds later in my arms and let out a short sigh. I’d never had to say goodbye to anyone that I loved before, much less make the call that it was time for them to go. It was awful, and is still heart-wrenching to this day.

2. SpinTO: Mark and I are born on the same day (several years apart, he likes to add) and wanted to do something special this year for our birthdays. SpringFlingTO (later dubbed SpinTO) was the result of that idea, in which we brought together Toronto’s tech, cycling and queer communities on a single night in May to party and raise money for the Friends for Life Bike Rally (which Mark and I were both taking part in) and Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA). With the generous support of these communities, SpinTO brought in over $12,000 to PWA, and we hope to do it again next year, bigger and better than before! (Photo by Andrew Louis)

3. The Bike Rally: Late last year a group of relatively new friends arrived in Montreal by bike from Toronto, where I happened to be for the city’s Pride weekend. After hearing the many amazing stories and experiencing the powerful bonds they’d formed with one another, I decided to take the plunge this year and try the Rally for myself.

Training was challenging, made a little easier by the spinning I had done last winter, and after a long spring and summer of several 100+ km training rides, we hit the road on our 600 km journey from Toronto to Montreal in August. A physically and mentally challenging experience, I made some incredible friends and learned a lot about myself and the many others with me on the journey. The Bike Rally is something I hope to turn into an annual tradition, and would recommend you do the same!

4. Teehan+Lax: I wrote a lot about my move from IBM to experience design agency Teehan+Lax here on the blog last month, and things seem to be getting better & more exciting at T+L all the time. The work is challenging, the people inspiring, the clients a joy to work with, and most importantly, I really just love my job now. I’m learning a great deal at Teehan+Lax, and look forward to another exciting year there in 2010. Who knew that leaving your perfectly good job could work out so well?

5. The New Hausmates: Towards the end of this year I realized that my condo (and bachelor life) were getting tiresome. My neighbourhood didn’t provide a lot in terms of community, and I knew that more than anything I wanted to have more close people in my life. The stars aligned pretty well, and through a long house hunting process, I moved in with the fabulous Pamela Quiroga and Jaime Woo. My new hausmates make the new place feel more than just somewhere to sleep at night; They make it feel like a home, and I’m truly grateful to have them both in my life. (Photo by Rannie)

Reflection and It’s not always the happiest of activities. It can bring up painful memories and old wounds, and it’s often easy just to try and forget about the past and keep moving forward as fast as possible. However, it can also help you grow immensely by looking back on the memories you truly cherish, and appreciating the obstacles you overcame in those you’d rather not think about. I’d encourage you to take a few minutes and reflect on all the amazing things you took on and succeed at this year, and hope you have a wonderful, vibrant and happy New Year in 2010!