2022 was quite the year for us. It seemed like this was a year of introspection for many of our friends and family, and we were no exception.
The ups and downs of COVID affected both of our workplaces and caused us to think long and hard about our jobs. While York decided to keep teaching (for now), Jordan found a new position that he will start in January 2023 as a District 2 Representative for Santa Barbara County, working for new County Board Supervisor Laura Capps. He is looking forward to something new and is grateful to take a month off between his posts.
The year has been one filled with traveling. Jordan's mom's health has continued to decline, so we have been down to visit with her rather frequently. While it's been challenging, we have balanced sad days with light in visiting Jordan's brother's family and close friends. We are so grateful for the incredible support we have received and extremely appreciative of everyone who has been there for us.
We also enjoyed leisure travel this year. In the spring, we visited friends and family in Austin, Texas. And we were honored to witness Daisy & Thomas's marriage at The Goat Ranch and Yosef and Tanya’s nuptials in San Diego, California. Come summer; we ventured on another Great Shingle Adventure to Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula with York's side of the family. It was beautiful and relaxing, full of greenery, water, and good memories.
Summertime means #SummerYork, and he traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, with some of his teacher friends. York lived in Guadalajara after college and enjoyed seeing his old stomping grounds and eating his way across the city. He even snuck in a quick trip to Mexico City to see his old roommate Mirena and meet her two-year-old.
Once York returned to school, Jordan traveled to Europe for a friend's wedding. His first stop was Barcelona, where he met his friends Aimee and Anil. He loved the vibe of Barcelona so much that he contemplated taking up residence - sorry, York! Ever the rational person, he shrugged off that suggestion and continued to the green land of Scotland to celebrate Emma and Lee's matrimony. He met up with a lot of friends and had a great time exploring the historic city of Edinborough. The wedding was beautiful and intimate, and he's glad he had a kente cloth kilt made for the occasion - thank you, Suzanna Larson, for your impeccable sewing skills! The next and last stop on his trip was Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Where locals joked that Americans traveled quite some ways for mediocre beer - that aside, everyone dressed for the occasion and enjoyed all the festivities. While Jordan loved his trip (and is ready to return for another European adventure), he was very happy to come home.
This fall, we've been enjoying time at home in Santa Barbara. We've had several friends and family come to visit, including our cousins Marina, Andrew, and Gigi, which was a delight to share our little slice of heaven with them.
As we head into 2023, we are excited for what adventures a New Year brings; we are longing for the time we will spend with friends and family and are somewhat prepared for the unknown.
May your 2023 find you lit on love, joy, and peace.
<3
YoJo