2015 – Toward health and happiness
This was a good year for growth in body and soul. Feeling healthy, calm, and ready for adventure!
* Enjoyed lots of adventures with the family, including 2 visits by my parents to California, our annual beach trip to Michigan, time in Tahoe, Santa Barbara for Easter and Christmas, and perhaps most importantly time away as a couple in Northern California and Colorado.
* Got as fast on the bike as I’ve been in over 10 years, riding an [18:43 Old La Honda](https://www.strava.com/activities/405739846#9732034752), [31:28 Montebello](https://www.strava.com/activities/413695285#9941220935), [9:20 Redwood Gulch](https://www.strava.com/activities/410428677#9854436863), [26:46 Kings Mountain](https://www.strava.com/activities/376108768#8993415648), and [43:10 Gibraltar](https://www.strava.com/activities/454230036#10918677448) over 8,210 km and 127,051m of climbing. Lots of indoor training with [Zwift](http://zwift.com/), which makes cold 6am mornings in the garage bearable.
* Inspired by a [Body Spec scan](https://www.body-spec.com/), lost almost 20 pounds on a simple diet of mostly vegetarian proteins and fats: vegetables, salads, avocados, eggs, cheese, oils, nuts and nut butters. Followed a bunch of [Tim Ferris’ slow carb diet tips](http://fourhourworkweek.com/2012/07/12/how-to-lose-100-pounds/). Tastes great, satisfying, and good for my energy levels, which used to vary wildly throughout the day and are now steady and strong. Kill the grain brain!
* Read 38 books, lots of science fiction “just” for enjoyment, but a few that shifted my mindset a bit. Most impressive were [Oryx and Crake](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FC1BNI/) by Margaret Atwood (a new design hero), [Seveneves](http://smile.amazon.com/Seveneves-Novel-Neal-Stephenson-ebook/dp/B00LZWV8JO) by Neal Stephenson, and [Eaarth](http://smile.amazon.com/Eaarth-Making-Life-Tough-Planet-ebook/dp/B003FQM30Q/) by Bill McKibben. Lots of learning about our changing world and future possibilities.
* Got my brain under control through regular mindfulness meditation with [Headspace](https://www.headspace.com/). 147 sessions over 46 hours this year, and I can finally steer my attention toward things I want and away from stressful and painful things I don’t.
* Simplified our lives of clutter and mess with 2 separate weeks of focused cleaning and expunging–each time the week around the new year. Definitely a positive annual tradition, though we always find a way to fill them up again…
And with that we’re off to 2016! Thanks to all family and friends for their support this year; excited to see what comes next.