I took a roadtrip with my friend Johannes in January of 2013 to the Oregon coast. It was a needed adventure to get out of the norm, the semi-stagnant daily routine. We were both relatively new to life in the Northwest. It's dreary oppressive days that are also serene and cozy. A present nostalgia of sorts. We decided to see Thor's Well, because, why not. It was on the ocean, neither of us had been there and google images provided an over-saturated otherworldly idea of what it could be. Thanks HDR overkill. There is a very relatable nature to the forces that compose a coastline. The resilience of the rock and earth meeting the sea, head on. Tangible examples of invisible forces. Wind, gravity, our of kilter rotation hurtling through the universe. I digress.

Jo and I are driving to coast. Seeking out whatever may come. We start talking about our previous year and what we hope for this next one. Ideas around community, growth, steadfastness, resilience, strength within. Thanks to Anis Mojgani, who's video is down the page, we embarked on a tradition of naming the year. Thus birthed the year of the redwood.

#yearofexploration

2014 was the year of Exploration.

#yearoftheredwood

2013 was the Year of the Redwood

I am so thankful to have crossed paths with Anis Mojgani and from his stories, I have adopted the naming of years into my experience. This video is from TEDxConcordiaUPortland (now TEDxMtHood) and is a worth your time.