Welcome to Twenty-Twenty-Wheee!
My upcoming year in 3 goals: fun, more fun, and work.
Well, what a year that was, huh?
I hope you and your loved ones had a great year or managed to make the best of what was a difficult one for so many people. One of the things I love about Arlington is the community, and this community is here for anyone that needs help. Never hesitate to reach out to those who are ready to listen and help if you ever need it.
With the new year upon us, do you make resolutions for self-improvement?
I'm one of those people that do so, and prior New Year resolutions have been quite successful for me. In the past I've weening myself off an unhealthy consumption of energy drinks, adopting a frequent reading schedule, and even my 2022 resolution of pushing myself to run for local office!
So, what do I have in store for 2023? Here are my personal resolutions for the new year:
1. Accept spontaneous experiences
After two years of COVID and then a race for public office where my social life collapsed to nothing, my top resolution is to have more spontaneous experiences outside my comfort zone: saying "YES" to invites from friends and other opportunities for activities I otherwise would have passed up.
I made a head start by accepting last minute tickets to my first ever Washington Football Team game at FedEx Field, and even deciding on a whim to go next door to a K-Pop dance party when the singer-songwriter show I had tickets for turned out to be cancelled.
2. Another epic backpacking vacation
One of my favorite hobbies has been hiking and backpacking. In 2016 I spent a few days backpacking Olympic National Park up to Blue Glacier, and in 2018 I managed the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails over 7 days.
I aim to get back into shape to do another epic backpacking vacation sometime this year. Where should it be? Want to join me as I improve my cardio and endurance with some long-distance bike rides?
3. Shift my career into policy
After spending 2022 focused on my independent campaign for Arlington County Board and taking time off after finishing up 9 years contracting with the Department of Homeland Security, it's time to dive back into the workforce!
For almost twenty years I've been involved in general corporate communications and video production. I've decided to take this opportunity to shift my career into policy-focused work for one of the many non-profit or mission-based companies in the area.
Towards that goal of landing my "dream job", I've refreshed my LinkedIn profile and set up a personal/professional website outside of my campaign site. You get a peek at it before most other people!
Stay tuned for what's next after the job hunt!
But there's something you can do in the meantime: get involved with YIMBYs of Northern Virginia to help push for more housing, better transit, and smarter development across the region!
Housing affordability is the greatest crisis facing residents and our community's future prosperity. Without more housing options at prices more people can actually afford, then our wonderful county is doomed - instead becoming a playground for the wealthy and lucky.
This is especially important with making sure the "Missing Middle" housing reform and the Plan Langston Boulevard proposals are approved, which together could add thousands of new housing units to Arlington over the next decade.