My life was pretty hectic in the first month of the year, but when Jed posted 10 reflections for 2009 on the last day of January, he convinced me that it's not too late for me to do the same, particularly since it was a pretty big year for me.

Many of these memories are particularly nostalgic for me right now, because I've spent the last month (and will spend most of the next two) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I moved to DC in August of 2006 to begin my graduate work at Georgetown. In the previous decade I had lived in 5 cities in 3 countries on 3 different continents and, though the vast majority of that time was in Seattle, I still moved around so much that I only averaged around 6 months in every place I lived. Since arriving in DC, on the other hand, I've managed to stay in the same house for 3 and a half years, and for the first time in my life I feel like I have a network of friends that is both stable and growing. My life was a bit of a shambles when I trekked across the country in 2006, but each year since has steadily improved over the year before and 2009, despite introducing one very huge challenge, was without doubt the best year of my life.

Here are 10 key highlights, in chronological order.

1. Inauguration

Nothing could quite top election night, and my ability to partake in the inauguration festivities was seriously dampened by me being a little sick and Emily being terribly sick, but we did manage to waddle over to a friend's house and watch everything unfold on TV. Not the same as seeing it in person, but still a day I will never forget, and a day that I was very grateful to be living in DC.

2. That's "Master" Brad, please. No? OK, Brad.

In April, after four to eight months of research and writing), I completed my thesis, "From Coding to Community: Iteration, Abstraction & Open Source Software Development." At that point, it was the most significant project of my life.

My thesis defense also went very well, and I was very proud to graduate with distinction a month later, with a Master of Arts in Communication, Culture and Technology.

3. Passing the e-torch...

As my time at Georgetown came to a close, I finally had to let go of gnovis, the online journal that I had managed for two years, two years in which we made some wonderful strides. Liberated by the launch of a new website (my first Drupal website, I believe), we were able to resurrect the fading journal and inject it with new energy, complementing the bi-annual journal with a more timely and dynamic blog, broadening our readership and submission base, and expanding our staff. I'm very proud of what we accomplished, and particularly that (at least 8 months later) it appears the momentum has been sustained in my absence.

4. I am recession-proof.

Somehow, after months of discouraging signs in both the media and my inbox, I managed to land a job and start working only two weeks after graduation. Even more importantly, in the long run, I didn't have to compromise anything when I took the job -- it really is perfect for me right now. I care deeply about the organization I work for, believe that the work I'm doing is important for the organization, and feel that my work is valued by my colleagues. My daily activities consist of a lovely blend of things I enjoy, things I am (somewhat) uniquely qualified for, and things that challenge my brain in a way that seems essential for my long term mental health. And while the work is intense and demanding, and the hours occasionally long, our office supports my need for a healthy work/life balance. I've never had so many of these needs met in a single job. I am very grateful to have found such a great job, particularly at a time when any job is hard to come by.

5. No, it's not an avocado.

I got a tattoo this summer, motivated by both the milestones I'd already passed in 2009 and the ones that were just on the horizon. The design is inspired by a necklace that Emily brought back for me from India in 2007 and has become infused with a lot of very personal meaning that is hard to articulate. The gist of it, though, is that in the last few years I've become a much better and happier person, in large part due to a deeper understanding of how the peculiarities of my own mind and body have influenced my life choices, and I have discovered that nurturing a healthier life experience for myself doesn't distract me from being a social being, but rather enables me to lead a more meaningful social life. The image, of a figure holding tightly to an exposed but vital organ, reflects the inward/outward duality of this shift in my life. The flower is a cherry blossom, locating the experience in D.C.

6. I miss you already.

On July 24th, roughly 2.5 years after we met and a year into cohabitation, Emily left DC to attend the Medical School for International Health, in Beer Sheva, Israel. We had known that day was likely coming, from the beginning, but hadn't known what that would mean for our relationship. We decided to stay together - a decision that, so far, has been a wild success. Saying goodbye was, of course, very difficult, but our relationship has continued to grow stronger with every passing month.

Emily's last two months in the states were a whirlwind. The week after I started my new job, we flew to Montana to visit my family (including a newborn niece!), then to California to visit her (very pregnant) sister. Back in DC, we had a checklist of things to do before we left, including getting tattoos, eating fresh crab at the fish market, and kayaking on the murky Potomac. We also had a big joint-birthday party. Somehow, I managed to squeeze out a book of photography as a going away gift.

7. Let's web some change!

In September, I attended the Web of Change conference at the Hollyhock Institute on Cortes Island in British Columbia. In addition to the jaw-dropping setting, the conference was fantastic. I made some great friends and connections and came out with some very tangible ideas for my work. Beyond the career development angle, though, the trip was also a powerful personal experience. I'd made an impromptu decision to abstain from alcohol for the entire month of September, and in so doing immersed myself in a month of very conscious contemplation. Coupled with some readings on compassion and a bizarro bus ride, the whole trip both challenged and invigorated me.

8. Skype is OK, but visits are better.

In October, Emily came home to DC for about a week. I couldn't take any vacation time, so for the most part we just slipped back into our wonderful DC daily routine, except that she was catching up with friends and family during the day instead of working. In the evenings and on the weekend, we had tons of fun and a very powerful reconnection. Those first 2.5 months were a bit of a test, both to see how we'd handle being apart and how we'd handle coming back together. We passed, with gold stars. Before she left again, we bought each other matching "ambiguous commitment rings" - what that actually means is an offline topic, but it's a very good thing.

9. It's alive!

In early November, after about 5 months of work, I launched our new website at my new job. Until this point, I'd felt like I was just the new guy sitting quietly in his office, but with the new site I finally felt like I'd fully arrived. Not to mention that the launch allowed me to shut down the old site, which was draining my energy, and to shift my focus away from the fairly urgent redesign and begin to focus more on long term strategy and feature development.

10. Indescribable holidays

For Thanksgiving, I visited Emily in Israel. The highlight, without a doubt, was camping in the Negev and waking up to the sunrise spilling into our tent over a 27km wide crater. We also went on a tour of (mostly political) graffiti along the separation wall in the West Bank.

Then, after spending Christmas with my family in Montana, I joined Emily in Austin and met her TWO newborn nieces. We vegged in a hotel for a day, spent some time with her family, bought me a hot pair of cowboy boots, and then flew back to DC. On New Years Eve we attended a miserable party, but through sheer determination managed to have an amazing, unforgettable night. At the time, I was just caught up in the ridiculousness of the moment, but in hindsight I think it was a completely appropriate end to the best year of my life. So far.

Looking ahead

2010 is off to a great start so far, kicking off with a few more days of Emily time before she left, and now I'm one month into an 11 week trip in Thailand. Emily will be joining me for the final 10 days, which will be a very welcome reunion after another long stint apart. The rest of the year isn't mapped out yet, but will likely be a bit slower paced, which is fine by me. I could use some time to cultivate all the hobbies that I abandoned during grad school, and am slowly reawakening.