Year One: Brick By Brick

August 1, 2016 marks my one year anniversary of relocating to the East Coast and, as you can imagine, it leaves me feeling a little introspective. To be fair, introspective is kind of my default setting anyway so this is easier than you think. But one year ago, I hitched my little U-Haul trailer to my Chevy and headed over to the Garden State to begin a new chapter of my career and hopefully build on that fascinating roller-coaster ride that is my life in media, publishing and art.

And as I mentioned last year, what a roller coaster it's been!

But those peaks and valleys haven't left me reeling as much as you'd expect, and despite the numerous moments where I've found myself lost struggling to find the location of my desired destination (both literally and professionally), I've discovered so many wonderful and fascinating gems along the way. Even now, when I stand at the cusp of being beckoned back to a world of uninspiring monotony, bland interactions and incessant pandering to "fit in," I see a yellow brick road to places, people and adventures that inspire me to keep on this not-so-easy, but never complacent path.

If I seem to be deliberately vague about my state of affairs, it's intentional as many irons are currently in the fire and striking while they're hot has become an amazing endeavor requiring focus, confidence and dexterity. But as a galvanized creative professional, I am more than up for the task. (Thrice I've been told I have a great energy this year alone!)

But what can I tell you as I leap into the new year of transition from recent East Coast transplant to adroit Tri-State navigator? I can tell you I've recently:

finished indexing my first nonfiction title for a client
stepped up my social media networking strategy
developed a better eye for photography (it's a process)
explored the rich history and community of my new city
walked through the halls of one of publishing's most storied innovators
landed new clients while maintaining strong relationships with venerable ones
booked a milestone birthday celebration trip to fulfill a bucket list promise
expanded my knowledge and experience in the world of digital media and online journalism

and all this while taking advantage of the vibrant arts and culture scene in Newark, New York and Philadelphia, not to mention many places in between.

I could lament over the many things that haven't gone my way since I arrived in this quintessential metro area abode, but this isn't my first rodeo. Trust me, the stories I could share about my relocation to the West Coast in 2004 would be enough to ruin your optimistic disposition for a year. But I delight in recognizing that there are opportunities outside my door just ripe for the taking, and although I won't be the only one vying for them, I'm going to give other contenders a true run for their money.

As they say in the acting world, the hardest part about the business is getting the job, not doing the job. So feel free to send me advice, share some leads and watch me hustle.

And in the meantime, enjoy a few pictures of my year in retrospect. All the images are new to you and haven't been shared here on my site before and all are worth the trip down memory lane. :-)

To view the photos closer, simply click on an image and use the arrows to scroll through the memories.