For a year that began in heartbreak, it came as a surprise that 2022 ended on such a happy note.
2022 was a monster year that began on one side of the world and ended on the other. It was a year that demanded a lot – but offered a great deal, too. A year that challenged and changed me: mind, body and spirit. 2022 was unforgettable.
I’d like to start this year in review by acknowledging that I experienced my first personal loss early in 2022. My father, one of my favorite people on the planet, passed away in January 2022. Afterward, grief was an undercurrent throughout the year, and I won’t conceal the fact that there were tough times. Life is just different now.
But, somehow, eventually, there was also adventure, beauty, creation, fun and joy. I was reunited with a strong sense of purpose and able to unlock a deeper level of love. I worked all year long at learning from loss, and these days I count every experience, every hug, every sunset as more precious than ever before. These moments are numbered, and it’s our sacred duty to make the very most of them.
So, in 2022, that was my aim: to make the most of every moment. And how best to do that? To chase down my dreams with even more energy and passion; making things happen now instead of waiting for a tomorrow I might never have. But also: to pause in the moment and just feel it: the wind, the sunshine, my skin and the currents underneath.
Top of my list of 2022? Filling the months and days with all the warmth and wonder they could hold. With three months in Thailand and seven in Hawai’i, this was my tropical year!
Top 3 overall highlights of 2022
Love
Ten years of being married to my best friend and soul mate has taught me that love just gets better and better. If I thought we were head-over-heels in 2012, I had no idea what was in store for 2022. We were always tight, but we’ve never been closer than we are right now.
In December 2022, we celebrated 10 years of being married. We’ve been exploring life side-by-side now for over a decade! And what an incredible decade it has been. I always say that the first 9 days of my life were spent just waiting for Kent to be born, and it’s certainly true that for the first 25 years of my life, I was preparing to meet this man. Everything changed when he agreed to be mine all those years ago.
Two different ideas are encompassed here: I love our love and I love my love. The relationship we’ve developed over the years has made me a better person in so many ways, and I feel so incredibly fortunate to be truly seen and cherished. It’s literally life-changing; the best gift I’ve ever received. More importantly, the reasons why I love Kent are so many and varied it’s hard to even know where to begin. Suffice to say that Kent is a one-of-a-kind find: there’s no one else on Earth like this incredible human and he inspires me every single day.
And so I put this all-encompassing, life-altering love in its proper place at the top of my list. Really, it’s the highlight of every year and every day! Love makes possible all of the other good stuff, this year and always.
Home in Hawai’i
In 2021, moving to Thailand was the highlight of the year. Thai fun carried over into 2022, as we spent the first few months of the year in that tropical paradise. Apparently we can’t get enough of the tropics… because this was also the year that we moved to Hawai’i! It was a wild idea that went from seed to fruition in a matter of weeks, post-Thailand. Its been a dream: sometimes I still can’t believe we’re really doing it!
I was sad when we decamped Thailand’s tropical climes, but we’d run out of visitor visas. Stateside, it didn’t take long until I was daydreaming about other lovely, equatorial locales. But I have a green card and want to keep it, so I couldn’t realistically move away from the US again. If only there was a way I could somehow live in somewhere warm in the US while continuing to gain experience in international ed…
Turns out, there was! First, I lucked into an excellent remote teaching position. Then I found an island apartment in a time zone a little closer to my school. Everything else fell into place really quickly after that. Thanks to Kent always backing my wildest schemes, in 2022, I worked in Myanmar and lived on O’ahu!
Here in Hawai’i, I have fallen head-over-heels for the ocean. I liked being close to the sea in California, too – but Hawai’i has me smitten. I like listening to the waves and looking out over the blue for hints of marine mammals. I’ve rediscovered my love of swimming and sunsets. I love island life so much that I’ve turned down some amazing opportunities elsewhere just to keep living it.
We have a real life here in paradise: we have favorite running routes, a beloved local gym and fresh, ‘āina-grown produce. To my surprise, I discovered that staying put is not all bad. We even imported our Ravi so that the three of us can continue our adventures!
The best part of moving to Hawai’i has to be a combination of the weather (perfect every single day), and access to some of my favorite natural features: beaches, waterfalls and volcanoes. Hawaii is truly a tropical paradise. I don’t think I could ever tire of the sun on my bare limbs, or of verdant green cliffs that terminate in sandy beaches, washed by water of a color that redefines blue. It is a gorgeous life we lead here!
As if the captivating geography weren’t enough, it is truly special to live somewhere where wildlife encounters are part of everyday life. Geckos and lizards are frequent visitors to our lanai, as are Java finches and little waxbills. Sometimes we spot whales, dolphins, monk seals and/or turtles when we are just out running along the coast! We have the incredible good fortune of being regular guests at a couple of Laysan albatross nesting colonies, too. These local fauna sightings never get old, because they are nothing short of awesome.
The Great Galapagos!
Even before my scheme to move us to Hawai’i, there was the plan for our tenth wedding anniversary celebrations! We had been thinking and talking about December 2022 for several years. And, early this year, we set about to make the magic happen. This, ladies and gentleman, would be our dream trip – our honeymoon, round two! The Galapagos was a trip that was 10 years in the making, and truly one of the very best adventures we’ve ever had.
Our first date involved an episode of Planet Earth in which Galapagos wildlife featured prominently. We were both awestruck, and bonded over a shared desire to see these incredible creatures with our own eyes. Right from these early days, the majority of our adventures centered on animal spotting. But the Galapagos was a once-in-a-lifetime type of destination. We wanted to save it for a special occasion, and do it just right.
Our Galapagos trip was more than just right – it defies all description! It was every bit as amazing as the documentaries we love. The sea lions really do roll right over to you if you sit down on their beaches! Colorful marine iguanas can be observed diving deep for seaweed and sneezing out the sea salt afterwards – and they’re just fine if you want to hang out and watch. Various Darwin’s finches alight on ancient giant tortoises ambling through the highlands, while the curious flycatcher just might perch on you! The ocean is teeming with life of all kinds: playful dolphins and orcas engaged our boat as we sailed through the sea alongside elegant rays. Perhaps best of all: the shallows around the islands are lined with sleeping sharks!
And, contrary to popular belief, you do not have to break the bank to go on a fancy cruise. I loved that we were able to do our Galapagos adventure independently: staying on the islands, carefully selecting a handful of guided tours, and lingering wherever we liked. There are advantages to both modes of travel, I’m sure, but I loved being able to do things the KnC way.
The Galapagos is a paradise: a real animal lover’s dream. It’s so good that in just 10 days, we’d taken more pictures and been closer to more different species than our whole first honeymoon overlanding Africa! It’s that good. So good, in fact, that I’ll stop gushing about it here and redirect you to a purpose-built page. If you’re interested in a deep dive into the very special species and incredible individuals we met in the enchanted isles, this is for you.
Best month
December by a country mile. Oh, December! What a month. The latter half of the month was spent in the Galapagos on the aforementioned very special anniversary trip. My expectations were sky high, and still, the reality blew them right out of the water. What a delight!
But that’s not all! December erupted into action – quite literally – when Mauna Loa developed a lava fountain at the very end of November. We were glued to the news, watching new Earth being born on our neighbor island.
And of course, we had to go. Had to! This time I didn’t even have to coax Kent into it – he was also cognizant of the fact that this was a now-or-never type opportunity. Within hours of learning of the eruption, I’d booked us a trip back to the Big Island for the first weekend of December. I was never so excited in my entire life.
We filled our 48 hours on island with all of the lava viewing we could. Our mission was to see it from every angle: from the air, from the special road the county opened just for looking, and from the slopes of Mauna Kea. We went out late to see the glow, and stayed up to bear witness to a singular sunrise. Again, words fail me here. It was enchanting, moving, awe-inspiring. The most incredible natural phenomenon I’ve ever had the good fortune to bear witness to.
We also sought out the once-in-a-lifetime view of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa erupting at the same time! All I can really say is: wow. It took my breath away, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.
December was not only the best month of 2022, I believe it was the best month of my life.
Honorable mentions
March – because in March, we ran the ultra we moved to Thailand to run. And visited half a dozen versions of island paradise!
May – because in May, we were in Canada for a magical mountain celebration of my Dad’s life. We also had a private party for two to mark our champagne love anniversary: 11 years of KnC adventures!
June – because in June, we moved to Hawai’i!
We also had amazing times in July, August, October and November exploring our neighbor islands! I’m telling you: what a year this was!
Best race
Since there was only one (!), it’s pretty obvious: Ultra Trail Koh Chang takes the cake! We’d been inspired by this race years and years before, and it was pretty awesome to go run it ourselves. The race highlight: coconut aid station on the beach! I also loved running through the night, as well as the course that oscillated between runnable tarred roads and rugged jungle scrambles. Of course, there was also the whole island-hopping adventure time afterwards too…
But, word to the wise: this race was a fiasco in 2023, so use caution if you’re thinking of following in our footsteps on this race course. On the plus side, there’s never a bad reason to go to Thailand…
I know it’s kind of strange that we didn’t run any more races this year. It’s not that we didn’t look, but…nothing felt right. I don’t really vibe with the US crew/pacer culture, my fave haunts in Asia are currently kinda far away, and races in general have become wildly expensive – while somehow simultaneously offering less to runners. I’ve got a whole manifesto over here if you want to read my two cents. In sum, for the majority of 2022, we enjoyed running that was not related to racing.
Furthermore, we continue to be very focused on building strength. We spent the latter half of 2022 working out on the beach! Just like with trail running, it’s completely possible (and wonderful) to do your workouts in an inspiring place.
Best mountain
It’s a three-way tie: a Hawaiian hat trick.
On O’ahu, we climbed our local mountain (and the highest peak on the island) on our very first weekend here in June. Mt Ka’ala is not for the faint of heart: as one local hiker put it: it’s straight up and down. After climbing up out of the valley, the fun really begins when you gain the ridge. Hawaiian hikes tend to redefine knife’s edge, in a way that is both thrilling and also terrifying. My nerves were tested both uphill and downhill, and I would absolutely not attempt this one if there is even a hint of rain in the forecast. By some incredible stroke of luck, Kent and I had a cloudless, sunny day for our climb. That allowed us to linger and truly enjoy the very special endemic forest reserve and epic top-o-the-world views.
We had big dreams about climbing Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain on Earth measured from base to summit, and we had the chance to make these a reality on our first trip to Hawai’i Island in July 2022! Mauna Kea is incredible. Yes, you can drive to the top (and that can be fun too, if you’re short on time) – but the climbing up makes you appreciate the sheer scale of the mountain, and of course, there’s nothing like feeling of accomplishment to climb above the clouds under your own power! Better still, you have more time to linger in the otherworldly landscapes: volcanic hills in a whole palette of different colors. There’s also a unique little lake to visit en route to the sacred summit.
For our between birthday weekend in August 2022, our destination was Haleakala on Maui. We failed to secure a coveted sunrise permit – but learned that sunsets on the mountain are equally magical! Stargazing on the summit = also heavenly. The very best part was hiking a point-to-point route through the crater. This awesome trail winds around cinder cones and introduces you to the rare beauty of the ahinahina (silversword) plant. Below the mauna lei (cloud inversion), we even had our first honeycreeper sightings on Haleakala’s slopes!
Honorable mentions
Ruca Pichincha – A bona fide climb right on the edge of Quito! Though you take a cable car up partway, the hike that follows is significant, particularly near the end. It’s also got stupendous views!
Sulphur Mountain – Our first Canadian peak in Banff National Park! We snuck in a run between work and family time during our visit in May – and were so happy we did.
Olomana Peak – Yes, we climbed this crazy peak in 2022. No, we did not venture past the first summit. We love our lives too much, and want to continue adventuring for years to come.
Best adventure abroad
Obviously Ecuador! It was so exciting to return to international travel this year – and in the very best destination one could possibly imagine. Mostly our trip was about the animals of the Galapagos. But we did have a stopover in Quito, which we found captivating. After acclimatizing with a free tour of the old city, we headed up Rucu Pichincha for the bird’s eye view!
Honorable mention
Thailand – If you read the 2021 edition of my yearly review, you already know I’m a Thailand superfan. In 2022, we lived in this wonderful country for the first couple months of the year. And we certainly made it an adventure, exploring everywhere from the hills of the north to the islands of the south!
Best domestic adventures
This year, I present you with the islands of Hawai’i!
O’ahu – Of course, the island we’ve explored most thoroughly is O’ahu. With the hilarious exception of Honolulu, in which we’ve spent virtually no time at all, we’ve rambled all over the hills and beaches. Eight months in, we now have a long list of O’ahu faves!
Hawai’i – We especially wanted to check out the Big Island to see the active vulcanism and climb to the highest peak in the islands! On our first trip in July, we were blown away by Kīlauea’s bubbling eruption and an underwater adventure with manta rays! We relaxed in the rainforest and toured the new land created by the 2018 eruption. Then, returning in December, we were delighted all over again by a chance to see not one but two simultaneous eruptions!
Maui – For our birthdays, we went to Maui over a long weekend. We went with the express purpose of visiting Haleakala! We also drove the delightful road to Hana, enjoyed beautiful black sand beaches and walked to a bunch of wonderful waterfalls.
Moloka’i – For my midterm break, we took a tiny flight to the small island of Moloka’i. Coming from O’ahu to Moloka’i, the first thing you notice is the silence: it’s incredibly peaceful. Here, we checked out the beaches on either side of the island and walked to Moa’ula Falls. Kent was working, so I spent a lot of time watching the water and reading – and we both found it delightfully relaxing.
Kaua’i – We’d been waiting since our first visit in 2019 to come back and run the Kalalau Trail. And wow, was it worth the wait! Easily and definitively our most epic run in the islands – and a lifetime hiking highlight too. This trail is incredible! I think it made it all the more magical that we’d seen it from the water the last time we were in Kauai and had that sense of scale. While we were there in November, we also camped up in Koke’e State Park and enjoyed some of the Nāpali-top trails. Another memorable day was spent at Polihale beach!
Best animal encounter
Can I just say the Galapagos in general? We had so many absolutely awe-inspiring encounters that it would truly be impossible to pick a single one. From the myriad finches we met on our farm-stay to the unexpected orcas on our first boat trip; from the ancient and adorable giant tortoises in the highlands to the cute, colorful marine iguanas on the beaches; from the striking blue-footed booby couple we saw from afar to all of the personable sea lions we got up close and personal with; from the scurrying Sally Lightfoot crabs in their brilliant orange and red hues to the sleepy white-tipped reef sharks dozing in the shallows; from the enormous, laid-back green turtles to the elegant rays that sail through the blue; from surprising eel sightings everywhere to the little penguins we saw only once – absolutely everything was amazing.
If I was forced to choose one single encounter…I couldn’t! But I could maybe narrow it down to two: (1) at Playa Tortuga, a tiny hammerhead shark swam right up to me. A literal baby shark! I nearly cried: this is what dreams are made of. And (2), at Playa Punta Carola, two ‘lil baby sea lions literally rolled right onto us as they wrestled in the sand. I can’t even: I think my heart grew three sizes that day.
Best person
Kent is incredibly deserving of all kinds of awards this year.
My love was an anchor for me from the start of 2022 to the finish: carrying me, sometimes literally, when my world shrank early in the year – and then jumping for joy alongside me as our minds and hearts expanded later on last year, too. We took on some big challenges together: including a major move that led to us living on our own in the US for the first time! The end of this year featured a major milestone for us as we marked ten incredible, adventurous, hug-filled years of marriage. I might be ‘the boss’, but Kent is the VIP, the MVP of every game, the perennial All Star. I’m the sunflower to his sun. My life is magic because of this marvelous man.
2022 by the numbers
Kilometers: 2039
Nice to see my kilometers trending upwards again this year! Although I love my strength training now, my home is and always was in nature, moving under my own power. This year I racked up 1775k of running, 249k hiking, 15k of paddling and ? in swimming. I just have to find a way to keep track of my strokes next!
Ultras: 1
Yes, that’s one. Singular. Uno carrera. Une course. Just the one.
But at least it was a great one! I loved Ultra Trail Koh Chang and had a blast with the mixed course: running full out on pavement in the dark in between challenging creeps through the jungle. I’m hesitant to recommend this one after the brutal, last minute cancelation of the same event early this year, however.
But. If we can count epic runs in this category too: I’d like to submit the once-in-a-lifetime, best-ever delights of Kauai’s Kalalau Trail!
New Peaks: 10-ish
Sulphur Mountain. Mount Ka’ala. Mauna Kea. Olomana Peak. Koko Crater Summit. Haleakala. Mauna Lahilahi. Pu’u O Hulu. Rucu Pichinca. Sierra Negra.
New places: 1 new country! 8 new islands!
It had been a minute – but we finally did new stuff this year, guys! 😀
New country: Ecuador!
New islands: O’ahu, Hawai’i, Maui & Moloka’i (Hawai’i) + Santa Cruz, Pinzon, Isabella & San Cristobal (Galapagos)
And that’s a wrap on a truly excellent year! I’m writing this just in time for after Lunar New Year, so I can actually wish you (a belated) HNY this year 🙂 I hope your 2022 also saw you conquer obstacles, encounter lots of cute creatures and enjoy some of the wonders of the natural world that are always all around us. And I hope 2023 brings you even bigger dreams, even more audacious plans and love so big it changes your life.