2010: Year in Review

2010 was a good year for me, at least until the middle of September. Through the year I enjoyed working at the Clinton Journal, heading their sports department and writing feature stories about former players and current coaches. I also had a chance to see places I have never seen before, and also places I haven't seen in years.

My favorite travel experience was meeting Ed Farmer in an elevator in Minneapolis, just before hearing a tornado was in the area when I was at the top floor of the Foshay Tower. But the best trip was the week-long vacation I took with my father and friend Ramon to Washington DC, Baltimore and the Shenandoah National Park. Washington DC was another New York, almost as exciting and way more historical. I enjoyed walking through Ford's Theatre and the Watergate Complex the most. We also made sure to see some of the famous monuments that are cornered around the National Mall. I wish the day we drove through Virginia's Shenandoah National Park was less foggy, but the dense fog added to the atmosphere and the memories of that day and the trip.

2010 was the first year in a long time that I did not go to a single Chicago pro sporting event (except the Blackhawks Championship parade). Instead, I took in games at Nationals Park, Target Field, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and of course, Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Colts had a down regular season (if winning 10 games is considered a bad year), but now my hope is that they can make a playoff run since they are playing much better as of late. The White Sox fizzled out, but 2010 will always be the year of the Chicago Blackhawks, for any Chicagoan. No team in my lifetime captulated the entire city like the Hawks did in 2010.

Personally, the move from Clinton to New Buffalo was the biggest event of 2010, and being able to enjoy Harbor Country as a journalist and photographer rather than just a summer visitor.

Family circumstances made the last two months of the year more difficult than most, but everything is a lesson in life, and the more experiences you have, good or bad, can make someone a better person.

Hopefully 2011 will be even better. I have more trips planned and hoping I can see all there is to see in Memphis, the California Bay area, the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit.