I started a business. Dedicated Co, the business I founded with my brother Bennett in March 2021 made $20,242.61 this year between web consulting and the Design Systems Newsletter.

I grew the Design Systems Newsletter from 47 to 378 subscribers this year and published 47 newsletter issues.

I chose to spend more time on socializing and exercise in the fall and winter, which meant I wasn't able to sustain this rate of publishing. I hope to pick back up in January since I have a lot to write about!

I got a new job. I left my position on the design systems team at Better Mortgage in March of 2021, and took a month off in between jobs. Jack McCloy had reached out to me in February to ask if I was interested in potentially learning about a role on the design systems team he leads at Amplitude Analytics.

After getting a couple of great offers, I decided to join Amplitude in June to work on design systems team. I'm really happy with this decision. I love my team and I'm pumped about the work we're doing together. Plus, I got to experience Amplitude's direct listing in September!

I've built some cool features since joining in June:

• A tokening system using vanilla-extract
• Support for polymorphic components in our library
• Layout components

I moved to Brooklyn. Laura and I moved back to Brooklyn, NY from Newburgh, NY in September. Being away helped us realize how much we love it here. It feels like the place we want to stay for a long time. We found a 2-bedroom apartment we love in a neighborhood we've always wanted to live in.

Laura also quit her job to study to become a UX designer! I'm so excited for her, and can't wait to work together on projects.

I got back to the gym. Once I was double-vaccinated, I joined the gym again and improved my squat, deadlift, grip strength, and mobility. It feels so good to be back (although I'm doing home workouts right now thank to Omicron). I also got a booster shot.

I hosted Thanksgiving. I got to host my immediate family for Thanksgiving in our new apartment. It was a blast -- we made whiskey sours and I cooked a pretty damn good turkey.

Overall, it's been a good year for me all things considered. I'm grateful for all of the opportunities I've been in a position to pursue, and I'm cautiously optimistic for 2022.