The beginning of 2024 marks the end of our second year in New York and it has been an eventful one. It seems like 2023 went by so fast, yet looking back on it, we had some incredible experiences not just in the city, but in multiple countries. Jade’s work is really starting to take off. She traveled to Ireland, the Bahamas, and all over the US for some big-time gigs, including opening up TWO Fontainebleau Resorts. She's starting to turn some heads in her industry and I’m so proud of the work she’s been doing.
I was working at the same bar for half the year, then switched over to a higher-end cocktail bar in Brooklyn in August. It’s been a challenge since the cocktails are very eclectic with all kinds of ingredients that I had never heard of prior to working there. It’s been a true learning experience there and it forced me to become a much more technically sound bartender. It’s also nice to finally have coworkers.
The last two months of the year I have been studying to take my CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) exam and on Jan. 2 I passed it! I will be working at the gym I frequent starting next week (probably).
We did quite a bit of traveling this year as well. In February, Jade and I went to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for our anniversary. We stayed in an all inclusive resort out there. It was such an incredible experience and honestly reminded me of Guam quite a bit. In May we drove up to Montreal for my birthday and explored for a few days. Montreal is a fun city with amazing people everywhere. Everyone has a great sense of humor as well. Our last big trip was to Costa Rica in August for Jade’s birthday. That trip was absolutely the highlight of our year. The food was great, we met all kinds of amazing folks, including a bunch of ex-pats that were living around the area of our AirBnb. It saw monkeys, alligators, all kinds of cool birds, and even had an adorable kitten hanging out with us at our place. There was no shortage of hikes and excursions to participate in and we definitely got to experience the area fully. We finished off that trip with a little visit to Florida, stopping by to see mom in Sanford, then staying in Jax with Jade’s sister for a few days.
Aside from work and travel, the city has also been pretty good to us this year. My high school buddies, Kai and Moses are living out here too so we’ve been getting together for nights out or for little house parties whenever we’ve been able to. There’s no shortage of concerts or comedy shows to attend out here as well so Jade and I try to get out and experience the city as much as we can.
Overall 2023 was an eventful year, and I have some good momentum going into the New Year. I’m looking forward to starting my new career as a trainer, and hopefully this will get me closer to a job with the Knicks or Nets. Hey, a kid can dream can’t he??
