Loose Ends: 2007 Christmas Letter

I was tasked with writing the newsletter this last December. Here, for the sake of posterity, it is in its entirety:

2007: A Year of Firsts

Hello wonderful friends, family, and other well-wishers!

Cali and I are enjoying life as DINKs (dual income, no kids) – which, factoring in the outrageous cost of living in the DC area and our chosen professions is less lucrative than it sounds. 2007 was an eventful year for us, full of firsts in marriage…

First Trip Beyond US Borders (Together): Our most exciting (and expensive) adventure of the year was visiting Cali’s sister Hannah in France. The trip coincided perfectly with our six month anniversary and a streak of miserable winter weather in DC. We stayed with Hannah in central France; with Hannah’s French friends in Biarritz, on the Atlantic coast near Spain; and with other friends in Paris. It was great to take in the culture, spend time together, and escape the humdrum of winter work.

First Master’s Degree: Cali graduated in May with a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from The George Washington University. After graduation, Cali accepted a job offer from the non-profit organization where she had been interning, the Partnership for Public Service. At the Partnership Cali is learning much about our federal government and enjoys working with dedicated, smart co-workers in a comfortable work environment (including Friday afternoon snacks and Monday bagels). Not to be out-educated, I started a Masters in Science Education through Virginia Tech two days after Cali’s graduation. The program operates out of the Northern Virginia satellite campus; it’s fairly close to our apartment and is designed around a teacher’s schedule. I should finish in August, leading to another first – first VT grad without a clue of what a “Hokie” is! (OK, probably not a first…)

First Time Attending Church in Swimsuits: There’s only so much you can pack into the hot Arizona desert in July. A white shirt and tie didn’t make the cut, so when Cali and I went to church while visiting the Havasupai Indian Reservation we did so in swim trunks. Cali convinced her supervisors at work to give her six weeks of vacation this summer. We flew to Utah where we went mountain biking on Antelope Island, swimming in the Great Salt Lake, fly-fishing in the Weber “river,” backpacking in the Unitas, cliff jumping at Causey Reservoir, night hiking Grandeur Peak, scouring art galleries for affordable, original Utah paintings (we found one!), and visiting family and friends. We finished our trip by journeying to the Havasupai Reservation, in the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and exploring the beautiful waterfalls.

First Anniversary! Always true to the essentials of our relationship, Cali and I celebrated our one year anniversary mountain biking. It’s almost hard to believe we’ve been married for more than a year. It’s been a wonderful year though and we’re looking forward to many, many more. I have the most wonderful wife in the world.

First Time My Wife Cheered While I Was in Pain (probably not the last): We often have friends come visit us since we’re so close to our nation’s capital. During each visit, we usually take them downtown to see the sights. This year I decided to enjoy the sights in another format. The Marine Corp Marathon starts at Arlington National Cemetery and weaves 26.2 miles through the city before finishing at the Iwo Jima Memorial. It was a great race on a bright, clear, but windy day with 20,000 other runners. Favorite fan sign (at mile 19 while crossing back into Virginia): “You are NOT almost there! You still have 7 MILES to go!” At moments like those, I was especially glad to have my beautiful wife cheering me on in my first marathon as a married man! (Certainly, it won’t be my last!)

Now you’ve just read our first Ence Family Year-End Spam-O-Gram! May we all find joy and adventure in 2008!

Accompanying Photos:

Josh and Cali in Biarritz

Hannah, Josh, & Cali in front of Notre Dame

Josh on the Great Salt Lake

Cali and Josh on top of Bald Mountain (High Unitas)

Indiana University's Little 500

I'm an unabashed fan of the 1979 film "Breaking Away." (Cali and I ate five boxes of Raisin Bran just for the box tops - so we could trade them in for a "free" copy of the movie!) Centered on the Little 500 bike race at Indiana University, it's a wonderful story about a young man, struggling with the transition from care-free teenage years to the real world. If you get a chance, rent it. In the meantime, enjoy this article by Jim Caple of ESPN about the race and the movie.

Turn Off the Radio

I've gotten tired of radio, pure and simple. Of course, I've never been much of a radio listener to begin with: I usually space out so I don't notice when it's commercials instead of music, I can stomach only so much "talk" radio, and the only time I've ever been pulled over was when I ran a red while fiddling with the tuner. Nevertheless, I've gotten into the habit of listening to WAMU (the local NPR affiliate) in the morning on the way to work and 107.3 in the afternoon. But it's all over now. After school today, I turned off the radio, rolled down the windows, and just listened to the rush of the air. It was soothing, settling, relaxing. Maybe it's just one step away from all the stress that tends to heap up on us during the day, maybe it's just one step closer to riding my bike, maybe I'm just tired of of a worn-out routine, maybe I'm just wanting to be outside rather than inside... In any case, I'm not turning on the radio again!