Reflecting On 2019

One year ago my wife and I moved to Charlottesville, VA, so that I could pursue a PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Virginia. It has been a year of immense change and growth for me. As such, I wanted to collect and offer my reflections on 2019 and its effect on my life so far.

On the pursuit of a PhD

I had never planned on pursuing a PhD. I knew that I wanted an advanced degree, and I figured that it would be a master’s degree that I’d earn while working. However, life had other plans for me, and this incredible opportunity arose. While I knew that transitioning from working professionally in motorsports to full-time student and research work would be challenging and broadening, I did not anticipat how much I would expand and how long it would take to fully adapt to the academic environment.

A new mission

Earning a job in motorsports was my sole goal during my undergraduate studies at Clemson University. When that came to fruition, my sole goal became working hard so our team could win races and ultimately the NASCAR Cup championship, which also came to fruition. These goals were exciting, challenging, and sustaining, but lacked the full expression of who I am. I am much more than a gearhead racer; I am passionate about sustainability, problem solving, photography, and so much more. This PhD program has allowed me to explore my other facets. I have greatly enjoyed the new challenges brought by my research projects as well as learning the process of academic research. Most importantly, I am deeply driven by my new mission. Improving the sustainability of mobility has become a mantra for me, and it is rewarding to be working towards a greater good in my current role.

On living in Charlottesville

I have a lived in many places in my life from the suburbs of Detroit to the South of Germany to various places in the Carolinas. After a year of living in Charlottesville, I can confidently say that I have never felt so home so quickly as I have in Charlottesville. Countless aspects of this town, tangible and otherwise, suit me. Laura and I have so many dining options, places to see, and wines to drink. The melding of reverence for history and optimism for the future is intoxicating. I get the sense that most people here are striving for something bigger, and there are more creative and entrepreneurial outlets than I could ever hope to participate in. I am energized by this sweet big-little town because I see a world of opportunity for me in any pursuit I choose whether it be academic, engineering, photographic, and beyond.

Laura and My FAvorite CVille Haunts

Laura and my favorite places as described on my blog for 2019.

• Bodo’s Bagels
  The quality of these bagels cannot be understated. I’ve had authentic New York bagels in New York City, and Bodo’s tops them, hands down.

• Brasserie Saison
  Beautifully designed with a carefully curated menu and located in the center of the downtown mall, Brasserie Saison is our lead go-to for drinks on a Friday, Saturday, or even Sunday night. Their bartenders make the best drinks in town and we can always find a seat at the bar. Find a warm fall day and your way onto their patio for lunch and you are going to have an incredible day on the mall.

• Lost Saint
  Set in the basement of Tavern & Grocery (a lovely looking restaurant in a historic building just off the mall), Lost Saint is a charming speakeasy-style bar with a creative drink menu and ample ambiance. We love coming here for a more intimate drink.

• Feast
  This is the best local, artisanal shop in town. They have a great selection of prepared foods, cooking ingredients, baked goods, deli-ingredients, beers and wines. They also serve a delicious sandwich lunch and have a coffee stand to round out anything you could possibly want. We enjoy bringing family and friends here for an easy lunch with lots of options. Plus, they always have many samples on hand, which makes perusing their wares all the more fun!

• Mudhouse
  A classically warm and inviting coffeehouse with great coffee. We love stopping in Mudhouse to get a warm beverage before we walk the mall, and it also makes for a great spot to get some work done or enjoy a game of chess.

• Tara Thai
  One of our GrubHub go-tos, Tara Thai offers incredible Thai food at a reasonable price and at a wonderfully short distance from our house. It is the perfect pick-me-up dinner after a hard days work or when you’re not feeling well.

• Milan Indian Cuisine
  Our other GrubHub go-to, Milan Indian is the perfect replacement for our much beloved Sangam Indian from Cornelius, NC. We are never disappointed with any dish we get here, and their vegetable pakora is the perfect appetizer. We especially love finishing a long week with Milan for dinner and a bottle of local wine.

On purchasing and owning a home

This part of 2019 was highly unexpected. Laura and I knew we would buy a house in Charlottesville, considering that we would be here for at least five years due to my PhD, but we did not expect to be putting an offer on a house at the beginning of March, 2019. We would regularly survey the offerings in town on Realtor and Zillow, and we knew that the market in our price range was small and extremely competitive. So, when a house came up in late February that met all of our criteria we knew we had to take a shot. With the help of our loving family and a generous realtor we snagged our new abode, and we moved in at the beginning of June.

Since then,we have spent many an afternoon and evening assembling furniture, painting walls, updating fixtures, and installing equipment. Slowly but surely we are filling out this home (going from a one bedroom apartment to multi-room home requires a lot of furniture), and we are loving it more everyday. Despite the seemingly endless projects, and sometimes continuous mess, it has become our sanctuary. We enjoy hosting family and friends to stay, and we’re looking forward to hosting more guests and maybe some UVA sports viewing parties in the coming year!

Resolutions

With so much in the rear-view and so much out the windshield it’s good to set some loose ambitions for the coming year. In 2020, I aim to:

1. Live More Sustainably
   Like many things in our new house, we are still fleshing out the details of how we will recycle. It is easy enough for us to stow away our cardboard for recycling, but our collection starts there. In 2020, I will build out methods for us to collect and deposit our recyclables and I will work to start composting as well. But sustainability does not stop there lest we forget that sustainability begins with reducing, then reusing, then recycling. We do a great job of bringing bags to the grocery store, but I will strive to reduce the amount of packaging that we consume, reduce the number of miles that we drive, and reduce the amount of electricity that we use.

2. Read More
   Laura is quick to rightfully point out that I do a lot of reading for school and research, but I want to read with more intention in the coming year. Currently, I read to get the gist; I try to be as economical about my reading as possible so I can extract what I need and move on to the next task. In 2020, I want to read for myself. I want to read academic papers on my interests more broadly, and read them fully to really lock in the lessons. I also want to complete at least a couple of the novels that I’ve accrued over the last couple of years. I revere the positive effects of reading, and this article in Popular Science reminded me why that is and that I should do something about it.

3. Write More
   That we are beyond the first week of the new year and I am now publishing this post is the perfect evidence for why I am resolving to write more in 2020. Much like my ambition to read more, I actually do quite a bit of writing for my research and school work. I write quarterly reports, applications, and grant proposals frequently and for a large portion of my time, but I want to write more for myself. I see this website as a critical component of my mission to get a PhD and conduct research to improve the sustainability of mobility. I am proud of the information that I published in 2019, but I have a lot to share and my backlog is growing! Plus, writing requires reflecting on what I’ve done and how I could best communicate that work, so it is a great tool to sharpen my efforts. I aim to make writing an institutionalized part of my week that is as nonnegotiable as answering my emails or doing my homework.

Final Reflection

I am very fortunate to be on this journey with my amazing wife and the support of our families. I learned many things in 2019, and chief among them is that I would not be here and could not accomplish this without them. I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and I look forward to making the most of new ones in the coming year. Bring on the twenties!