So, a funny thing happened…
People who’ve been following my online presence for a long time will remember that I actually send out physical holiday cards each year, consistently since my mid-20s. The list has been growing, and in 2022, I had about 120 cards to send out.
I got overwhelmed with some other stuff happening in my life last December. Partially good stuff, sadness about other stuff (some loss over 2022 felt like a kick in the stomach, it was hard to draw breath for a bit there). I did something I’ve never done since I started the tradition: halfway through writing all those handwritten messages to my various card recipients, I stopped. I gave up. I couldn’t do it.
I told myself I’d do it for the New Year, get them out in January with a mea culpa. I didn’t have time.
I told myself I’d do it for Spring Equinox, get them out in March with a mea culpa. I didn’t have time.
I told myself I’d do it for Summer Solstice, get them out in June with a mea culpa. I didn’t have time.
Then lastly, I thought I might do it for Autumnal Equinox, get them out around now. The box is still sitting on my floor. It’s completely ridiculous that I’m still bothered by the fact that I skipped a year. I don’t even know if I’ll do these. I get motivated sometimes in the wee hours as I’m falling asleep, my brain goes “you can totally finish them and send them”. I don’t know. I know better than to promise.
With that lack of mailing out my annual cards came another thing I skipped:
I always post an annual update to my blog and include a copy in my cards.
I failed to do that too.
However, I did write one. My birthday approaches next month, and I want to post this piece from the end of last year so I can reflect on it - and so that when I write this year’s in early December I have something to reference and compare to.
I have a lot of thoughts that have been tumbling around in my head this year and I haven’t written them out because I’ve been very busy with work and love and general life stuff.
So below is my “Yuletime Annual Update”.
Pretend this is December 2022 when you read it.
The Annual Oath, Toast, Boast (2022)
In Norse tradition, on each solstice and equinox (so each quarter year), we gather together to present a toast, a boast, and an oath. December 21st is the Winter Solstice. I do a personal version of this each quarter for myself, but I do a whole year-in-retrospect version for my annual letter. The physical copy is often shorter, to fit on one page. This version gets photos & details.
Toast
This was a tough year of loss. My toast goes to a piece of my heart outside my body: my beloved bird Justice died in March. He was my little footless wonder, my cuddly boo, my close connection to my dear friend Carol who died in 2018 - I inherited him from her. He was only 11 & should’ve lived another 10-15 years. I rushed him to the emergency vet after a seizure & respiratory distress. He died there. It was totally unexpected & broke my heart. I miss him every single day.
I lost two of my dear human friends this year as well. My friend Dan Lavoie died unexpectedly in July, of a heart attack at age 46. He was one of my closest friends back in Boston, a former lover, a close confidant. He was an incredible massage therapist, DJ, cook & his laugh was so contagious.
In September, my dear friend Harry died. He was a childhood friend, we’d known each other since we were preteens. I can’t sum him up in a few words here, but we used to write together & if you click here, my piece on him is vivid & raw & real. It’s easily one of the best things I’ve ever written, and it flowed out of me like blood from a wound.
Both of these men were complicated & deeply loved. I miss them both so much.
Lastly, also in September, my gecko Mochi died. I didn’t have the same kind of bond with her as I do with my birds, but it was sad to lose her. I haven’t gotten another, but might - I appreciate lizards, as a weird pet. I’m a weird pet girl. I know. Honestly, if it wasn’t a risk to my birds, I’d likely get a snake. There’s something about ball pythons I really enjoy but I don’t want an issue with my birds. They’re my forever priority.
Boast
On the creative front, my Substack subscriber list continues to grow, though I’d like to write more regularly - my piece on Harry’s death may have been my best writing in years, I’d forgotten how cathartic it can be to write that way.
I also became an award-winning mycologist this year! My work as @YourTripSister won the Battle of the Agar this year from the 2022 California Psychedelic Conference (basically my mushroom genetics work is pretty).
The most exciting thing this year was launching Advanced Mycology with Judd & our business partners. This summer (July) we released our Shrüm Mushroom Grow Bags, a white market “grow your own mushroom” kit, specifically optimized for use with psilocybin mushroom cultures (not included). (Psst, my first name “Avens” is a coupon code on both websites).
We attended five different trade shows, selling out of our production runs three times. We’ve learned a lot & are excited for growth in 2023! Our goal is to increase consumer access as more jurisdictions decriminalize psilocybin and more medicinal, therapeutic, and recreational benefits are discovered. Decentralizing access to magic.
This year I photographed & spoke at conferences in MN, PA, CA, TX, Reno (LPNational) & Las Vegas (FreedomFest). It was a year of heavy travel between conferences & trade shows! I also appeared on The Stossel Show defending a woman’s right to choose & in a main stage debate at FreedomFest about decriminalizing drugs (I’m obviously pro).
On the family front, both my brothers Ragnar & Lars came to visit me this year (separately) for the first time since I moved to CA twelve years ago. We explored my beloved city (Ragnar & I did the sequoias too) & went to Disneyland. It was so good seeing both of them in the place I call home.
We expanded our pet family this year - I adopted an Indian Ringneck parrot named Peppercorn, who was hatched in April & a little agent of chaos who loves to whistle & kiss.
My parrot Petrie & Judd’s cat Abby are both doing well in their older years. Judd & I are both overworked but taking it in stride as we do, we celebrated ten years together in August. I’m very grateful for our level of trust we have in our work together.
Oath
I feel like 2023 is going to be a year of settling into/getting really good at the things we started in 2022.
Our business is currently our baby & I’d like to get it past infancy this year. Once we have more confident footing, we can find our work-life balance. I know a lot of family & friends would like to see us expand our family & it’s on our minds, but it’s not time for us yet & we wouldn’t be able to see this company to success while trying to tolerate a pregnancy or raise a newborn this past year or next.
I haven’t committed to any speeches at all in 2023. Freedom Fest will be in Memphis so I might not make it out due to other conflicts.
I intend to do more writing & work on getting all the big thoughts in my head into videos & articles to help others understand. I am dedicated to my work & that has to be priority at the moment. My life is always about creation, but I need better time management to create all that I wish to.
At this point I’m the only thing blocking myself from achieving everything I want, I just need more self-discipline. I look forward to 2023 - I think it’s going to be a wild ride, & I can’t wait to share it with you.
May your new year be filled with love, laughter and light!
As for 2023 - I will write my annual letter on time this year!
I’ll be at the Atlas Gala in Miami in October, and have another trade show at the end of September & another at the end of October. It’s still very busy but I’m starting to feel like I’m making progress instead of just barely treading water.
Since I always like to update with things I’m enjoying that you might too:
Recently watched and thoroughly enjoyed Silo on AppleTV+.
Recently listening to Mystic State’s The Last Lotus EP.
I did also go to Burning Man this year. I have photos to edit and post, and I’ll post them here too, but here’s a podcast episode of me talking about why I love Burning Man so much in the meantime.
More soon.