About the Year Of
Every year, I choose a single theme. Then I spend twelve months exploring it.
I didn't set out to make this an annual thing. It started when I decided to dive deep into wine in 2019 (aka Twentywineteen). I knew almost nothing—red or white, that was about it. And I dreaded being handed the wine menu at a restaurant. I decided to change that.
There was no metric to hit, no clear goal beyond "learn about wine." Throughout that year, I stayed flexible—adapting as I went. Each year since, I've added a bit more structure, but the overall approach remains open and adaptable.
Years into this practice, a friend shared an article about kakizome*—a Japanese New Year tradition of setting a theme for the year. It aligned with what I'd already been doing: instead of rigid resolutions, you set a direction. A compass, not a map. The author's theme was "developing new ideas based on study of the past"—an abstract guiding principle. Mine are a bit different: concrete subjects, but broad enough to explore in many directions.
Approach and Learnings
- Choose a theme — I pick something I'm genuinely curious about, not something I think I "should" learn. It doesn't have to be completely new, but the most rewarding years have been the ones where I started with zero prior knowledge. Like wine. Or sports.
- Immerse deeply — I read books, take courses, practice hands-on, find "sherpas," and attend events. Daily engagement helps—a podcast for the commute, a book before bed. With sports, I found tons of podcasts and would watch games regularly.
- Document learnings — I take lots of photographs and notes. For Year of Wine, I created an Airtable to track tasting notes for the 300+ wines I tasted that year. This website is a way to synthesize it all.
- Share the journey — Less about social media, more about finding people who share the passion. I learn from them, and give back when I can. It's also about sharing fun experiences with friends—like curating wine tastings where we drank a 1977 wine that President Carter served to Latin American heads of state to celebrate the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty.
For me, the Year Ofs give my often-scattered brain a focus. They're a reason to travel and spend time with friends. As an introvert, they've also become a great way to meet new people—sharing passions is fun, and most people are generous with their knowledge and experiences. More than I ever expected.
It's added so much to my life. And honestly? It's just been fun.
A Few Highlights (So Far)
- Weekly tennis lessons at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens—home of the US Open. Thanks, Kanan.
- My first Buffalo Bills game at Highmark Stadium. Tailgating with Wegmans subs in Orchard Park. Friends and family came from San Francisco, Baltimore, and Albany.
- A lovely trip to Champagne, France—finally understanding the craft and history behind every bottle. Thank you, Richy Bubbles.
- Picking grapes for harvest in the Finger Lakes alongside Master Sommelier Christopher Bates on his Element and Colloquial labels.
- Group archery lessons for friends at my birthday party at Queens Archery—only to learn my brother and sister-in-law had been regulars there years earlier.
The themes don't really end when the year does—they compound. I ended up pursuing my WSET Level 2 wine certification in 2025—six years after my Year of Wine.
And thanks to Year of Sports, I'm forever Bills Mafia now. Go Bills.
P.S. One of these years, I'd love to do a Year Of as a group—picking a theme with friends and exploring it together.
