2020 Favorites
In a year to forget, notable discoveries still revealed themselves.
In many ways, 2020 was a difficult year. So much of what we took for granted were taken away from us. Gathering. Traveling. Experiencing. And yet, in an otherwise forgettable year, memorable findings were still unearthed. Below are a few favorites from various areas of life from this year.
Favorite Book: The Ride of a Lifetime. Thanks to a late push from enjoying a new Kindle Oasis, I managed to read another 52 books this year. My favorite from the year was by Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney from 2005 to 2018. Innovation has disrupted so many companies from the old economy but Disney has thrived mainly by embracing emerging technologies (Disney+ and Hulu are now the main competitors to Netflix), understanding content and IP is king (buying Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel), and obsessing about removing internal red tape to empower teams. It was nice the peek behind the curtain, albeit a fluffed up and retrospective one.
Favorite Trip: Zion National Park. The Narrows and Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park were incredible. The Narrows was such as unique experience. Hiking alongside, and eventually in, a shallow stream into a canyon that increasing became more complex and, well, narrow was something that felt unworldly. Angel’s Landing was also great for the challenge offered and the eventual views that offered 360 degree exposure to the park. Well worth the long drive from California.
Favorite Album: THE LASERS by Gareth Emery. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Trance genre. The uplifting tone and optimistic sound was especially needed in this pandemic year. But rather than a typical fast tempo and dance centric take, Gareth’s newest album took a more low key and mellow approach. The second half of the album in particular ends in a reassuring and soothing way. According to Spotify, this album led me to be in the top 0.1% of Gareth Emery listeners for 2020.
Favorite Game: The Witcher 3. Despite a rocky Cyberpunk 2077 launch, CDPR was still impactful for me in 2020 having put The Witcher 3 on XBOX Game Pass and providing an incredible adventure with a compelling story. It was similar to watching an immersive TV series, but with the control of decisions that actually had monumental outcomes.
Favorite Hobby: Mixing. After starting with a Hercules Starlight at the beginning of the year (that I still bring when traveling), I ended up getting a DDJ-400 with Rekordbox. In a year without live music, mixing with a friend on a once-a-week schedule on Zoom has been an incredibly fun way to stay creative, connected, and engaged. As a bonus, we started to open up our sessions to friends over time and it was a chance to have fun with them in a socially distant way.
That said, while there were a few highlights from 2020, I’m hoping for a successful vaccine rollout and the return to normal. Events, international travel, and (most importantly) meeting people are all elements of life that are missed due to the pandemic. I’m looking forward to an even better 2021!
