First and foremost. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! Thanks for being a friend in 2019, and I wish you the best in 2020.
Before I get started, here's my favorite part of writing a Christmas letter. Sharing a photo album with my favorite photos of 2019. I hope you enjoy.
It's been a very short year. A short decade really. Around Christmas Eve 2009, I was dating Kathryn Kattalia, trying to figure out how to make a career for myself in software, and listening to Blink-182. It's incredible to take time and reflect on the deep change that can occur in only ten years. Heck, even in 365 very short days. Tonight as I write, I'm engaged to Kathryn Kattalia, starting to figure out how to make a career for myself in software, and listening to Blink-182.
Despite my personal preference for consistency, 2019 and the decade in general have been incredible periods of growth and constant movement. In classic Cameron fashion, I turned the previous paragraph into a dumb joke. Something something...the more things change...the more they stay the same...something something. But there's been considerable personal change in this seemingly stagnant ten years. I suppose the purpose of a decade is to sit back at the end, and wonder as to how one would enter a new decade differently. As I prepare for 2020, I feel very comfortable with the changes I've experienced. And I'm increasingly excited for the changes yet to come.
In last year's letter I wrote, "I am very curious as to where in the world I will end up visiting next year." And boy did I travel.
In total, I spent 91 days away from Valparaiso and traveled over 37,000 miles during the year. I took my first international work trip to Hamburg, Germany in April. During the trip, I had the absolutely incredible opportunity to unveil our CrimpIQ crimper to the European market at Hannover Messe.
It was truly an opportunity I wouldn't have dreamed up only a year or two prior. I certainly wouldn't have believed I was ready for the responsibility a year ago. If I'm being honest, I didn't really think I was ready on the train ride over to the conference hall the morning we launched the product. OK I'll be super honest, I've never really struggled with imposter syndrome. But wowzers, was I feeling it on this trip. I'm extremely fortunate to have exceptional mentors and co-workers. I feel outside of my comfort zone very regularly, and hope I don't let people down.
2019 was truly a professional banner year for me. It probably is over-the-top, but I truly enjoy what I'm doing and look forward to it every day. This year, we added a couple new people to our team and I couldn't be happier. I get the opportunity to learn something new every day, and what more could I ask for with my job?
I traveled with work, but I also traveled with Kathryn. South Bend, Philadelphia, Yankee Stadium, Broadway, Calgary, and Boston. Everyone asks about a wedding date, and guys we are working on it. But we truly enjoy being engaged, and we will get there soon. I kicked off the letter talking about Kathryn and Cameron in 2009, and I'm certain that we've never enjoyed each other more than we do right now. We had some fun adventures (we're hockey and baseball people now?!). We visited new cities (but only places where we can ride scooters). We killed it making new friends while in our pajamas during a fire drill outside of a Philadelphia hotel during a very cold January. I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather enter a new decade with.
Speaking of family, I have nothing but positive to report. My nephew Gavin is into Pokémon, and we are bonding over the cards and games. My niece Kylie is growing into inarguably one of the funniest people I have ever met. My brother is continuing to build an incredible real estate business and I couldn't be more proud. My parents are doing fantastic and have a new hilarious story about one of the grandkids every other day, which is a blessing.
I was going to wrap with a paragraph about my friends, but truly there are too many of you doing too amazingly well for me to fit into a single paragraph. And TBH, nothing makes me happier than my friends doing well. If you're reading this, I've been extremely appreciative of our friendship this year and am excited for you to kick ass in 2020.
In closing on the decade, I am not sure about what could be said of the 2010s that couldn't have been said about 2019. It wasn't comfortable for anyone, was increasingly awkward, but somehow we survived. But when I look back at how I made it through the past ten years, I couldn't have done it without the awesome people in my life each and every day. And I'm excited for the opportunities we'll have together as we move into the next decade,
Excited for the 20s'
- Cameron