Lucky Number (20)13

Souqs and Spice saw its inaugural post in early January 2013, so it is only fitting to update the blog with some of the highlights of its first year. Although the blog's primary focus in 2013 was to outline my Peace Corps application process, there were innumerable other things going on in my life of which I'd like to take note. Many people think of 13 as an unlucky number, but I'll forever look at (20)13 as my luckiest of numbers. It was truly a year in which I conquered challenges I never thought possible, grew profoundly, and deepened friendships.

Montreal

Somewhat out of order, the first and most influential of the highlights of 2013 was that...I RAN A MARATHON! And not to brag, but I did a darn good job of it! The reason that I'm starting the year out with this is that it truly shaped the course of the rest of the year for me. I entered 2013 with the goal of completing the Pittsburgh Half Marathon in May, but I knew in the back of my mind that I wasn't going to be able to stop there. Before the beginning of last year, the most I had run in my life was about six miles a handful of painful times. I had convinced myself to not aim for more, excusing myself due to weak knees. February arrived along with an intense training plan, and I stuck to it each and every day - swapping social engagements when necessary for DC Front Runners, waking up before the sun rose, stepping out the door into sweltering heat and frigid gusts, and pushing through the pains and struggles of an untrained body and mind.

After missing the first inauguration of Barack Obama, I was thrilled to be able to witness the president's second inaugural address from the slopes of the Capitol lawn. Despite numb feet and a protester screaming about the end of days from a tree nearby, I made it through the long morning to witness our president renew his commitment to our country. Regardless of political views, it was an extremely powerful moment to see the entire federal government march out of the Capitol dome with a crowd of nearly a million cheering behind me. Obama's speech was moving and brave, and Richard Blanco's inaugural poem spoke to the unity and individualism of the United States and its people.

Inauguration

Months later, I snuck out of the office on a humid, rainy August afternoon with Geoff to the other end of the National Mall to see Obama speak again. This time, the occasion was even more grandiose - a celebration on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. It was an honor to stand in front of the Washington Monument, sheathed in metal, with thousands of pilgrims from all over the country who had come to experience the legacy of the day 50 years ago when a man spoke of his dream.

Earlier in the summer, I waited in suffocating heat on the steps of the Supreme Court along with my coworkers and hundreds of activists and locals awaiting some of the most life changing decisions to come from the bench in years. Though there were a few moments of confusion as to what the decision meant for real lives, it was quickly apparent from the embraces and tears that something unimaginable a few short years ago had just happened. In an instant, DOMA was dead, and love came a step closer to equal for all Americans.

I was fortunate to be able to travel a number of times in 2013. The difference this year, and perhaps what made all of my trips so special, was that I almost exclusively only visited locations where I had already been before. Therefore, I was able to spend more time with friends and family rather than exploring new destinations. I returned to Pennsylvania numerous times, making myself feel at home in my home state's most populous city for the first time. I looked out onto the Atlantic from the coast of the First State in winter and summer. My shoes hit the pavement for more than 26 miles in our northern neighbor's most beautiful city. I relaxed after my race in an autumn heat wave in my childhood vacation spot in South Carolina. I watched One World Trade Center reach into the sky and tower 1776 feet above Manhattan. I watched the Bellagio fountains dance in the middle of the desert from far above the sand. I sweated in December after running up a mountain to look out over the Hollywood hills. I got to know my sister's new home in North Carolina as we followed the state's second governor's footsteps.

Apart from and complementing the physical training detailed above, the other most significant decision of the year was to live as compassionately as possible, manifested in a vegan lifestyle. I will explore veganism in more depth in an upcoming post, but I could not review 2013 without adding that it was my first full calendar year of living with the commitment and ideals of veganism. Many people simply think of it as an obsession with animals and a love of tofu, but veganism to me represents true compassion in every sense. We make food choices all day every day, and when we constantly stop to think about the source of those food choices, and the possible suffering and injustice attached to them, we can't help but to expand that consideration to all of our everyday choices.

And to think what the world would be like if everyone were to pause and ponder the consequences of each action he or she makes.

What a lucky year 2113 would be.