Photo: A. Jesse Jiryu Davis

I'm back in NYC tonight. I spent a few days in Chicago with my girlfriend's family for Christmas, and we're leaving tomorrow for our habitual weeklong Zen retreat with the Village Zendo. I've had a pretty good year—I ran my first half-marathon, I did a street retreat, I spent August as assistant Zen cook. I had my photos exhibited in two shows, and I took my first regular fulltime job in years, the most exciting job I've ever had, as Python Evangelist and software developer for 10gen / MongoDB. My girlfriend and I are finishing our second year together, a relationship of remarkably uninterrupted serenity and love.

This week I'm going to put it all down. I want to just disappear into zazen. My only effort will be the effort I make to make no effort at all. I'll pick it all up again in the new year. ;-)