"I had the incredibly good fortune in 2021 to meet three new friends on Zoom as part of a writing course. During 2022, those friendships deepened and we’re now seeing each other through major life events including illness, an adult child’s gender transition, and our travels to new lands. We share hope, love, and strength - even thousands of miles apart." — Claire McKinney
"I accomplished a number of firsts in 2022 by going for the first time to Mexico with a tour group of women I'd never met before! We spent most of our time in Mexico City and nearby areas, swam in hot spring pools, ate tacos from some of the oldest taquerias in CDMX, learned to drink mezcal, toured wineries, and enjoyed mangonada." — Brittny Nielsen
"The end of July I had a weekend opportunity to photograph the Milky Way on the Washington coast with several other photography enthusiasts. We were all strangers to start, but we bonded through this wonderful summer night sky experience." — Laura Walker
"We finished remodeling our house. We converted one of our rooms into an office for my wife and me. We added a covered deck that is an extension of our living room. Both are direct results of the COVID living. We were able to do it with low interest rates." — David Uhl
"My husband and I bought and renovated a 1978 split level home in four months. It was a gut job. Yes, we are crazy. And tired, so we're taking December off to veg out. And we're not done yet: We're tackling the detached garage next to turn it into my husband's photography studio." — Reesa Nelson
"I think they shortened the week to five days, it went by so fast. Seems to be an old-age joke that's true. I've also recently started “feeling my age” which is way too old. So today I’ve been figuring out how to get the necessary chores done with a smile on my face." — David Smith
"I had no defining moment. At 81, this is good." — Diane Quantic
Note: Claire McKinney and Brittny Nielsen are employees of Cascade Public Media, Crosscut’s parent company.
