A Year of Thinking Dangerously — Part 1 of 4

Roadtripping to Salida, Colorado, January 2024.

Asking myself first thing in 2024 what I would do if there were no constraints, if I could do literally Anything, kicked off months of big picture thinking and soul searching—the good kind … mostly. It was dangerous because it was about taking risks and embracing the unknown. That is also what made it exciting. In 2024, creative pursuits took Jay and me around Colorado, Utah, Kentucky (I’m from there, just felt like that required further explanation), New Mexico, and eventually to France and Italy. We imagined many projects so I’m just now really sitting back and taking stock of last year and what we can make happen in 2025. Magical thinking I’ve already shared what jumpstarted our ongoing filmmaking exploits. Right after that conversation, Jay, Maple, and I headed to Salida, Colorado which has become a bit of tradition for us each January.

Moonstone Cottage on the South Arkansas River in Salida, Colorado, January 2024.

Moonstone Cottage was more extraordinary this year than ever. I know this photo looks illustrated, heavily-filtered, or AI-generated, but I swear it was taken with my iPhone while waiting for Maple to “get ready for bed.” It completely captured the spirit of the place. As it turns out sometimes the best things happen when you least expect them, waiting in the cold and dark for a dog to pee (see above), OR getting unexpectedly laid off from your job, like I did. Which is what precipitated the Anything conversation, and the dangerous thinking that took place after. Gotta be honest. I’ve had my moments of self doubt, frustration, and sheer terror this year, but mostly I’ve channeled my energy into what I wanted to do next. My default state is to assume everything is going to work out, magically, then doing things to make it so. I ignored the impulse and seeming futility of immediately sending out a flurry of resumes and got to a place of appreciating the opportunity. I came to see this time as a gift.

A scary ass gift

If you’ve never been to Colorado, what are you waiting for? If you’ve never been to Salida, you should go. And, if you get the chance to stay at Moonstone, you should take it.

Brown dogs of Salida— (Left) Maple relaxes in front of the stove at the cottage. (RIght) a good coffee shop in charming downtown Salida (pronounced Suh-lie-duh).

The cottage is warm and cozy. The town is quaint and calm. Both are inspiring and Jay and I poured our creativity into launching the Adjacent Lab website from here. We didn’t have a specific goal in mind, although we weren’t opposed to some freelance work coming our way.  It became the foundation for everything we’ve worked on this year as we ventured down this path less traveled. What 's your Anything? Maybe it’s closer than you think. Maybe it starts like I did. Thinking a little dangerously.