Reflecting on the small moments that made 2019 unforgettable
It’s only when you pause and look back that you realise how many memories were packed into a single year. There were overseas family trips across a few countries, getting back into surfing and skateboarding as life eased up a bit and the kids got older, plus a few bigger life moments and upgrades in between. Nothing dramatic on its own, but together it added up to a year that felt pretty full.
I’ve always found life is made up of small moments at the intersections of everyday life. Connections, conversations, shared experiences, and the little adventures in between.
Family & friends
- My little boy Charlie started school for the first time
- Our family flew to Norway for Rob & Rachel’s wedding, my wife’s sister
- Spent a family holiday in Golden Bay, New Zealand with Blair, Carly and their kids
- Somehow talked our way into a Michelin-starred restaurant in Norway with our two kids in tow
- Took the kids to 6 countries in one trip: Singapore, England, Wales, the Netherlands, Norway and Australia
- Visited Chester Zoo in England and got up close to a rhino
- Took Charlie to Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England, for his first ever roller coaster
- Picked skateboarding back up after 30 years away, and now take the kids to skate parks all over Wellington
Travel & experiences
- Surfed a perfectly formed artificial wave at Adventure Parc in Snowdonia, Wales
- Bodyboarded down the massive sand dunes at Castlepoint, New Zealand
- Built a self-standing surfboard rack out of old wooden pallets
- Bought a new house, currently being built, with a move-in date of late 2020
Music & culture
- TOOL finally released their long-awaited album, “Fear Inoculum”
- Booked tickets to see TOOL live in 2020 with Ali for the Fear Inoculum Tour
- Booked tickets to see Metallica in 2019 with a friend, the concert was cancelled, but we still made the trip to Auckland for two days
Work & life
- Tried vodka infused with cold brew coffee for the first time, unexpectedly good
- Worked alongside some genuinely great people at Dave Clark, DAN and ANZ
- Moved to a four-day work week for a better balance between work and everything else
- Made surfing and studying a real priority again, not just an afterthought
- Kept up a healthy routine, training 5 to 6 times a week
- Completed several UX design certifications through the Interaction Design Foundation
- Marked my 40th birthday with a Rocket Espresso Maker (Mozzafiato Evoluzione R), yep, I actually turned 40
Looking back on 2019
2019 wasn’t defined by one thing, but it was made up of some very significant moments. First days of school, weddings, travel across multiple countries, and big shifts in how daily life was structured.
At the time, none of it sat separately. It was all happening alongside work, routines, and everything in between. So it didn’t feel like a “defined” year, just life moving quickly through different parts of it. Looking back, those moments don’t feel small at all. They’re just part of a much bigger mix that made the year what it was.
