Sunday 12/31/23

December 30, 2023

On Sundays I reflect.

I didn’t drink alcohol this week. I haven’t had a drink since I got back from Miami. My relationship with alcohol has been a long standing struggle, and I’m feeling like I’m at a good place with things. Still, it would probably be better if I didn’t drink at all.

With 2023 coming to a close I’ve been thinking a lot about the year ahead. Among many other changes in my life that I have made this year, I have decided that after tonight I will be taking a break from smoking.

Writing this statement, which I’ve recently shared with close friends and family but not many others, gives me anxiety.

I’ve been smoking more than half my life and I think I can say with a few 24-48 hour exceptions I’ve been stoned for the last fifteen years. 10 days in Brazil back in 2014 is the longest break I can remember.

For me it’s a relationship to the process and the habit, that will be terribly difficult to break. I’m glad to have support in my life to be able to tackle this now. It will not be easy for me to change this behavior, but it feels necessary.

In some ways I’m feeling stagnant. I’m looking at this as an opportunity for growth, and maybe after some time apart I’ll be able to incorporate marijuana into my routine in a way different from my current practice.

For now I have a lot to focus on both personally and professionally. It’s been a hell of a year.

Our industry has been going through an evolution and the market has changed a lot. It’s not the same as it was when people were sitting at home during lockdown with nothing else to do or spend money on, now the world has opened back up and the economy has changed.

For the last few weeks I have been driving for a black car service as a way to alleviate some of the pressure I feel from bills keeping our operation going. If you haven’t heard from me much this month, it’s because once we wrapped up Miami I came back to the mountains to start getting after the holiday season.

I’ve also been spending more time on my personal life, a line I often struggle to define between Business Ben and “Just Ben”. Over the last few months I’ve begun a relationship with a very special woman who inspires me every day. She’s actually arriving to Vail today and we’ll get to spend New Year’s Eve together riding our snowboards and enjoying each other’s company.

I’ve also been prioritizing my time outside on my snowboard getting close to 10 days on the hill so far with plans to ride more after the driving gig slows down and more snow piles up.

Overall this Boro year of mine being 33 has been full of growth and change and I can’t wait to see what’s coming next. I’m excited about art projects I plan to bring alive next year, and about shows we are already planning around the country. Our team is growing together and it feels really good to be where we’ve gotten to.

There are constant challenges along the way, every day. It definitely hasn’t been an easy year.

I’m beyond grateful to more people than I can list for supporting the vision year after year. It’s a real honor to be doing what we’re here doing.

I cut all my hair off this year after at least a decade of being a long hair (and really most of my life). Change is the only constant, and I’m trying to better embrace the changes in my life.

Thank you so much for being a part of my journey, and supporting our team. I can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store for us.

Happy New Years!