2023 was a strange year for me, from personal revelations to frustrations at work. I spent a lot of time trying to figure myself out, something that is a little odd to admit as I approach my 45th birthday. One day you think you know who you are. The next you realize how different your perception of self is compared to how others see you.

With all of this on my mind, I spent December 30th revisiting the Loess Hills region of Iowa from Onawa to Cherokee while listening to Thelonious Monk and college football on the radio.