McClarKinnon Adventures — Justin’s Favorite Photos in 2019
<written by Justin>
For the past few years, I’ve looked through the photos of the past year on New Years Day and selected a favorite from each month. It’s a great way to reflect on the last 12 months while looking forward to the future. While sharing the photos this year was delayed due to the flu, here are my favorite images or videos from each month in 2019. Thank you to everyone who helped to make 2019 such a wonderful year (even if you aren’t included in the photos!)
January
On January 1, Tessa, P, and I hiked an area of the Oakland hills we had never visited. In retrospect, it was fitting that we started 2019 exploring somewhere new and had to climb over obstacles along the path.
February
We planned a trip to SD and LA to visit family and friends, which coincided with my sister and her daughter visiting. We took this photo while enjoying Balboa Park. P & I were elated to be able to see friends in SD, spend quality time with my mom, and see Autumn and Jenn before we moved. Not to mention getting some awesome Mexican food!
March
One of my absolute favorite photos from 2019: Danny and I had an evening that mirrored many we spent together in our 20s. We went to a rock concert where Danny raved about the headliner, and I obsessed about the opening act. We got sweaty standing in the front row and lost some hearing. We also shared a beer before the show — 15 years ago, it was Natural Ice or PBR; on this day, it was a KBS. Some things change, some don’t.
April
Our last Saturday night in the Bay Area was spent with Kristen, Todd, and the kids. We played at a playground, walked around Lake Merritt, ate Thai food, and made each other laugh. It was an evening similar to the many Saturday nights we spent in the Bay Area and is one of the things we miss the most after moving away.
May
Our three months in Barcelona was a whirlwind and felt like it happened three years ago. There are many great photos from our time here, but we’ve always especially loved this one. After Tessa accompanied us on a Gaudi-themed walking tour, she got to play with other dogs in the shadow of Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s most famous work.
June
Paige’s parents were our first visitors abroad, and we had a fantastic weekend in Barcelona. Tessa was elated to see them, and we got to share some of our favorite “local” spots. This visit to Hofmann Pastisseria was a highlight for everyone!
July
We tried to explore Croatia as much as we could in July while balancing some pressing work demands. This video is from a hike we took in Samobor, about 35km outside of Zagreb. The castle was built in 1260 and is now abandoned and overgrown. It was gorgeous, and we enjoyed exploring it. Fun fact we learned: Jackie Chan almost died here filming Armour of God in 1986; he fell during a stunt and needed brain surgery.
August
We met Paige’s sister, bro-in-law, and their kids while they were on holiday in London. It was an amazing time and we saw many sites. But the best part was watching the kids absorb their surroundings, finding joy and interest in different places. While we have tons of great photos together from this trip, these two of Finley ALWAYS make me laugh.
September
As we settled in Berlin, we were lucky to have ten friends (plus kids) from San Diego and LA visit. This mostly candid photo (Nick is obviously posing) is the perfect snapshot of our time together — exploring the city, catching up with old friends, telling stories, and laughing — a lot.
October
We took this photo after getting our Visas approved to work and live in Germany. Paige and I began talking about living abroad in 2016. In January 2019, we came up with a plan to finally go for it. We know it would push ourselves out of our comfort zone and we would need to work our tails off. And it actually worked. It was a long journey with ups and downs to get to this moment. For several years before we left, I had regular appointments with a therapist in Oakland. One of the things that I worked on was actually letting myself be receptive to the good moments; I often carry a lot of anxiety about what was next or I felt that I didn’t deserve or earn the happy experiences. This photo was taken at a moment of pure joy — that I felt at the time and feel every time I see it.
November
There are times when we felt guilty dragging Tessa and Gizmo on our journey this year. Gizmo hated the car rides and Tessa struggled with 5 floor walk-ups in the middle of a hot summer. However, this pup LOVES the colder Berlin weather and getting so much attention from new friends (and strangers). Her personality continues to grow and evolve as we do. This photo ended up being used in a blog post at Paige’s work (Dog Liability Insurance is a thing in Germany!). Additionally, on our travels this year, she has been featured on social media for a walking tour in Spain and a pet sitter in Croatia. She’s as worldly as we are!
December
While we are no longer nomadic, we still plan to travel and explore as much as possible. So in December, we took a weekend to travel south to Nuremberg. This video captures the beauty and insanity of the Nürnberg Christmas Market. It is considered, by some, as the most beautiful Christmas Market in Germany. It was gorgeous and incredibly busy (described by a local as “heavy-metal!”). We took the video from a church balcony overlooking the market on Friday night (bonus photo after, with the church in it).
