- For celebrating Ava's birthday with Kristi, Eric, Chloe, Ava, and some 36-inch doll at the American Girl Cafe in Chicago.
- For visiting Oleg and Sirle in Brussels (and the sauna in the Estonian embassy) as well as St. Nikolaus in Monschau, Germany.
- For laughing with Gabriel Inglesias and Ed, Doreen, Emily, and Shahin at the Rosemont Theater.
- For seeing Mannheim Steamroller with Mom, Dad, and Shahin at the Rialto Square Theater in Joliet (and watching Shahin eat the biggest pancakes he had ever seen).
- For eating Christmas dinner with Kristi, Eric, Chloe, Ava, Mom, Dad, and Sue in Springfield.
- For having lunch with Claudette in Little Village and drinks with Dave in West Town.
- For swimming in the Atlantic Ocean near West Palm Beach, Florida with Maija, Enni, Henri, and his brother (and watching the Super Bowl outside on Clematis Street).
- For attending Taller de Jose's Sixth Annual Builder's Day celebration.
- For spending spring break with five of my former sixth grade students (now 12th graders) and a week with Ed and Rita #1 and #2 in London.
- For dining with Rukiya, Shad, Sammy, Shahin, Arvand, and Suraj in Turkish, English, Indian, and Italian restaurants in London.
- For spending Easter with Mom, Dad, Kristi, Eric, Chloe, Ava, Sue, Stacey, and Dean in Springfield.
- For attending the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo with Tameeka and Josh (and innumerable super heroes).
- For seeing The Book of Mormon with Christy, Victoria, and Cindy (and drinking at Monk's Pub afterwards) and Kinky Boots with Rita (and having drinks at Monk's Pub beforehand).
- For distributing hundreds of eggplant-coloured tchotchkes with my Saint Anthony Hospital colleagues in Chicago's Cinco de Mayo parade along Cermak Road.
- For helping 250 children make tie-dye shirts with my Saint Anthony colleagues and some of their family members at Summer Fest.
- For riding Divvy bikes to the 31st Street beach with Sammy and his friend and eating at Nando's first-ever restaurant in Chicago with Sammy, Christy, and Victoria.
- For introducing Fabio and Nabhaan to Rita, Christy, Jim, Paula, and Marty at La Taberna in University Village.
- For attending the Grant Park Music Festival and the Newberry Library's annual Book Fair with Mom and Dad.
- For spending a weekend with Cian at the Fort Worth Stockyards and the Deep Ellum neighborhood in Dallas and watching his friend eat Rocky Mountain oysters for the first time.
- For catching up with my old Y colleagues Odell and Toby.
- For making my connection in Vienna to Tbilisi.
