Close to six years have passed since the closure of my private practice, the decision marking a far earlier departure from my career than what I’d imagined. But then, 2020 was a year at variance from what any of us had imagined. The particulars of our stories vary, but for me a convergence of circumstances… COVID, the closure of the West Seattle Bridge, an unexpected move to Colorado to help care for a terminally ill family member, adjusting to remote work with patients… abruptly washed away my comfortable, curated professional routine.

In retrospect, the collective force of those realities seems reduced somehow, less a tsunami and more a brief tidal surge. In time, the pandemic resolved, the bridge reopened, and remote patient care became a standard, a preference even for patients and health care professionals alike. But so it goes with hindsight. One can conjure so many alternative routes and possibilities when one is free and clear of the storm.

In any case, here I am in 2026, retired and settling into a differently curated routine. I’ve become involved in several nonprofit organizations. I’ve become engaged with local government. I’ve adopted a dog. And above and beyond all that day to day buzz of my calendar, is the freedom I now have to spend time with family and friends. It taken a while, but I would describe myself as content in this next phase of my life.