Another whirlwind of a year has flown by me. Between keeping up with our stories every week; jumping on board to write a few of my own; and handling the marketing, promotions, and events for the Independent, I often find myself with multiple projects on my desk, the year flying past me as we move onto the next issue or event, and then, all of a sudden, the year is at an end. Even as I write this, I’m somehow always thinking, "All right, what’s next?"
And being in the mix of the business department, I’m already thinking well ahead into next year’s issues, weeks, events, and covers. And as I take a look back on what I got to do this year, I feel excited to know that all of these projects and more will keep me busy in 2026.
This year was filled with so many new options in our Burger Week (where I had a small feature ) and Burrito Week , and introducing Sandwich Week was one of my favorite decisions. The Indy stepped even further into the food and drink corridor this year when we did our Cheese the Day! tasting event , where I got to meet and work with winemakers and chefs from across Santa Barbara County who were leading the night. I also got to put together our Backyard Brunch event , where the Brasscals played as everyone had food and drinks from Goleta and across the county. The proceeds from the brunch go toward our Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund — and there is nothing I would rather be doing than enjoying some wine, beer, and food in beautiful spring weather at a historic place like the Rancho La Patera and Stow House .