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Hi! I\u2019ve missed you! I am grateful for your support and hope you\u2019re enjoying Bike Summer \u2014 or just summer even if it doesn\u2019t include as much \u201cbike\u201d as you\u2019d like. It\u2019s been a minute since my last check-in and it\u2019s time to share an update on what I\u2019ve been doing and thinking since I announced<\/a> a hiatus from BikePortland.<\/p>\n But first\u2026 thanks for coming to the 20th anniversary party<\/a>! It was a night I\u2019ll never forget and I truly appreciate each and every person who was there. Nice things were said, hugs were given, food was eaten, and we sold 10 cases and two kegs of (very delicious) Bike Happy Pale Ale! Migration hit it out of the park with that beer and I highly recommend trying it before it\u2019s gone (4-packs still available at their various locations).<\/p>\n In some respects, that big party felt like closure. It tied a bow on 20-plus years of hard work and a part of me felt like, \u201cOK, that was great. I did something special. Now I can move on.\u201d And in some ways, this hiatus is a trial run of what it would feel like if I did<\/em> move on.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the first time in over two decades I\u2019ve completely turned off BikePortland. And oh, what a feeling! Yes, I\u2019ve been on a few vacations where I didn\u2019t actively post or create content, but the work remained in the back of my mind: Not turned off, just turned to a lower volume. This time has felt very different. And it has felt good. It has given me the space to breathe, to let other things into my life, and to get a more objective read on my relationship to BikePortland and the community.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve also listened to and read a lot of feedback from you. I\u2019ve heard loud and clear that the platform, leadership, and information provided by BikePortland remains vital and necessary. In recent weeks I\u2019ve also met with a bunch of people. They\u2019ve been sounding boards and advice-givers. They\u2019ve helped open some doors and close others.<\/p>\n Those meetings, along with having time to think, has helped me discover that being \u201cthe BikePortland guy\u201d was amazing and wonderful in many ways; but it has also extracted a lot out of me and it\u2019s no longer my preferred state of being. I want to be more than BikePortland, but my previous relationship with it didn\u2019t leave room for that. Going forward, I want to find someone else to take the reins \u2014 or at least share them with me. I want BikePortland to relaunch; but with me playing a different role. Whether I become BikePortland\u2019s publisher (sort of like CEO), editor in chief (final decision maker in charge of editorial direction), just a contributor, or something else, remains to be seen. It all depends on what grows from the seeds I\u2019ve already planted, and what might yet still bloom in the near future.<\/p>\n On that note, you should know that I\u2019m exploring other opportunities. I\u2019ve loved building BikePortland; now I want to build something else. Whether it\u2019s on my own or (preferably!) with a team of other passionate people doing cool things. I\u2019ve already started building a place for myself in the local basketball world, and that\u2019s an area I plan to continue pursuing. And while I take a shot at basketball, look for help with a BikePortland relaunch, I\u2019m also open to something different. On that note, I might have an exciting opportunity in the local media. If that opportunity materializes, and if I choose to take it, it would solidify my path considerably.<\/p>\n As to all the questions about Bike Happy Hour: That weekly gathering continues (and makes its first reappearance at Gorges Beer Co. on Southeast Ankeny Rainbow Road today from 4:00 to 7:00 pm<\/a>!), but with a new host at the helm. I\u2019m stepping back and letting the folks from BikeLoud PDX take over as organizers.<\/p>\n To recap: A BikePortland relaunch, a second career as a basketball coach, a new job unrelated to BikePortland \u2014 if my path still seems unclear, that\u2019s because it is! And that\u2019s O.K. Having options is the point. And taking time to consider them is the right move for me.<\/p>\n So like I mentioned above, if you want to be a part of BikePortland\u2019s next chapter, please contact me! And if you or your business\/organization is doing something cool and could use someone with my unique set of skills and experiences, let\u2019s talk. The best way to reach me is via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n I appreciate your ongoing support.<\/p>\n Stay tuned, and I\u2019ll see you in the streets.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n