I certainly did PERSEVERE through 2024 as I intended, but I admit that I fell into quite a few slumps along the way. I could easily go into all the ways I “failed” but since I no longer have that outlook, we’re going to celebrate everything that was amazing!
A month in my 2023 Hobonichi Techo.
In 2023, I used my Hobonichi Techo to do a daily drawing. It was fun just to capture a doodle.
In 2024, I picked out something from each day that I was thankful for. Here are some random excerpts:
Feb 17: The floor is GUAVA!
Apr 23: Fajitas!
Jun 10: Evening walk with Mark and Sofs
Aug 24: Night swimming
Oct 22: Sofs made chocolate chip cookies
Dec 2: Ground covered in ginkgo leaves
I love those moments! I had to go to the journal entry on Feb 17 to figure out what the heck the guava meant. Turns out we had played Moving Out that evening. Haha! Super fun and hilarious couch co-op. Highly recommend.
I also really like this planner for quick journaling. There’s no pressure for me to go into all the details of my day, but I can look back and see where I struggled, what brought me joy, what I wanted to do or remember. So naturally I got another Hobonichi Techno for 2025! And how cute is this SPYxFAMILY theme?!
The SPYxFAMILY theme for my 2025 planner is so perfect! I ordered matching accessories!
A Look Back at 2024
Ok, I’m done being the unofficial Hobonichi spokesperson!
Our home became the scene of a murder mystery.
2024 was speedy with some major milestones: I turned 50 and Sofs graduated from middle school!
We had the opportunity to see the relic of St. Jude (his arm bone) and visited the National Center for Padre Pio in Pennsylvania with my parents.
We were able to enjoy Chef Krinn’s latest masterpiece: Elyse, a speakeasy-esque restaurant. We went back in March before he opened it up to the general public and cannot wait to go back. It was (unsurprisingly) so good!
The Haikyu!! movie, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, was finally released and we saw it in the theatre twice (it was SO good).
We went to see Distant Worlds at DAR Constitution Hall (the last time we saw Distant Worlds was at Carnegie Hall in 2018). The music has always been so inspirational to me.
We revisited Kure Beach, NC for our summer vacation, eating all the best food in Wilmington. In the fall, we hosted a Murder Mystery with a fun Napa Valley-themed menu. How fancy does it sound when I say I made Chai Tea Panna Cotta from scratch? I impressed myself.
We started watching K-Dramas and are HOOKED. I mean, we were no strangers to Korean film, but these (mostly) light-hearted romances have been so fun and addictive. And, yes, of course we’re watching Squid Game as well. I have a list on my About page if you want to squeeee over anything together!
All the K-Pop Concerts!
2024 brought three of my favorite K-Pop groups to DC. We saw Tomorrow x Together in June (Sofs and I last saw them in May 2023), ATEEZ in August and NCT Dream in September (Mark, Sofs, and I saw them at the Jingle Ball in Dec 2023). This year, we had friends and a cousin with us which made the experiences extra fun.
If you received a Christmas card from us, you would have seen our songs from 2024. I’ll add them here (plus a bonus) so you can easily click to the music videos! You’re so welcome!
Em’s song of 2024: Work, by ATEEZ
Em’s 2024 Song of the Summer: So let’s go see the stars, by Boy Next Door
Mark’s song of 2024: Rain in Heaven, by NCT Dream
Sofs’s song of 2024: Chk Chk Boom, by Stray Kids
pNut’s song of 2024: Pink Pony Club, by Chappell Roan
I would love to listen to your 2024 songs, so comment below!
The Creative Side
I rallied at the end of the year to hit my 40 book goal, finishing two books in the final two weeks! I was at a really good pace at the beginning of the year, then I just slowed down. There was at least one book I probably should have DNFd, but I have a hard time doing that. Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien and A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. were my favorite reads.
I set my 2025 goal to 40 books again this year. It seems to be a good fit for me. I already finished one book, so I think I’m off to a good start. I’m currently reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson which I’ve been meaning to read for years. If you have any recommendations, comment below!
Writing Slump
I’m embarrassed to admit that the writing was terrible last year. I rewrote a few chapters of book 2, but I was so stuck on getting them right that I never moved forward. I ended up in a spiral of negativity that I’ve been trying to claw my way out of the last few months. I’ve been listening to the Writing Excuses podcast and I signed up for a Writing Battle this January to push myself. I will get this book done!
It’s been a running joke with myself that I never get these New Year blog posts out until really late. Last year, I actually posted it in January. This year, I had the outline ready in December. I should have posted sooner, but it’s a mental thing with my writing that I’m trying to get out of. In any case, I’ll take it as a good sign that I can do this. I will do this.
Watercolors for Stress relief
I played more with watercolors this year, not worrying about perfection or being judged. Not sure why I can't get that attitude with my writing! Anyway, I’ve been enjoying it so much that I’m adding it to my list of serious hobbies. I love trying all kinds of crafts and activities, but then I don’t focus and I end up just dabbling with this or that and giving up. My serious activities are the ones I intentionally make time for: reading, writing, and now watercolors. I have listening to music, caring for my plants, exercise, playing video games, watching movies, and watching anime on my semi-serious activities list. Haha…semi-serious.
Full Speed into 2025
As I write this, we already have plans all the way out to July. It makes me feel like we’re already through the year even though we’ve just begun. We’ll visit Nashville for the first time which is pretty exciting! We will also see our first Stray Kids concert in June! We didn’t get to visit a winery last year, so it would be nice to fit that in. And while we don’t currently have beach trip plans, I really do hope we make it out to the ocean—even for a weekend.
I’m looking forward to whisky tastings/dinners with family and fun-themed dinners (JELL-O?!) with friends. I’m excited about birthday and anniversary milestones, short getaways, and enjoying our pool with friends.
One Word
My “One Word” (see 2020 post) selection was a bit of a struggle and was the last piece I needed for this post. I had several in mind, but none of them seemed right. I just changed it again today after watching this video of Fr. Mark-Mary and Brother Isaiah talk about their “catch-phrase” Poco a Poco which means little by little. It really resonated with me.
I tend to avalanche when I get stressed, meaning I start out with something small that bothers me like being unable to rewrite a sentence in my book. Suddenly, it’s not just the sentence. The whole chapter isn’t working. I’ll never finish the book and if I do manage to finish it, it’ll be terrible and nobody will like it and I’m a fraud who will be forever doomed to the drudgery of Excel spreadsheets. It doesn’t stop there, but I’ll spare you the rest of my avalanche.
Therefore, I will adopt Poco a Poco this year. I can write a sentence. See, I already wrote a whole blog post! Tomorrow, I start a 1,000 word story for a Writing Battle. Little by little I can move forward. Poco a poco I will approach each task, each goal. No pressure. Poco a poco!
The Quarter Century
Cocktails and mocktails at 2941 are always a treat!
Friends, we have reached the quarter century point. There’s still war in the world. There’s anxiety about governments and the future.
What will you do about it?
Love your family and your friends. Love yourself. Pray. Be an active part of your communities. Give to those in need. Get away from the screen and experience life. Learn something new. Teach the children in your life something cool. Spend time wisely. Create something. Laugh uncontrollably. Giggle maniacally. Eat something delicious. Celebrate life and all it has to offer.
Poco a poco and cheers to 2025!