2024 Yearly Recap
I don’t feel that 2024 passed by quickly, but that I passed quickly through 2024. Writing this post feels like taking a big breath in after a dead sprint - a year long dead sprint. I started off the year with the intention of staving off the dreadful seasonal depression that usually plagues me for the first quarter of the year. This intentionality ended up sticking throughout the year and as I look back on it, nearly everything I did this year had some thinking behind it. In years past, there are always sections of time where I feel like a passive observer in my own life and am simply trying to keep up. As a result, I end the year sometimes feeling like the victim of a mugging. It all happens so fast and before I know it, a whole year has been stolen by the plethora of demands on my time. This year, although I was busy like any other year, I felt an active energy propelling me through everything. Nearly every trip, decision, or action felt considered by me as opposed to forced upon me - for better or worse. To that end, let’s begin the recap. Starting off with quick fire highlights and lowlights and then breaking down the year month by month before diving into my typical habit and media data!
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HIGHLIGHTS (limited myself to 5): this was very hard to narrow down, this was a very good year for me.
Getting Wisp! (My kitten)
Traveling alone with my parents for the first time
Presenting at a large conference for work. Presented to an audience of ~500 people!
Getting promoted
Doing my first proper outdoor multi-pitch lead climb
LOWLIGHTS (limited to 5): literally thought about this for more than an hour and this is all I can come up with. Very very grateful.
Re-org at work. This caused months of churn and anxiety for me.
Spent an entire vacation very sick. I’m lucky to not get sick very often but when I do it can really put me out.
Onto the month by month break down: I’ve added in flight data this year because I track these anyways and most of my months are defined by travel.
January (Flights: 2)
The year started off in Medellin, Colombia and Panama City which were the tail end of my Christmas trip. Immediately following that I decided to publish my 2023 recap post as my first Substack post! I made the aforementioned winter bucket list to stave off seasonal depression so spent the rest of the month reconnecting with friends and trying new soup recipes.
February (Flights: 2)
In February, I took a quick trip to LA to see my girlfriends and we did a day trip to Santa Barbara which was so relaxing. I got to meet my friend’s new puppy and just get some quiet quality time with them. At the end of the month, I saw Dune 2 which is the first movie I’ve seen twice in theaters since I can even remember.
March (Flights: 4)
In March I went to Austin, Texas to visit another college friend and it was my first time seeing her new house and just getting to see her life. At this stage of my friendships, I truly just like seeing how my friends live and getting to be with them through their daily routines rather than always having a big agenda planned. The following weekend me and my boyfriend went to Banff and Lake Louise to do some skiing for his birthday! I hadn’t been there since 2018 and it was his first time so it was nice to be able to share such a beautiful place with him.
April (Flights: 0)
In April, perhaps one of the biggest changes took place - we got a kitten! His name is Wisp! And he brings us just as much joy now as when we got him. April was also the only month this year with no travel. However, I was definitely kept busy enough since my company announced a re-org. Although I wasn’t laid off, it was the first time I’d undergone such a big organizational change that had direct impact on my scope. It created a lot of churn at my job and I grieved the loss of my old team which I had really grown to love. Despite getting Wisp, I was pretty down this month due to this change.
May (Flights: 4)
Consequently, May held a lot of uncertainty at work and a trip to Seattle to kick off our new organizational structure. It was frustrating to be shuffled around with no regard as to the original type of role I had signed on for but I told myself to give it a chance. Thankfully, the month also provided me a couple ways to detach from all the work stress. My sister’s birthday was in May and I took them to an AnimeCon and the end of the month ended with a girls trip in Miami with my college girlfriends, our first beach trip together!
June (Flights: 4)
In June, I mostly lied low at home and enjoyed the warm weather in Chicago. Work wise - I presented at a large conference for the first time ever which had me on high for weeks! I even wrote about it here. I also found out that my promotion was approved, so despite all the work uncertainty, I was still able to reap some rewards for all my precious hard work. The timing here truly was perfect because I took off to Greece and Italy for the majority of July.
July (Flights: 4)
In July, I left for Greece right at the beginning of the month. I worked for a few days from there before taking a couple weeks off. The start of this trip was special since I was there with just my parents - maybe the first time ever I’ve been there just the three of us. We spent a few days on an island together and I’m very glad I got to do that with them. Then my sister and boyfriend arrived and we traveled to another island before my boyfriend and I went to the Dolomites in Italy for our own part of the trip. Overall, a great month of travel.
August (Flights: 4)
Upon my return in August I found out I yet again had brand new scope at work and this project was brutal to start. There were multiple late nights through this month and I don’t remember too much from this time other than work. I had to go to Seattle again as part of this new project but was able to bookend that trip with my good friend’s bridal shower and bachelorette party in San Jose and Paso Robles respectively.
September (Flights: 4)
In September my new project was still difficult but started to stabilize and I only had to travel once to Portland for work. The highlights of the month were going to see Hans Zimmer live with my sister, which was truly such a full circle moment for us, and seeing one of my oldest friends get married in Boston.
October (Flights: 2)
At the beginning of October I was feeling extra grateful since I got to see two separate friends who were visiting Chicago from out of town. Work finally started to become normal again, and at the end of the month it was back to LA to be in my friend’s wedding! I am in the season of life with so many weddings but I still enjoy every single one.
November (Flights 2)
The election ugh.
Other than that, November has followed a pattern for the past few years. My company has a large conference at the end of the month and work becomes a final sprint to prepare for that. In between all of that, I usually go to Arizona with my boyfriend to see his family the weekend before Thanksgiving, and then come back to see my family for the actual Thanksgiving holiday day. This year followed that exact pattern yet again. But this year we brought Wisp to Arizona with us! We also did a massive outdoor climb which was my first time truly leading on a multi-pitch route outside so that was a big personal accomplishment for me.
December (Flights: 4)
The home stretch. At this point in the year, I just wanted to finish work and make it to the holidays. The month held one last small trip to NY to surprise a friend for her birthday and I then ended the year in Niseko, Japan for some amazing skiing.
Flight total: 36
HABIT DATA
Let’s move on to the data part. I still enjoy tracking my habits, my media consumption, new restaurants tried, and favorite products. Nearly all of my habits fell within the 1% difference range from 2023 so I am tracking VERY consistently across 2 years now.
Language: I studied language an average of 27.8 days per month this year. I continue to do flashcards near daily and weekly language lessons with tutors. I don’t have too many other goals in this area other than to remain consistent and maybe expand my practice to reading books regularly and watching more TV in those languages.
Workouts: I worked out an average of 21.4 days per month. This is pretty even with last year but I will say that I don’t feel as regular in this area as in years past. I had more last minute travel and a lot of changes to my routine so even though I stayed consistent with the habit I don’t feel like I made any progress in any one area with relation to fitness.
Stretching: Stretching is up to 17 days per month. This habit is strongly tied to my workout habit - where I usually only stretch if I worked out. This habit has always flagged so I may need to rethink ways to get this one to at least at par with my workout numbers.
Water: My water goal is to drink 2L of water per day and I hit this an average of 19.9 days per month. A lot of travel definitely makes this one a bit harder to hit but I’m not unhappy with this number.
Climbing: This year, I climbed an average of 3.8 days per month. This dropped from 5 in 2023, which dropped from 7 in 2022. Because I do most of my climbing on weekends, and was traveling for many weekends this year, this number continues to get hit. However, it has been interesting to note that my abilities have not declined too horribly although my habit has lessened. However, I will need to reconcile the fact that my skills will plateau unless I get this number back up a bit.
Writing/Content: Anything related to writing or making something (video, drawing, etc.) gets counted in this space. This year, I returned to writing on a monthly basis so I averaged about 4 days of creating each month. I think writing monthly has been a good cadence for me so I intend to continue! And I’d like to expand to other forms of creating even if I never publish them anywhere.
MEDIA DATA
Starting in 2020, I tracked all the media I consumed and I’m so glad I started, I love love love going back over these lists. In 2024, I read 46 books (eleven more than last year), watched 57 new movies (three less than last year), and watched 38 new shows or new seasons of shows (5 more than last year). I also finished 1 game! My very first completed game ever.
My reading habit this year focused on fiction but encompassed a wide range within that. I developed the habit of reading two books at once. At any one time, I am reading a physical book before I go to bed but then I have books on my kindle so I can easily read while traveling or on the go. I read classic sci-fi, contemporary fiction, fantasy, and thrillers and some of my favorite books ever were discovered this year!
Favorite Books: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu, Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang, Blood Over Brighthaven by M.L. Wang, the Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, the Jade Saga by Fonda Lee, The Will of the Many by James Islington
Number one pick if you held a knife to my throat? Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
Movies remained relatively the same for me. I continue to lose passion in this area as there are so many bad movies nowadays that it is often a whole labor in and of itself to find movies worth watching in the first place. As such, my movie list mostly contains movies that have been out for years that I only now got around to watching. I especially made an attempt this year to watch more Studio Ghibli movies.
Favorite Movies: Whisper of the Heart, the Wind Rises, Dune 2, Anatomy of a Fall, Nimona, Shakespeare in Love, Grave of the Fireflies
Number one pick if you held a knife to my throat? Dune 2
TV watching was up a bit for me this year. A lot of new seasons of shows I’m already invested in came out and it was simply a good year for TV - I enjoyed the majority of new shows I watched as well. Similar to 2023, I will note that I spent a good portion of the year obsessed with playing Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild and replaced TV time with this in many instances. However, it resulted in my finally finishing this game after 4 years of working on it! This is quite an accomplishment for someone who has quite literally never finished a game before in their life.
Favorite TV Shows: Invincible, Shogun, Apothecary Diaries, Frieren, Fallout, Interview with the Vampire, Arcane S2, Dandadan
Number one pick if you held a knife to my throat? Arcane S2 - just no contest
You can find the full list of everything I watched or read below in the Index.
Finance data
Last but not least - I tracked my finances. I made about 20k more this year since my promotion came through in the middle of the year. My money was allocated roughly the same percentage wise, but my spending in almost every category went up. I was able to invest 50k on top of my retirement accounts (+20% from 2023) but I am disappointed in myself for going so far off the rails in my restaurant and shopping spending. My biggest financial goals for the upcoming year are to develop easy frameworks for me to follow to prevent going overboard in these categories when it just isn’t necessary.
INDEX:
Would love any comments with your top picks for the year! I’m always looking to try new media, restaurants, and products!
Favorite Products:
I revamped my skincare routine this year as part of my attempt to mitigate my rosacea so many of my favorite products are part of that routine. The following are standouts that are new 2024 additions:
VT Reedle Shot 100 Essence: this stuff offers the perfect amount of daily exfoliation for my sensitive skin
Naturium Azelaic Topical Acid 10%: probably the most effective product I’ve used this year in fighting my rosacea flareups
Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream: tried a bunch of different moisturizers this year that were pretty good and this one is probably the best
The rest of my favorite products are just the items that I obtained this year that I used or loved the most -
Paravel Rove Backpack: received this as a gift for a new work backpack and it is the perfect combination of functional and stylish. I use it daily for work as well as on trips.
Djerf Avenue Forever Blazer: I know there’s new controversy surrounding this company but I got this blazer early in the year and I’ve yet to find an outfit it doesn’t go with. I can use it for work, as an overcoat for a formal outfit, or just to add some coverage on a brisk day.
Reformation Cashmere sweaters: I have a couple styles of Reformation cashmere (boyfriend sweater and Jadey oversized v-neck) and I’m obsessed. They are so soft and warm and the cashmere is surprisingly easy to care for with the right detergent.
Spinelli Kilcollin Solarium SG Ring: another gift. I wanted this ring all of 2023 and received it as a birthday present. I wore it almost every single day of 2024 and I don’t foresee any stopping.
Bydee Bikini in Portofino print: I buy new bikinis every year. They are my vice. It’s actually a problem since I live in the Midwest, but this bikini has gotten the most compliments out of any of my suits in the last couple years!
Below is the full index of books, movies, TV shows, and restaurants that were new for me in 2024. If you want to know what I thought of each one - you can view the corresponding post for each month to see my reviews.
Books: The title of the book is followed by the author, the page count, and the date of completion.
I’m a Fan - Sheena Patel (216) 1/2
All Night Pharmacy - Ruth Madievsky (283) 1/2
Y/N - Esther Yi (209) 1/6
Minor Detail - Adania Shibli (133) 1/9
Comfort Me With Apples - Catherynne M Valente (105) 1/11
The Final Curtain - Keigo Higashino (390) 1/19
I’m Glad My Mom Died - Jennette McCurdy (310) 1/26
The Island of Missing Trees - Elif Shafak (350) 1/28
The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel Van Der Kolk (645) 2/28
Yellowface - RF Kuang (323) 3/3
Red Rising - Pierce Brown (386) 3/7
Golden Son - Pierce Brown (448) 3/20
Morningstar - Pierce Brown (525) 4/19
Dune - Frank Herbert (880) 4/24
Familiar - Leigh Bardugo (385) 5/7
All The Lovers in The Night (221) - Mieko Kawakami (6/5)
Bloody, slutty, and Pathetic - WhatMurdah (430) 6/10 (FANFIC - counting it because it was so long)
Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert (336) 6/21
Hell Bent - Leigh Bardugo (485) 6/23
The Gloriana Set - ThebeMoon 6/26
Piranesi - Susanna Clarke (245) 7/3
The Next Mrs Parrish - Liv Constantine (323) 7/4
Carnality - Lina Wolff (364) 7/7
One Italian Summer - Rebecca Serle. (260) 7/8
Finna - Nino Cipri (108) 7/9
Peach Blossom Spring - Melissa Fu (388) 7/10
Lies & Weddings - Kevin Kwan (440) 7/18
Stars & Smoke - Marie Lu (328) 7/19
Translation State - Annie Leicke (423) 7/27
Sword of Kaigen - ML Wang (630) 7/29
Blood Over Bright Haven - ML Wang (431) 8/3
Bullshit Jobs - David Graeber (285) 8/22
Jade City - Fonda Lee (563) 8/23
The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa (274) 9/20
Tatami Galaxy - Tomihiko Morimi (336) 10/11
Jade War - Fonda Lee (591) 10/18
Jade Legacy - Fonda Lee (717) 10/23
Communion - Bell Hooks (244) 10/31
The Will of the Many - James Islington (632) 11/3
Storm front (Dresden files) - Jim Butcher (312) 11/12
Bunny - Mona Awad (307) 11/18
Children of Dune - Frank Herbert (608) 12/4
The Vegetarian - Han Kang (219) 12/11
Foundation - Isaac Asimov (296) 12/20
All My Rage - Sabaa Tahir (377) 12/21
Invisible Helix - Keigo Higashino (277) 12/26
Movies
Whisper of the Heart
Poor Things
Self Reliance
Fair play
Oldboy
Saving Private Ryan
Upgraded
The Wind Rises
Only Yesterday
Porco Rosso
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
A Few Good Men
Migration
Dune Part 2
Pineapple Express
Damsel
The Cat Returns
The Secret World of Arrietty
Anyone But You
Anatomy of a Fall
Kill Bill Vol.2
Event Horizon
Thunderball
Nimona
When Marnie Was There
Triangle of Sadness
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Hit Man
Practical Magic
Across the Spider Verse
The Women
Venom
Bridget Jones Diary
American Fiction
Bottoms
A Silent Voice
The Fall Guy
Executive Decision
Alien: Romulus
Uptown girls
Smile
Inside Out 2
Players
Challengers
Speak No Evil
As above so below
Four weddings and a funeral
Plus one
The Fugitive
Shakespeare in Love
Fantastic planet
Grave of the Fireflies
Wicked
Gladiator 2
Wild robot
Juror #2
TV Shows
You are what you eat
Marry My Husband
Invincible
Fool Me Once
Apothecary Diaries
Shogun
Hazbin Hotel x2
Frieren
Solo Leveling
Helluva Boss
Vinland Saga S2
Quiet on Set
Fallout
Summertime Rendering
Invincible S2
Station Eleven
Kaiju No.8
Bridgerton S3
Blue Exorcist
Helluva Boss S2
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
The Boys S4
Romantic Killer
My Lady Jane
Demon slayer S4
My Hero Academia S6?
The Bear S3
Emily in Paris S4
Golden Kamuy
Kimi ni Todoke
Selling sunset S8
Maid
Dandadan
Arcane S2
Interview with the vampire
The English Teacher
Black Doves
The Morning Show S1
Restaurants
Favorite Restaurants: I tried 159 new restaurants this year! Number 1 is Asador Bastian and the rest are in no particular order. Borit Gagae (LA), Uovo (LA), Dear Margaret, Ummo, Patio (Athens, Greece), Bisous, Tempura Araki (Niseko, Japan), Bar Gyu+ (Niseko, Japan)
Al Alma (MDE)
La Deriva (MDE)
Diablico’s (PTY)
Black & Caspian
Asador Bastian
Bodega Taqueria
Daebak KBBQ
Ciao Cafe
Borit Gagae (LA)
Yama Sushi (LA)
Saffy’s (LA)
Dart coffee (SB)
Deep Sea (SB)
Loquita (SB)
Layla Bagel (LA)
Uovo (LA)
Schwa
Crushed by Giants
King Smoothie (ATX)
Mañana Coffee (ATX)
Flower Child (ATX)
Banff Avenue Brewing (Banff)
Wallister Strube (lake Louise)
Legends (Lake Louise)
Fairview Bar (Lake Louise)
Three Bears Brewery (Banff)
Wild Flour (Banff)
Local (Calgary)
Maxwell Trading
RL Restaurant
El Tragón Taqueria
Ummo
Dear Margaret
Pearl Room
Bae Cafe
Cafe Korzo
Fioretta
Wilde Mediterranean Bar
Cherry Tree Coffee (Seattle)
Stoup Brewing (Seattle)
Ba Bar (Seattle)
Terra Plata (Seattle)
Bangarak Kitchen (Seattle)
Carrot (Miami)
Havana 1957 (Miami)
Panther Coffee (Miami)
Playa Bowls (Miami)
Mareva 1939 (Miami)
Cafe Bastille (Miami)
Pura Vida (Miami)
Estiatorio Milos (Miami)
Old’s Havana (Miami)
Half Shell
Han Mi Jeong
Keen’s Chophouse (NYC)
Valedor
Enlefko (Syros)
Thessalonikia Bougatsa (Syros)
O γύρος του κόσμου (Σύρος)
4 syros restaurants - name lost
4 syros restaurants - name lost
4 syros restaurants - name lost
4 syros restaurants - name lost
Makarounes (Athens - Peristeri)
3 restaurant peristeri - name lost
3 restaurant peristeri - name lost
3 restaurant peristeri - name lost
Drosia (kefalonia)
Paralos (kefalonia)
Taverna sirtaki (kefalonia)
Tzogias (kefalonia)
3 cafes kefalonia - name lost
3 cafes kefalonia - name lost
3 cafes kefalonia - name lost
La Trappola (Belluno)
Cafe Monica (selva)
Suinson (selva)
Sal Feür (selva)
Ristorante Pizzeria Rino (selva)
Ristorante Pizzeria La Tavernetta (cortina)
Il Vizietto (Cortina)
4 restaurants Dolomites - name lost
4 restaurants Dolomites - name lost
4 restaurants Dolomites - name lost
4 restaurants Dolomites - name lost
Patio (Athens)
Tacombi
Dearly Beloved
Zataar (SF)
Casco antigua (Seattle)
Mainstay provisions (Seattle)
Mamnoon street (Seattle)
Vinason (Seattle)
Evergreens (Seattle)
Stable (SF)
Castoro cellars (Paso Robles)
Alchemist garden (Paso Robles)
Booker winery (Paso Robles)
Tooth and nail (Paso Robles)
Etta pasta bar (paso robles)
Cane tiki room (Paso Robles)
Daeho (SF)
Lola’s
Scratch board Kitchen
Rontom’s (Portland)
Mediterranean Exploration Company (Portland)
Victoria Bar (Portland)
Hypnos coffee (Portland)
Hengry Dumpling House (Portland)
Boston harbor hotel (Boston)
Tatte (Boston)
Tamu
Alinea
Miss Saigon
Oliver’s
Bisous
Pitaki
Angel trumpet ale house (phx)
Toro (Scottsdale)
Elina’s
Cafe Luluc (NY)
Maman (NY)
Zero Otto Nove (NY)
At The Venue (NY)
Hanamizuki (NY)
Super taste (NY)
Chicha San Chen (NY)
Riccardo’s Osteria
Yayoiken (shinjuku Tokyo)
Shinpachi shokudo seibu (shinjuku Tokyo)
Coffee aristocrat Edinburgh (shinjuku Tōkyō)
Ramen Alley (Tokyo station)
Torigen (Tokyo station)
Sukiya (Tokyo)
Komora Soba (Tokyo)
Age 3 (Tokyo)
Mita Gyokai Center (Tokyo)
Haneda Airport Soba Cafe (Tokyo)
Soumaya Udon (Sapporo)
Soft Cream House (Sapporo)
The Meat Shop (Sapporo)
Mister Donut (Sapporo)
Biei Udon (shirogane falls)
Fuwawa (Asahikawa)
Sharon coffee and flower (Otaru)
Cotaru (Otaru)
Le Tao (Otaru)
Kougetsu Izakaya (Niseko Hirafu)
Cafe Cubanos (Niseko Hirafu)
Ace Grill (Grand Hirafu gondola restaurant)
Lupicia (Niseko Hirafu)
Green Farm Deli Cafe (Niseko Hirafu)
Lookout Cafe (Niseko Mountain)
Shirakaba (Niseko Hirafu)
Tempura Araki (Niseko Hirafu)
Bar Gyu+ (Niseko Hirafu)
Manten Gyoza Niseko (Food truck yard Hirafu)
Gogyo Ramen (Niseko-yo)
Izakaya R (Niseko Hirafu)
