Highlights from the Last 6 Months
Hello! Does this thing even work anymore? It's been a very long time since my last post, and that's mostly because my last few months have been very busy. Between a lot of travel, keeping up a busy social calendar, exercising, and working crazy hours, I kind of let everything else go by the wayside. But- I'm excited to be back and hopefully will post more regularly in 2025! In the meantime, here are a few highlights from the end of 2024 as well as a few favorites from the year.
- I got to see Earth Wind and Fire in concert with Chicago! They're one of my favorite bands so I was really excited to see them. This was also my first concert at Coastal Credit Union, which is a really cool outdoor concert space in Raleigh. I also saw Gerald Albright at the Raleigh Improv and that was a really fun experience.
- I did another sprint triathlon and placed in my age group for the first time. I did the same race last year and took about 10 minutes off my total time which I'm really proud about.
- I visited Paris for the first time! I went with a few girlfriends, and we took a train to the Champagne region for an amazing long weekend. I also got to see wheelchair tennis at the Paralympics (which was being held at Roland Garros where the French Open is played) which was unbelievable. That day I got to spend solo in Paris before meeting up with everyone, and it kind of made me want to travel solo more often (more on that below).
- Dan and I took a trip to Atlanta and crossed off Truist Field from our MLB stadium list. We also got to see Helen, GA and Greensville, SC on the trip, and on a whim I decided to get a new piercing (mid helix- I love it!)
- I did four more successful markets and have really improved my table set up. I'm really loving these and upgraded to have a card reader which makes me feel very official. I have big plans for 2025 and can't wait to get started.
- On a whim I decided to take a solo trip to Boise, Idaho to visit a friend that recently moved there. I was only there for a few days but it was so nice to catch up, go on some hikes, bike to some breweries, and explore her new home. Fun fact- when Dan and I were deciding where to move, our top two choices were Boise and Raleigh.
- Dan and I took an actual vacation to Jamaica with two of our friends! Most of our trips are not relaxing at all and leave us more exhausted afterwards, but this one was true luxury and was just what I needed. We did one excursion which included jumping into water holes and scaling a waterfall, so it wasn't all rest and relaxation, but was a perfect combo.
Now that we're all caught up, here are some favorites from the year:
Favorite Project
I did a lot of crocheting and painting this year, but my favorite was definitely a Ferrari Formula One sweater that I made for Alexa . It was my first time trying tapestry or intarsia crochet, and it was fun to make my own pattern for this. I followed a chart that she sent me from Twitter, and then I kind of freehanded the rest of it!
Favorite Books
I ended up reading over 100 books this year, and honestly not too many of them were great to me. I only gave out a few 5 star reviews, and most of those were for memoirs that I read. But- my favorite fiction for the year was The Celebrants by Steven Rowley, which follows a group of friends that get together for a living funeral every time someone in their group is going through a really rough patch, as a way to celebrate them and keep them going. The book was heartbreaking at times, laugh out loud funny at others, and I really liked the dynamic of the group. My favorite non-fiction and book club pick was Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, which detailed the 1997 Mt Everest disaster. I liked this mostly because it was unlike anything I've read before and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!
Favorite Recipe
One of my favorite goals this year was testing out different cuisines and finding cookbooks at the library from different countries! It was hard to pick just one, but I think that the Vietnamese food that I tried was the best- Lemongrass tempeh crumbles and jicama slaw. The flavors were really vibrant and I got to use new ingredients which is always fun.
Favorite Record
Dan and I are really into our turntable, and regularly buy new records for it. I don't even want to count up how much money we spent on music this year, but with the joy it brings us I'd say it's definitely worth it. I try to start most days putting a record on and making my coffee, and it's such a nice ritual. With that being said, my favorite record that I bought this year was actually the last one that I bought. We were at a friend's birthday dinner the day after Christmas and wandered into a new shop in Iron Works, where I found Soldier of Love by Sade. I've always been a fan of Sade (and everytime we're out and hear one of her songs Dan and I say "We need a Sade album!!"). I absolutely love playing it!
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