2024 In Review in These Foolish Things

It’s that time again - the annual year in review entry! I’ve spent a little bit of time going through my calendar, my Prosebox, and my photos on my phone. Here are the highlights of what happened (I may add another survey entry that will get a little bit more into how I feel about the year):

January:
- Started the 75 Hard Challenge
- Joined a Pickleball league
- Celebrated Dad’s 85th birthday

February:
- Accidentally broke 75 Hard and started over!
- Had a post-colon cancer 2-year-CLEAR colonoscopy!
- Volunteered at a refreshment station for the city marathon
- It was a Leap Year!

March:
- Went on a now-rare biz trip and got to see a bunch of former colleagues
- My friend Jacqui came to visit with her daughter (didn’t realize she’d lost her job and that’s why she wasn’t staying at a hotel, but found out later)
- Volunteered at a cool city-wide conference

April:
- Volunteered to clean a city park where a lot of unhoused people live. Saw a lot of depressing artifacts (needles, booze bottles, disturbing trash, etc.)
- Total Solar Eclipse which was absolutely magical
- Dealt with a bunch of skin cancer stuff

May:
- Finished 75 Hard and sooooo pleased with the results!
- Went to visit girlfriends in Nashville and had the best time
- Spent a workweek with [Athena] in Bentonville and loved the town (minus the massive tornado damage and the aggressive abortion protestors)
- Volunteered to make sack lunches for people in need

June:
- Volunteered to plant flowers in a downtown botanical garden
- Had skin cancer procedures
- Met this really cool guy who gave me his fascinating book right after meeting him (the only reason I’ve added this as a main bullet point is that I follow his IG and he’s super inspiring)
- Mom and Dad celebrated their 61st Anniversary and I went to stay with them for two weeks while my bro and SIL went to China

July:
- 2nd week of staying with Mom and Dad at their place
- Inbox Nazi (my direct boss) was fired at work, and chaos ensued (even more than what was already happening)
- Volunteered with an organization that clothes the unhoused by creating fun pop-up thrift shops (loved it!)
- Biden dropped out of the presidential race and Kamala Harris became the official candidate

August:
- Volunteered to do a dog-days event at the botanical garden
- Went on a biz trip to Vegas and had to babysit Head Cat, but still had tons of (sober!) fun
- Martini turned 10!

September:
- Volunteered with the thrift shop organization again
- My garage was broken into at my apartment, prompting a new nervous energy around safety
- Spent my Wednesday evenings watching The Golden Bachelorette with [Athena] via FaceTime

October:
- Volunteered with the thrift shop organization again
- Stayed with my dad in an Airbnb for a week while he started his new infusion treatment for his MG
- CT scan showed that I was 3-years cancer free from my colon cancer (the skin cancer doesn’t really count…it’s complicated, but I’ll take it)
- Spent my 57th birthday weekend at a wellness retreat that was life-changing!
- Nashville girlfriends came to visit (without Anni - we’ve since started speaking again - need to write about it!) for Halloween

November:
- Volunteered with the thrift shop organization AGAIN!!
- The election happened and we now have four more years of TrumpleGrumble
- Thanksgiving with the fam was…eh, but good to have this day with Mom and Dad
- The Diary Researchers spent a whole weekend with me doing things I love to do

December:
- Volunteered with the thrift shop (duh, sensing a theme? This may be my place! I expect to carry this well into 2025)
- The 2 BIG Parties: Lovely’s Birthmas and the Cannoli Party
- Spent Christmas with the fam
- Will likely spend NYE solo but excited about 2025

All-in-all, it feels like it was a good, steady year with little drama and a lot of progress in terms of my health and lifestyle.

I’ll take it!
Happy New Year’s Eve!
GS