2024 in Magical Realism

Yes, it’s mid February 2025 now. Oh well.

After all that obnoxious rhapsodizing about moving to Sydney and being back by the ocean again, I have done less open water swimming here than when we lived in Canberra. Oh well. Since moving I’ve been struggling just to work, workout, and get enough food in my face to sustain life.

What did you do in 2024 that you had never done before?
Went a full year without stepping foot on the continent where I was born
Moved house 5x in 5 months
Got BIAB nails

Did you keep last year’s resolutions, and will you make more?
I rarely make resolutions but apparently last year I made 13 resolutions. 14 if you include my goodreads books goal! I accomplished 0 of the 14. Whoops! Looking back I don’t really care - maybe that’s why I don’t usually make resolutions. Looking at the list a lot were freediving specific and I kind of don’t think competitive goals in this discipline are a good idea for me. Others are still goals but not for last year, this year, or even 2026.

Maybe I will give myself half credit for two goals and say 1 of 14:
- I did participate in a world record, but it was a relay.
- I did not get super fit and healthy but I have refrained from drinking alcohol since November so I guess that was a step towards better health even if it hadn’t been a goal. It’s so odd - I used to LOVE drinking and used to do it SO much and now the idea fully grosses me out. Like flipping a switch.

I am down some kilos but overall has not made a huge difference, which is kind of astounding for the amount I was drinking before. Everyone claims to have this increased energy, radiant skin, better sleep. etc. after going alcohol free. Nope nope nope. I thought the not drinking part would be way harder but I also thought the benefits would be waaay more pronounced. I think I’ll do it for a year maybe and see how it goes, but who knows.

Resolutions for the new year:
Maybe I can say intentions instead of resolutions as these are going to be vague and not necessarily SMART goals. But here are some general ideas of what I’d like to do:
- Get in good shape and do a Hyrox event maybe. I like the symmetry and structure of the event
- Organise my belongings and be aware of everything I have (that works literally and figuratively and I am keeping it)
- Set myself up well workwise during and after my current contract
- Finally there is actually a swim I want to do. It’s been so long since something called to me, I’m excited. I need to plan logistics for this.
- I set my goodreads goal as 100 again, which is achievable and enjoyable

Did anyone close to you give birth?
A work colleague had a baby - she is on leave until next year but came by the office only a week after having a scheduled caesarian section surgery, stopped by 2 other random times and also attended our team holiday lunch. She lives over an hour commute from the office? I find this odd.

Did anyone close to you die?
My swim friend Natalia passed away, due to cancer. We first met in Geneva, spent time together in New York City, and then she was my bunkmate for the ill-fated Lake Baikal relay. She was one of those people who was unusually happy, sweet, and positive. She worked for BBDO, a top global advertising firm, in Moscow and traveled around the world for work and swimming. She would start each trip with a glass of champagne at the airport and usually post a photo on socials. I often think of her at the airport.

What countries did you visit?
Morocco
Spain
UAE
Finland
Estonia
France
Japan

Everything except France and Japan was in the first few months of the year for winter swimming events and then the World Championships.

June in France was amazing - relatively short trip to Normandy for our friend Jerome’s book party and opening of his new atelier. It’s a super cute book about open water swimming with illustrations based on A’s photographs of me with different sea animals. Okay that sounds dumb but it’s quirky and cute and very French. We signed books and he fed us oysters and champagne pretty much straight from the ocean. Just magical. I love this part of the world.

Japan in December was nice - we stayed in a beautiful resort in the North of Japan overlooking the Sea of Okhotsk. The fresh, raw, seafood was ridiculous. It was lovely to see snow again.

What would you have liked to have in 2024 that you lacked?
Faith in humanity

What dates from 2024 will remain etched in your memory?
28 March - our second Australia-iversary. A likes to do something special to celebrate this each year and booked us into a Bubbletent. It was really nice - we watched the sunsets/sunrises, took outdoor baths, A made some really nice meals in the outdoor kitchen and it was just generally relaxing and beautiful.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don’t know - this is kind of dumb but what is coming to mind is being back in an office most weekdays for the first time for over a decade.

What was your biggest failure?
There is a an event in freediving called static apnea, you basically just sit in a pool with your face in the water, not moving, not breathing. It’s supposed to be the easiest discipline (as opposed to the events where you are swimming down or across without breathing) because you’re not moving, not burning up your oxygen etc. But mentally it was so tough for me. I can hold my breath for a few minutes while I am moving no problem, but just sitting there drove me crazy. We were supposed to do 3 minutes I think and I could not for the life of me sit there for more than 90 seconds at a time. I used all the mental techniques in my repertoire but it was pure torture and I could not force myself to do it. Oh well.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
- Hurt my foot/ankle falling off stripper shoes in December 2023 that carried into 2024
- Scraped my knee/ankle in May walking from Bondi to Bronte on slippery grass in thong sandals before swimming back (yes probably a bad idea to swim open water in Australia with a bleeding wound)
- Scraped almost the same places on my knee/ankle in November when I slipped walking to work in ballet flats. Blah. I still have red marks on my skin.
- This is dumb but I did something where I ripped out a chunk of my hair somehow in the back middle. I am not sure what. It looked insane so I got it cut shorter to help even it out which I hated but it’s still taking time for it to be even again and I think I need another big chop. I hate my hair texture when it’s shoulder length and just want it to be pretty and long and normal again. I also love to drive myself crazy looking at videos of lovely gen z girls with ridiculously healthy waist long perfect hair doing their hair routines.

What was the best thing you bought?
Oooh Museum of Old + New Art gala tickets and a weekend at the Keep. Tasmania is just stunning - I want to go back. While we were there we went to a listening party for Once Upon a Time in Shaolin if anyone is a Wu Tang Fan. Even if you’re not, the story is kind of fascinating although the idea of anything pharma-bro/NFT/crypto kind of makes me sick now.

I also like the Omnilux red light mask I bought but now want a LYMA laser. The price gives me sticker shock but if it were a trip I’d have no problem with it.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
The answer to this question is always A. This was a difficult year for him and I tried to step up for him but probably only succeeded in my being 30% less demanding and awful than usual.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Politicians - all of them
Men - most of them

Where did most of your money go?
Some travel in the beginning of the year but since then, mostly my bank account

What did you get really, really excited about?
Moving to Sydney. I am less excited about this after having to move house 5x in 5 months.

What song will always remind you of 2024?
It was a Brat kind of year, until the end at least

Compared to this time last year, are you:
Thinner or fatter? Thinner
Richer or Poorer? Richer
Happier or Sadder? Not sure - feeling generally blah right now. Not bad, just blah.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
Bubblebaths
Swimming
Reading
Dancing

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Dealing with idiot people, men in particular

How did you spend Christmas?
Barry’s bootcamp workout
Dinner at Nobu Sydney
Boxing Day watching the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race from the water

How did you spend New Years?
Hosted a fireworks viewing party that no one showed up to (okay we only invited 3 people and they hit a deer driving over together) and it was just me and A. I had a sip of Veuve and it tasted absolutely foul. Fireworks were nice though.

Did you fall in love in 2024?
Ugh no but I did meet someone with that once in a decade kind of chemistry. Tempting but way too much trouble on every dimension.

How many one-night stands?
None. I was thinking about this the other day and I think I only ever had one ever? It was that girl we met at the Playboy mansion who drove us back to our hotel and then stayed over. We had a threesome and she bought us brunch at the Saddle Ranch the next morning. Because…2007.

What was your favorite TV program?
Industry I guess? I don’t really know. I watch crap online all the time and nothing stands out. A sign I should probably not waste so much time watching tv.

Do you hate anyone you didn’t hate this time last year?
I mean I hated the awful people making the world a darker place the year before too, but the feeling certainly intensified in 2024. 2025 has not been an improvement so far, but I’m trying to stay optimistic.

What was the best book you read?
I read 95 books this year which did not meet my goodreads goal of 100. I’m fine with that.

Here are the books that I tagged as “best-of-2024.” I sense a theme:

• Rouge Awad, Mona
• Boy Parts Clark, Eliza
• Perfume & Pain Dorn, Anna
• Happy Hour Granados, Marlowe
• Magic Lessons Hoffman, Alice
• Natural Beauty Huang, Ling Ling
• I’m a Fan Patel, Sheena
• Unbecoming Scherm, Rebecca
• A Certain Hunger Summers, Chelsea G.
• My Husband Ventura, Maud

2023 - read 77, goal 50
2022 - read 371, goal 365
2021 - read 203, goal 200
2020 - read 192, goal 200

What was your greatest musical discovery?
I feel someone will have something snide to say at least in their head about this but Chappell Roan. how adorable and sweet is “Naked in Manhattan”? If you want something more offbeat let’s say Maud Latour.

What did you want and get?
I wanted to move to Sydney and that happened

What did you want and not get?
I’d say a female president of colour but really I’d have been happy with anyone competent and not OTT evil and embarrassing

What was your favorite film this year?
No idea. I even looked at a list of “Best of 2024 movies” and the only one I had seen was “Challengers.” I like Zendaya a lot so lets say that. In other news I saw “Babygirl” and it was sooo bad. It’s like someone made a movie with all my favourite things (Nicole Kidman, power exchange, younger man/older woman dynamic, New York City scenery) and twisted it to be as cringe as possible.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 45 and A had gotten us a hotel suite with a massive bathtub overlooking the water. However when we checked into the room it was like 40C inside and no one seemed to think this was a problem (at a hotel brand that should know better) so I threw a hissy fit, got him refunded, and went to a different hotel. Not one of my finest moments but oh well.

What’s one thing that would have made your year infinitely more satisfying?
A better me and/or a better world

How would you describe your personal fashion concept?
So in early 2020 I took a new job. I was looking forward to being back in an office most days and I bought all this corporate drag I loved at the time. Louboutin and Chanel heels, blazers and dresses and suits - lots of tweed. Of course none of that shit got worn as I spent most of 2020 - 2022 in black leggings and soft teeshirts. But I never got rid of it and even shipped it to Australia so I am just wearing it now. I delude myself into thinking it’s okay to wear because it fits and is work appropriate but really I am wearing business formal clothing from five years ago and a world that no longer exists.

What kept you sane?
Nothing. I’ve been off my rocker for a while and it’s just getting worse.

What celebrity or public figure did you fancy the most?
Alexander Skarsgård

What political issue stirred you the most?
OMG nope nope nope I cannot

Who did you miss?
Fewer people than I did last year. I am kind of over people as a whole.

Who were the best new people you met?
Maybe not new exactly but I finally met [kmh.] in real life. Yay!

Tell us a valuable lesson you learned in 2024.
I honestly feel like the universe is trying to teach me something and I am not getting the message. On a global scale as well as in my own life I keep seeing people do the wrong thing and get rewarded for it. I am trying not to let this discourage me but I am struggling mightily to interpret this in a helpful or positive way.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“Don’t even try to give me shit/ I’ve earned the right to be like this” (Kesha, Joyride)