As usual, I’m writing this post while half-ready to go out for some fun NYE celebrations. Yes, I could just post it tomorrow, but then it wouldn’t be 2024 any longer…
I simply can’t let the last few hours of the year slip by without some reflection, so before I finish styling my hair and applying my lipstick, I thought I’d share my annual recap of the year in life, travel, and blogging.
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Tomorrow I’ll share the flipside of this—a look ahead to 2025—but for now, let’s look back:
LIFE: A LOOK BACK AT MY INTENTIONS FOR 2024
Goal-setting is the easy part. Before I start planning my intentions and goals for 2025, I think it's important to evaluate how the previous year went:
More international travel. I checked this off my list just in the nick of time with a trip to Austria and the Czech Republic, and I didn’t realize how much it would mean to me to return to my international travel roots. I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts on this someday, but for now I’m in the thick of writing a series of travel guides for this trip and am too busy to reflect.
Take a slow trip. With a relaxing getaway to Roamstead in the Smoky Mountains, I feel like I satisfied this intention. But it only makes me want to take a true do-nothing trip sometime (is there an all-inclusive in my future? Who am I?).
Do something adventurous. Gosh, this has been on my list for years and I still haven’t quite fulfilled it. I mean, we did do some adventurous things like hiking in a rainforest and paddling in a swamp, but I’m not sure those are as adventurous as I intended.
Fall back in love with cooking. Meh, this didn’t happen, and I’m okay with that. With rising grocery prices and my mental energy needed elsewhere, I’ve resorted to cooking the same ten or so budget meals on repeat. At this point, I’d rather take the money I would spend on specialty ingredients and dine out somewhere interesting.
Self-freaking-care. I’ve been continuing to deal with the repercussions of a back injury from five years ago and still have occasional bouts of vertigo, so my workout routine has slipped. But I did indulge in not one but two massages this year, and for that I am proud of myself.
Just keep knitting. While I certainly knit some months more than others, I’ve kept at it pretty regularly this year and ended the year with a big bag full of hats and scarves to donate, plus a few gifts for friends and family.
Make the most of home. We’ve been trying to figure out how to arrange our furniture and belongings in our awkward home for years now, and we’re still working through it. Maybe it will always be a work in progress?
More single-item posts. This blog-related intention has come true, and I think the occasional niched-down post is a format I’ll keep.
A site refresh. Well, this didn’t happen—largely because I can’t quite figure out what I want. Still, I did make a few changes on the back end to help speed things along (though you probably won’t notice a difference).
More essays and how-tos. While I didn’t share as many of these posts as I wanted this year, a few made it onto the site. I’ll take that as a win.
A YEAR OF TRAVEL
One new state, two new countries, and a ton of new cities:
I visited fewer places than I would have expected given how full my year of travel felt, but I wouldn’t change a thing. This year brought me to destinations as close as 25 minutes away and as far as an overnight flight:
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Matthews, North Carolina
- Waxhaw, North Carolina
- Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Southern Pines, North Carolina
- New Haven, Connecticut
- Abbeville, South Carolina
- Greenwood, South Carolina
- Elkin, North Carolina
- Summerville, South Carolina
- Niagara Falls, Canada
- Buffalo, New York
- Washington, D.C.
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Cosby, Tennessee
- Vienna, Austria
- Prague, Czech Republic
ANOTHER YEAR OF WAYWARD
Although I sometimes feel like a dinosaur when I reply that my blog is on a website and not housed on Instagram or Substack, 2024 was my best blogging yeareveryet:
This year marked my seventh (!) year of blogging, and the impostor syndrome sufferer in me will never get over the fact that hundreds of thousands of strangers stop by to visit my little corner of the internet. So thank you, thank you for being here.
I like to take this opportunity to stop and dig into the data a little, not just because it’s helpful for me to know what you’re looking for, but because, well, I think it’s fascinating.
I published seventy-two posts in 2024, from full-scale travel guides to weekend packing lists to detailed product reviews. Each was a labor of love, but you had some undeniable favorites of the bunch.
Here are your most-read posts from 2024 and your favorite things:
Most Read Posts of 2024
Rounding up your favorite posts from 2024! Predictably, most of the posts at the top were from earlier in the year—but there are a few recent ones on the list, too:
- 15 Things Travelers Should Know Before Flying Spirit Airlines for the First Time | Whew, the comments on this one are a wild ride. You clearly have some thoughts on the budget carrier, too!
- 13 Things You Should Know Before Renting a Car in Puerto Rico | Renting a car in PR is a little different than renting one back home—I’m honored to be your guide.
- Weekend Escape: The Ultimate Guide for Your First Visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico | Trying to plan a first visit to San Juan is a little overwhelming—there’s so much to see and do!—but I do my best to break things down in this travel guide.
- Eight Can’t-Miss Restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky | Louisville is an incredible food city, and I consider myself lucky to have had the chance to eat my way through it this year.
- Urban Bourbon: The Perfect Weekend Travel Guide for Your First Visit to Louisville, Kentucky | Why did it take me 35 years to visit Louisville? I’ll never know…
- Make a Quick Getaway With These Essential Day Trips from Charlotte, North Carolina | Head out of town for the day with my guide to great destinations within a three-hour drive.
- From Canopy to Coast: A Perfect Two-Night Rainforest and Beach Itinerary for Puerto Rico’s East Coast | It still blows my mind that you can visit all of these incredible natural wonders without a passport.
- An Honest Review of Linen Dresses from Quince | This summer was a scorcher, so I shared my thoughts on some of Quince’s linen in an effort to stay cool.
- Beyond the Greens: A Day Trip Guide to Pinehurst for Non-Golfers | What is it like to visit a destination for something other than it’s main draw? Pinehurst is synonymous with golf, but there’s so much more that’s worth your time.
- A Comparison of Carry-On Luggage from Quince and Away | They look like the same suitcase… but are they equals?
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Your Favorite Things
While you added all kinds of things to cart this year, there were ten items that you shopped more than any others by a wide, wide margin:
- Away Carry-On | I get it—I’d buy another in a heartbeat if I needed one (although the lifetime warranty makes that an unlikely situation!).
- Solgaard Carry-On Closet | This suitcase’s genius organization system has earned it a spot in my limited closet space (and in yours, too!).
- Universal Standard Surprise Boxes | It’s always a fun treat when the brand releases these monthly curated boxes.
- The Everywhere Bag from Away | This super functional personal item is a favorite around here.
- Quince 100% European Linen Short Sleeve Shirt | The classic styling of this button-down makes it an easy throw-on-and-go top, but the price makes it even easier.
- Coofay Travel Backpack | I honestly have no notes about this personal item backpack that packs like a suitcase—it’s an incredible bag to have for weekend trips.
- Quince Baby Alpaca-Wool Cropped Cardigan | So soft and light, you wouldn’t think this cardigan would be as warm as it is, but it’s a really lovely top layer for cool nights.
- Solgaard Check-In Closet | I don’t own this bag because I just travel with a carry-on, but it has the same thoughtful organization as my carry-on and I fully approve.
- Quince Luxe Baby Cashmere Crewneck Sweater | I just received this sweater myself, and I’m so smitten (I hope it doesn’t ruin regular cashmere for me!).
- Travel Pill Organizer | This clever organizer helps keep everything sorted without bringing a ton of different OTC pill bottles. Love it!
WRAPPING UP 2024
While I usually feel a little anxious about how quickly a year has passed and all of the things I didn’t manage to achieve in that time, for once I’m ready to close the chapter for 2024. I don’t know if “optimism” is the word I’d use for my feelings about the future, but I’m looking forward to taking what I’ve learned this year into the next.
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Questions for you
How was your 2024?
Did you visit any new destinations this year?
