saying goodbye to 2024.

As the last day of 2024 wanes, I’ve been sitting on my bed journaling about the last week or two, realizing that I should probably look back on the last 365 days (366 since it’s a leap year). Seeing as I haven’t written on here in a couple months, I thought it might be best to just put a clean break between myself and 2024, including my writing, by doing one final post for the year. 

To begin, here are a couple of my favorites from the year!

Favorite music

So this one is a bit hard. I feel like I pushed myself a lot to listen to new music this year, while simultaneously giving myself grace to fall back into music that I had “moved on” from. I’m not going to share the full results of my Spotify Wrapped since, in all honesty, this year was not my best music-wise. However, some of my top songs include “On My Knees” by Rüfüs Du Sol, “Love You For A Long Time” by Maggie Rogers, and “American Honey” by Lady A.

Listened to a LOT of Gracie Abrams.

Some of the albums I listened to most were BRAT (duh. I had to. brat summer was not enough. I had to carry it over into the rest of the year.), Tyler Childers’s Live on Red Barn Radio I & II, and Kansas Anymore by Role Model. 

Best crying songs included “River” by Joni Mitchell, “All Your Favorite Bands” by Dawes (these two put together created a bad scenario with me, a nosebleed, and a corn bag), and “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and The Heart.

Concerts this year weren’t anything crazy. I saw Sturgill Simpson, some random American jazz band at a club in Paris, a few local bands who performed at a bar in Louisville this past weekend, and I think that’s it in terms of live music? Wish I could remember for sure but it’s been a long year. 

Moving on!

Favorite movies

I watched The Holdovers a few weeks ago and WOW that was crazy. When the movie ended, my friend said, “This movie feels like pressing on a bruise. In a good way.” She is absolutely correct. 

I saw Babygirl in theaters last week. I don’t think I fully knew what I was getting into, and I’m still not entirely sure what I watched. This isn't a favorite, but it has to be mentioned because what was that.

I’ve watched the first six movies from The Fast and The Furious series. So good. 

There were definitely more that I enjoyed, but I only got Letterboxd last month and I remember almost no movie I had seen before getting it. Oops. 

Favorite books!

As we finally got our book club off the ground this year, I tried to read more diverse stuff for that. I also got Goodreads (only read 24/25 books for my goal…), which has pushed me to be more intentional about reading instead of binging a show or doomscrolling. Binging and doomscrolling definitely won out, in regards to time, but it was some kind of improvement from 2023.

Favorite fiction: The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht

Favorite nonfiction: Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett

Favorite collection of short stories: The Rock Eaters by Brenda Peynado 

Favorite book I haven’t finished yet: The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

Book that took me the longest to finish: Little Women (like seven months of audiobook)

Currently in the middle of four books (not including the ones I had to put down this year). Read a lot of stuff for school this year (maybe not in each’s entirety). Read a lot of light fiction. 

Wrote a ton of articles for The Collegian. That’s why I haven’t really written on here this semester–my writing juices were entirely concentrated on the newspaper and essays. 

Favorite moments of 2024!!

Moving into an apartment with my friends!! 

Swimming in the Mediterranean on my solo trip 

Sitting on the back of the boat, watching the light reflect off of the water. Knowing it was where some of the people I love most in this life loved to be.

Working at the Olympics!!! Missing the friends I made there.

Breakfast with the roommates!!

Karaoke in Nashville.

Watching my nieces play field hockey!

PIZZA DI GIOOOOOOOO

My aunt making breakfast for my impromptu visit to the lake during Labor Day

Favorite lessons learned

We are an Easter people. 

If we are continuously trying to change the people we love, we aren’t really loving them. 

School is a lot better when you’re there to actually learn. 

Many more but I’m struggling to articulate them!

...

I feel like my 2024 was actually insane, but it’s definitely done its work to prepare me for next year. Not to be cliché, but I have learned, loved, grieved, and experienced more than I thought a person could handle in a year. Feeling very blessed to move into 2025 the way I’m going. 

As always, thank you for reading! Talk to you again next year ;)