With us ending 2024 in less than 48 hours, I thought now was the ideal time to create my final 2024 year in review focusing on Q4. Again, the majority of my energy was invested in professional affairs. Aside from two conferences for work, I didn’t do any fun weekend getaways, only a handful of day trips to Indianapolis to participate in the Deck the Halls campaign through the Ronald McDonald House of Central Indiana and to attend the Spirit and Place festival.
Aside from professional affairs, my partner and I completed the Strong Couples Project, which I explained in my recent post, From Waffles to Wine. I also spent a considerable amount of time crafting at home with my daughter.
I was inspired by several Pinterest posts and began working on a cardboard dollhouse. After about six weeks, it was completed. It can be seen from start to finish on TikTok.
In addition to the dollhouse, I crafted a dinosaur cave for my daughter to house her stuffed dinosaurs that she received from Christmas. I used a few cardboard boxes, craft paper, homemade paper mache, and some thrifted greenery. It’s really giving Jurassic Park vibes and she’s enjoying playing with it.
Lastly, we have visited a handful of local (new to us) museums. Keep reading for a few more details from each month below.
October 2024
- Halloween was bittersweet. I did not get the chance to enjoy any Halloween fun with my daughter, as the conference that I was presenting at started on Halloween. So, on Halloween, I sat in the airport awaiting my flight to Washington, DC. You can read all about it in my adidas post reviewing the two-piece track suit that I wore.
November 2024
- Two weeks into November, I was heading to another conference, This time it was in-state and I was leading a two-hour commission meeting and moderating another session. While it was a huge time commitment, I was so proud of myself for the work that I had done and how I had invested in myself and represented the institution well.
- In between the conferences, I was interviewing for an administrator role that I did not get (which was just fine by me). It actually seemed like much more work than I really wanted to get involved in.
- Oh, I also voted.
- The month ended with a nice Thanksgiving dinner with family and my son’s birthday at Portillo’s.
December 2024
- As December began, all I could think about was being off for two weeks for holiday break. The first two weeks were busy non-stop at work, so when the final work day came, I was so excited to pick up my daughter from daycare and head home!
- During the first two weeks of December, I was also interviewing for another position at an administrator level for another institution. I was not actively seeking employment, however, the position popped up one day and looked very interesting. It seemed like a dream job and I didn’t want to pass it by. I quickly applied and within the week, the interview process began.
What was also very interesting is that I had previously applied for the role about eight years ago and was simply not qualified at the time. After making it to final stage of the interview process, I politely declined to move forward. I knew without a doubt that no matter how exciting the position was that I could not devote the amount of time that it would take to be successful in the position.
In the end, I felt really good in the end, knowing that I am qualified to move into more administrative roles. In time, that next role will be illuminated.
- Toward the end of my final work week, I was introduced to Google NotebookLM and have greatly enjoyed using that along with ChatGPT and Meta AI.
- Lastly, my son headed out to Costa Rica on his study abroad trip for 10 days and returned safely having a wonderful experience.
Final Thoughts
Over the past week, I have spent a considerable amount of time pondering how I would like to live in 2025. And, to my surprise, when I went to write out everything, I reviewed my journal over the past six months and realized I had written out in detail exactly what I was getting ready to write out for 2025. If that is not a sign of what’s to come, I don’t know what is.
I won’t give up the details immediately, but what I will say is that, I will no longer neglect my blog and am dedicating one hour each day to either writing and publishing a new post or updating a past post.
Psst. Over the next two weeks, I’ll be sharing a visit to the 2025 Harlem Globetrotters game and a handful of beauty and wellness reviews to set me up on the right foot walking into 2025. You’ll want to check these out. I promise.
Finally, as I complete this post, I feel as if this finishes up 2024, allowing me to put it behind so that I can walk eagerly forward into 2025.
Thank you, 2024, and cheers to 2025!
