24 in 2024: REUNION recap

I have been planning to write about my 24 in 2024 list since January, and here we are at the end of 2024. I documented a lot of my projects on social media, but now I can also explain the list AND give a recap on how I did!

I started doing this yearly list last year in 2023 after hearing about it on one of my favorite podcasts, Happier with Gretchen Rubin. Last year the purpose of the list was to help me find joy during a time when I was otherwise in a big transition in life (right before my move to Dubai!). 

I ended up loving the process so much that I decided to continue with a 24 in 2024 list. One of my very favorite things about it is that I find myself more present and more grateful, rather than just going through motions and time passing by.

This year my theme was "reunion" because it was time for my 20-year high school reunion. (I'm not sure how THAT is possible!) I was hoping to attend the event, but the scheduling didn't work out this time. I knew that might be a possibility going into the calendar year because I plan way ahead for summer, as I live abroad and book things well in advance before ticket prices get too high. The date for the reunion was announced after I had already booked my summer flights, so I missed the reunion by only a few days. Despite that, I wanted it to be the theme of the year, and 2024 has definitely been a good one!

24 in 2024

1. Relish in 10 reunions.
Last year I had it on my list to visit five loved ones. While that did bring me joy, I realized that I also cherish the people who visit me and/or meet up with me somewhere in the world! I am SHOCKED at what a great year of reunions this has been. 

HOW IT WENT: I just had Reunion #19 this week! Even though I didn't get to attend my actual high school reunion, I did get to meet up with a lot of people from different chapters of my life. 

2. Complete 24 projects that nourish my creative spirit. 

When I first added this to the list, I had visions of writing SO MANY blog posts this year. What fun! Relive my memories of past travels! Be creative! 12 months later, and I finally got around to writing one... so that didn't pan out exactly as I expected, BUT one thing I have learned from this process is that it's fun to try, even if I don't quite achieve the goal.

I am SO HAPPY living here in Dubai. The city really suits me and reminds me of my New York City days. I have wonderful friends, I love my apartment, and I work at an incredible school. 

Someone once told me in a job interview that it's not just about finding the right candidate, but it's about finding the right candidate for the right position at the right time. This has really resonated with me, as I feel that I am exactly where I am meant to be right now.

Something (probably all of this happiness?) has re-ignited my creativity, something that I haven't felt since before the initial onset of the Covid pandemic. Teaching online elementary music took a LOT of creativity, so I think I was just drained and ultimately burned out for years afterwards. (In Oman, we were online for at least part or most of the year through June 2022.)

In addition, I also met a wonderful woman last year at my new school in Dubai. That teacher has since left our school, but she still holds a very special place in my heart. (I'm looking forward to a future reunion with her!)

While she was here, she ran a group called the Creative Collective, where she held a space for teachers to gather, learn, and create in her classroom on select weekends. It was so much fun, and not only did I fall in love with creativity again, but I was also inspired to create even more on my own. 

HOW IT WENT: This year I completed nine projects (yes, well short of 24, but it was FUN to try!). I started many other projects but haven't finished those yet... Maybe in 2025?

3. Finish settling into my apartment in Dubai.
This was another project that is unfinished as of now. Yes, I have lived here over a year, and yes, I am still settling in. I went fast and furious in the first few weeks during orientation when I first arrived in Dubai. I got about 85% done in that short amount of time! Aaaaand that was as far as I got for the rest of the school year. It turns out that Year One in a new school in a new city in a new country is INTENSE.

HOW IT WENT: Every room is painted, artwork and photo frames are on the walls, and furniture is built. I made a progress in several spaces in my apartment but recently discovered I do better when I focus finishing one room at a time rather than working across several spaces at once. The apartment is obviously livable, but the ultimate goal is to have every room achieve my definition of "done."

Over Winter Break I finished organizing my kitchen (including the inside of the cupboards - everything has a place!) and I'm really close to having my outdoor space done too. 

 Spoiler: This item is to be continued on my 25 in 2025 list!

4. Rebuild my (physical) strength.
Running has always been a HUGE part of my identity. I've always loved working out, which is why I felt so "off" to not have a regular workout/run routine for the past couple of years. There is a really long story as to why I got away from it, but the goal was to find my way back again this year.

HOW IT WENT: I am THRILLED to say that I'm back! I started working with my running coach again, and she has been wonderful and supportive in my return to running. I am far from perfect, but I had a "there she is" moment the other night when I was out for a run. 

I am really proud of myself for not measuring success according to old marathon-running self; rather, I have rediscovered the joy of running and taking care of myself. I am even going to run a race in January - my first one since before Covid!

5. Figure out how to use the soda water machine that I bought so that I can use it.

I bought the Bubble Bro (Soda Stream's long lost cousin) but I never actually got around to unpacking it or setting it up. I put it on the list so that I would take the 10 minutes to figure out how to use the machine.

HOW IT WENT: Done on a Sunday afternoon in early February! I love that it's much less waste (fewer cans, and the company does a bottle exchange program to refill the gas). I'm even planning to buy one for my office at school for the new year.

6. Go on 24 adventures.

Someone asked me recently what I count as an "adventure." Well, anything really! When I run errands, I sometimes call it my "Friday afternoon adventure," for example. I noticed that this year, however, I mostly documented my travels.

HOW IT WENT: I ended up going on 24 adventures - wow! Most importantly, I am grateful that this year, life took me to exciting and beautiful places. 

I was fortunate to be able to travel to SIX countries on FOUR different continents and TWO Wonders of the World this year! I cherish all of the memories I collected along the way. 

I am forever grateful for this beautiful life I get to live.

Adventure 1: Liwa Desert, UAE 🇦🇪

Adventure 2: Hydra, Greece 🇬🇷 

Adventure 3: Village of Chalki on Naxos, Greece 🇬🇷

Adventure 4: Byzantine Churches in Naxos, Greece 🇬🇷

Adventure 5: Yogi hike to coffee at Angela's Tavern in Corfu, Greece 🇬🇷

Adventure 6: Corfu Town, Greece 🇬🇷

Adventure 7: Girls' Weekend in Abu Dhabi, UAE 🇦🇪

 

 

 

Adventure 8: Madrid, Spain 🇪🇸

Adventure 9: Chicago Crime Tour, USA 🇺🇸

Adventure 10: Door County, Wisconsin, USA 🇺🇸

Adventure 11: Stage 1 of the Camino de Santiago (The French Way) - Sarria ➡️ Portomarín, Spain 🇪🇸

Adventure 12: Stage 2 of the Camino - Portomarín ➡️ Palas de Rei, Spain 🇪🇸

Adventure 13: Stage 3a of the Camino - Palas de Rei ➡️ Melide, Spain 🇪🇸

Adventure 14: Stage 3b of the Camino - Melide ➡️ Arzúa, Spain 🇪🇸

Adventure 15: Stage 4 of the Camino - Arzúa ➡️ O Pedrouzo, Spain 🇪🇸

Adventure 16: Stage 4 of the Camino - O Pedrouzo ➡️ Santiago de Compostela, Spain 🇪🇸

Adventure 17: The Pilgrim's Reception Office, where I collected my official certificate for walking the last 115km of the Camino de Santiago, The French Way, Spain 🇪🇸

Adventure 18: Taj Mahal, Agra, India 🇮🇳

Adventure 19: The Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt 🇪🇬

Adventure 20: Philae Temple on Cat Island, Nile River, Aswan, Egypt 🇪🇬

 

Adventure 21: Watching the sunrise on the west side of the Nile River in Aswan and the sunset on the east side of the Nile River in Luxor, Egypt (in the same day!) 🇪🇬

Adventure 22: Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt 🇪🇬

Adventure 23: Coptic Cairo in Old Cairo, Egypt 🇪🇬

Adventure 24: Sunrise with the flamingos and black swans at Flamingo Lake, UAE 🇦🇪

7. Complete coursework so I can take Kodály Level 3 in the summer (and officially finish my levels!).

Kodály is a training specifically for music teachers. Year ago, I did another training called Orff. I completed Levels 1 and 2 consecutively, but when I moved abroad the dates conflicted for Level 3. I did eventually go back and finish five years later, but it was really hard to get back into the rhythm of it after being away for so long.

HOW IT WENT: I DID IT!!! I am so incredibly proud of myself! We had coursework during the school year, which as I mentioned before, was an intense one (in a good way!). 

I am also really proud of myself because I practiced a lot during the school year, and my musicianship improved tremendously in Level Three this summer. I have also felt a huge boost of confidence in my teaching this year, too.

BONUS: I had the very best cohort and was happy I was able to go all the way through the program with them. I had the privilege of learning with and from some absolutely incredible music teachers. 

At the end of the program at St. Thomas, you get a certificate and a mug, and you walk away with a whole lot of folk songs in your collection. I framed my certificate and put it in my office at work, and I drink from my mug most school mornings too.

Cheers!

8. Get my watch batteries replaced so I can wear them again.

This one is pretty self explanatory. REUNITE with my watches!

HOW IT WENT: Still in progress. I tried to go several times with the watches but ran out of time to stop by the shop. Then there were times that I was available but didn't have the watches with me. 

Apparently this task is a lot more complicated than it may seem on the surface.

I have a place in my neighborhood scouted. I plan to go next week. Wish me luck.

9. Find a favorite weekend coffee spot in Dubai.
I am very lucky with my housing situation. I live within walking distance to several coffee shops. I had dreams of trying each one. 

HOW IT WENT: I went to a few and I discovered two things: 1) I really love being at home, which I don't get to do much during the week. My absolute favorite coffee spot? Drinking coffee on my couch or balcony while hanging out with my cats.

 #catldaylife 

2) The place I like to go for coffee when I need a space to work is Starbucks. I know, I know. When I lived in The States, I had serious attitude about Starbucks, too. But since I've moved abroad? It's my very favorite. And during PSL season? I am QUEEN of all the basics.

My cozy Starbucks! There are THREE in walking distance from my apartment. 
Motor City friends, I like the one where you don't have to cross a busy road.

10. Celebrate one thing each month that I couldn't do during years of Covid lockdowns.

This list item was inspired by my friend who was conducting the Community Choir dress rehearsal in Fall 2023. She stopped at one point and said, "I know we are all tired, but do you know what I would have given to be standing right here on a stage with my students three years ago?" She was right. It stunned me how quickly I was able to take things for granted.

I have learned that the pandemic was a very different experience in Oman than it was in other Western places like the USA. We were on hard lockdown for longer because the vaccine took longer to become available, and masking and gathering restrictions were in place until June 2022. Then suddenly, it was announced that it was all going away, and all restrictions were lifted pretty much overnight.

The goal for this list item was to be mindful and grateful for the "normal" things that I get to do as the pandemic has progressed toward an endemic. I resist saying that the pandemic is "over" because I know that is not the case for everyone everywhere, but where I am living, and for me personally, things have mostly gone back to "normal." 

I still remember my first trip that I got to use my passport and ONLY my passport: I went to Paris in December 2022, and I didn't need to apply for entry, nor did I need a Covid test, proof of insurance, or any of the other paperwork that we experienced previously. It was a moment, "Oh, this is how it used to be!" 

Well, 2024 has been a lot of those moments.

HOW IT WENT: I think this would be a really good project to bring back in about five years or so, whether or not I'm doing this list anymore.

This year I was very mindful and grateful for little things, which was the goal. Ironically, most of my 24 in 2024 list would fall in this particular category, but I wanted to be much more specific and intentional. My list of things I was grateful to do this year that were not possible only four years ago: 

• JANUARY: Hiking (this was even closed down for long periods of time in Oman!)
• FEBRUARY: Attending concerts
• MARCH: Gathering with friends at the Motor City Progressive Dinner
• APRIL: Travel
• MAY: Performing in Community Choir 
• JUNE: Kids on a stage at the big 5th Grade Concert!
• JULY: Going to Target (I didn't go to the US in 2020 because the airport where I lived at the time shut down for a little over half a year, and the evacuation flights were very expensive that summer)
• AUGUST: In-person teaching for our first day of school 
• SEPTEMBER: Buying a coffee and taking it grocery shopping 
• OCTOBER: Stepping outside "the bubble" and meeting new people, specifically in another culture, though stepping out of the bubble in general is pretty great
• NOVEMBER: Volleyball season 
• DECEMBER: Getting my hair cut (especially the hair wash!)
  
  
  

11. Reconnect with nature.

I missed hiking. I didn't have a lot of time for it during my last year in Oman, and I really missed my time outside in the sunshine. I am definitely solar-powered. 

HOW IT WENT: I found myself grateful and more present during all of my outdoor adventures this year. I count this one as a success, even if it's not quantifiable.

Sharjah, UAE 🇦🇪

Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE 🇦🇪

Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE 🇦🇪

Fujairah, UAE 🇦🇪

Hatta, UAE 🇦🇪

Liwa Desert, UAE 🇦🇪

Hydra, Greece 🇬🇷

 Sinarades, Greece 🇬🇷

Corfu, Greece 🇬🇷

Door County, Wisconsin, USA 🇺🇸

Camino de Santiago, The French Way, Spain 🇪🇸

12. Go on 24 friend dates (in-person or virtual).

This item was my attempt at "getting out more." Whatever that means.

I am a hardcore introvert and often see articles on topics with titles like "Ways to be More Extroverted." People often confuse introversion with social anxiety. I am very fortunate that I do not have social anxiety. I enjoy my friends and new experiences, but my battery does need to be recharged in the quiet, at home, preferably with a book and a cat.

That being said, I did want to be sure to connect with my new friends that I have been making over the past year since moving to Dubai. Additionally, I wanted to continue connecting with friends overseas via virtual dates (somewhat carried over from 2023's list).

HOW IT WENT: I documented more than 30 friend dates on social media (which SHOCKED me), and there were many more friend dates where I forgot to take a picture or didn't get around to posting it. Sometimes it's because I was with friends who prefer to not be on social media, and other times I was far too present and in the moment to remember to take a photo - which, wasn't that the point??

This year I hiked, traveled, had lunches and brunches and coffees, video chatted, went to concerts, baseball games, and movies with friends. It was a great year! I am thankful for all the memories with the people I love. 

I do wish that I had been more proactive in reaching out to friends who live in other places, so that's something I am still considering as I go into next year. Faraway friends, please do reach out!

13. Take a class or course on something I want to learn.

This was a repeat from my 2023 list. That year, I took a breathwork class and absolutely loved it. I wanted to continue to encourage myself to try new things. Luckily, Dubai is the PERFECT place for that.

HOW IT WENT: I took a mosaics course! It was SO FUN, and I love how it turned out! I still need to get it framed...

I made that!

14. Save $🤫🤫🤫 for retirement.

I do have the specific amount written down for myself, but you don't get to know EVERYTHING.

As an international teacher, we don't pay into a pension or have a traditional retirement routes like most teachers back in the USA. I have made very aggressive goals for investing in my retirement funds and have also been devouring books and podcasts on the topic too.

HOW IT WENT: While I fell slightly short of my exact figure, I came really close. And the point is that I tried! That got me closer than if I hadn't set a goal at all.

15. Give up something for a month.

The idea behind this was to see how I felt when I was REUNITED with the thing that I gave up. I got this idea when I accidentally didn't watch Netflix for three weeks at one point last year, and I decided to see what it would be like to go a whole month without it. I ended up with a much healthier relationship and better boundaries when I started again.

HOW IT WENT: I did Dry January this year, which meant that I didn't drink any alcohol for the whole month. I am not a big drinker these days anyway, so this wasn't too challenging for me after all. There was a moment when I was at the Ed Sheeran concert where I ordered a beer and had to change my order to Sprite when I suddenly remembered, but otherwise it went smoothly. 

REUNION: I do a Golden Girls dinner with a friend (approximately 2 or 3pm so we can still get to bed early, because I've been 84 since I was approximately 5 years old). We usually go to a restaurant that has yummy cocktails and a delicious meal, including cookies for dessert (instead of cheesecake!). It's super fun to do every once in awhile, so it will stay in my life for now. Otherwise, I didn't really miss anything else during Dry January.

I love our Golden Girls dinners!

16. Attend a community event/activity/festival I never have before.

The original intent of this activity was to explore more of Dubai, which almost always has a festival happening.

HOW IT WENT: I attended the Sharjah Light Festival with some new friends in January. This was a very cool light show and also an adventure to a new-to-me emirate, too! 

Sharjah Light Festival

In April, I met up with some friends for an impromptu event to make "thank you" packages for our community workers who made huge efforts to cleanup after the massive rains and flooding.

This is a side road that goes to a highway. The picture was taken FOUR DAYS after the rains stopped!

Assembly line for the thank you packages, organized by my friends/neighbors.

I also technically went to the World's Largest Classical Music Festival (or something like that?) back in February, though I don't think I actually posted about it. I saw four concerts in one week, all German orchestras playing German composers (yay, Brahms!). It was GLORIOUS. I also happened to (literally) bump into one of the people from the Netflix show Dubai Bling, so I was celebrity-adjacent and very tongue-tied about it.

I stand corrected: The World's Biggest Musical Observatory Festival

17. Catch up on doctors' appointments.

I let the whole self-care thing go by the wayside in 2023. It was a challenging year for me, and I also found it challenging to find new doctors moving to a new city. I decided to make it a specific project so I could work on it slowly this year, with the goal of REUNITING with my health.

HOW IT WENT: I did it, slowly but surely! I finally faced my nerves and went to the dentist. I had a dermatologist check on some spots on my cheek that I was concerned about (they are just freckles - yay!). I had blood tests that were long overdue and some scans that are routine but also necessary to make sure everything is still looking normal (so far, so good!). 

I had a couple of minor health problems this year but was able to get support from some incredible doctors here. I am so grateful to have the access to good medical care and the insurance to cover it too. I am lucky that I get to be both happy AND healthy here.

18. Create a special shrine/memorial in my house to honor my shooting stars.

This one is very hard to write about, even now. 

I have lost two very important souls in the past few years. My very dear (human) friend passed away suddenly in the Summer of 2022. I think of him always and miss him every single day. Last Thanksgiving, I also sadly lost my cat Violetta. She was with me through some very hard times. She was only about four years old, but she was born with kidneys that were too small for her little body. I thought I had a lot more time with her, but sadly that wasn't the case. I miss her everyday too. 

Someone once told me that pets are like shooting stars: They burn brightly in our lives, but are only around for the briefest of times. 

This is why I call them my "shooting stars" - both were on this earth for too short of time, but they brought so much light to my life.

HOW IT WENT: I made progress on this but haven't finished yet. I found it to be too hard to work on it throughout the year and could only actually bring myself to try recently. 

I have arranged a small shelf on the wall that includes a plate with Violetta's paw print that the vet gave me after she passed. I also have her favorite toy. For my human friend, I have my collection of elephants displayed next to the shelf because he was always buying elephant trinkets when we lived in Myanmar. I have empty picture frames ready for some of my favorite pictures of both of them, but that selection process always brings me to tears.

I am planning to carry this project over to the new year, as it's a rather emotional one and needs more time.

In loving memory, but still to be completed at a future time.

19. Attend another yoga retreat.
I went to a yoga retreat in Thailand in Winter 2021/2022 immediately post-heartbreak. The yoga retreat was very powerful and exactly what I needed at the time. I found a lot of healing and also met some lovely people who are actually still in my orbit today.

I wanted to attend another yoga retreat now that I am in a happier, healthier place. This time, instead of seeking healing, I was aiming to rest and recharge. 

HOW IT WENT: I found a wonderful retreat in Corfu, Greece. It turns out that I really did need to take some time to slow down, as the previous year had been a whirlwind with big changes in my life (i.e., moving countries and changing jobs). 

I did yoga twice a day everyday for all eight days of the retreat. I slept a lot, ate yummy Greek food, drank coffee slowly, and went on yogi adventures (mostly hikes) with some very beautiful people. It was exactly what I needed this year. Sneak peek: This helped inspire the theme for my 2025 list!

The view from my room during the retreat. I watched the sunset on the water every night.

Cuddling with adorable kitties is also good for the soul ❤️

20. Read more books by BIPOC authors.

I've been doing this for years, but this year I wanted to be more intentional about it.

HOW IT WENT: GREAT! I'm really glad I decided to focus on BIPOC authors this year. I read and listened to fiction and non-fiction books by some WONDERFUL authors. My favorite books of the year were the ones ones that taught me something new and/or challenged my thinking. Even though this list item will be changing next year, I plan to continue being intentional about reading and supporting BIPOC authors moving forward as well.

My favorite fiction book this year was James by Percival Everett, which is the (much better) story of Huck Finn from a very different perspective. My other favorite read was a mix of realistic fiction and non-fiction: Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi is inspired by the Central Park Exonerated Five and includes poetry written by one of the boys when he was on trial and serving part of his sentence. It is an incredibly powerful read.

21. Document my medical history all in one place.

The reason I wanted to do this was mainly to make my medical appointments (#17) go more smoothly. 

HOW IT WENT: It didn't... I ended up going to doctors before I actually did the documenting, and it was all fine. It would probably be useful to actually do this, but I find that doctors ask specific questions that they need to know about personal and family history, so I definitely lost steam/interest in this task.

22. Find a way to store/display my childhood memories.

Everything I own is with me in Dubai. I used to have a storage unit in the USA that I paid for monthly but I decided a couple of things: I want to stay abroad longer than the original 2-year plan, so it doesn't make sense to keep paying to store furniture and household goods. I also decided that if something was worth keeping in my life, it should be worth having it with me. I have significantly paired down my possessions over the past few years, and now everything I own brings me joy.

HOW IT WENT: Done! Thank you to IKEA for selling memory boxes that can also store my collection of playbills, too.

 

Organization makes my brain so very happy.

23. Do something uniquely Dubai every month.

I think it can be really easy to settle into a routine of things you know when living in a city. I used to know someone who had lived in the UAE for five years, and she told me that she never got around to visiting all of the emirates here (there are seven of them). The same thing happened when I lived in NYC. I knew people who had lived there for decades and had never seen the Statue of Liberty. 

Dubai has been unique for me because I visited here more than I had ever visited a city before moving there in my entire adult life! The closest is probably NYC, where I visited in high school on a choir trip and fell in love with the city. I called my mom from the top of the Empire State Building and told her I wanted to move to New York. She asked me to come home and finish school first. I did, and then five years later I moved to the city that I love!

Later, I moved to Chicago, Yangon (Myanmar/Burma), and Muscat (Oman), all sight unseen. The last two were places that I actually had to look up on a map because I wasn't sure where it was that I would actually be moving. 

I first came to Dubai in 2017 for a conference and stayed an extra day and a half to be a tourist. I also came up here several times with friends and alone when I was living in Oman, as it was a 4-5 hour drive and doable regular weekend and enjoyable over a long weekend. This has been GREAT for the transition, as I was already familiar (and in love!) with a lot of things here. 

HOW IT WENT: I did pretty well this year, though it was harder during my busy season (coaching volleyball is a LOT, and I cherish my downtime during Season 1). I used those times to appreciate and notice the little things about living here. Here is what I experienced in Dubai this year:

• JANUARY: Expo City (built for the World's Fair in 2020/2021)
• FEBRUARY: The opera house, with STUNNING views of the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world right now!).
• MARCH: La Perle, a sort of Cirque du Soleil-esque show. My impression is that some people had a brainstorming session, made a list of all the ideas that would make a good show, skipped the editing process, and went straight to production. It was so extra - I absolutely loved it!
• APRIL: Travel! I can get almost anywhere in the world in just one stop. When I lived in Yangon, I used to transit through Dubai. While I was connecting to another 6-hour flight, I remembering thinking how lucky people were to be leaving the airport. And now, I am one of those lucky people!
• MAY: Time Out Market at the Dubai Mall (yes, I know this is not technically unique because there are Time Out Markets in other cities, but I still count it because ours is in a souk!)
• JUNE: Brunch - Dubai is famous for it
• JULY: (I wasn't here.)
• AUGUST: One of those little moments... I got my car washed while I went shopping in the mall, and then drove through a sandstorm on the way home. Definitely a unique series of events for me!
• SEPTEMBER: Shawarma for breakfast
• SEPTEMBER AGAIN: Day trip to Abu Dhabi
• NOVEMBER: Wicked on the world's largest movie screen
• DECEMBER: Sunset walk on The Palm, a manmade island in Dubai

I absolutely love this city ❤️

24. Take in 24 days of culture.

The plan was to be intentional and mindful while enjoying concerts and museums.

HOW IT WENT: I didn't quite make it to 24 BUT I loved trying! I took in some wonderful concerts and shows, went on a food tour and temple hopping, and learned about other traditions and cultures. 

A highlight for me was meeting one of my very favorite performers at the stage door of Chicago after I saw it on Broadway in NYC this summer. I was absolutely starstruck! 

Day 1: Abrahamic Family House, Abu Dhabi, UAE 🇦🇪

Day 2: Hamilton in Abu Dhabi, UAE 🇦🇪

Days 3-5: Classical Concert Series at the Dubai Opera 🇦🇪

Day 6: Food tour in Athens, Greece 🇬🇷

Day 7: Seven Villages Hike in Naxos, Greece 🇬🇷

Day 8: Madama Butterfly at Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain 🇪🇸

Day 9: I met Jinkx Monsoon!! She was brilliant in Chicago on Broadway in NYC, USA 🇺🇸

Day 10: Goodman Theatre in Chicago, USA 🇺🇸

 

Days 11 & 12: Northern Sky Theater in Door County, Wisconsin, USA 🇺🇸

Day 13: Parador in Santiago de Compostela, Spain 🇪🇸

Day 14: Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt 🇪🇬

Day 15: Abu Simbel Temple in Aswan, Egypt 🇪🇬

Day 16: Kom Ombo Temple & Crocodile Museum in Aswan, Egypt 🇪🇬

Day 17: Temple-hopping: Medinet Habu, Karnak Temple, and Luxor Temple in Luxor, Egypt 🇪🇬

Day 18: Amr ibn al-As (the largest mosque in Africa) in Cairo, Egypt 🇪🇬

Day 19: Singin' in the Rain at the Dubai Opera 🇦🇪

THINGS I LOVED AND/OR LEARNED THIS YEAR:

• It's fun to have a project!
• I documented my 24 in 2024 on instagram and Facebook, so I have a collection of my memories from the year all in one album.
• I was more present and intentional.
• I don't need to "be like an extrovert" or anything else that isn't true to me.
• I'm proud I completed my Kodály course, adulted hardcore (AKA, figured out my new insurance and found new doctors here in Dubai), got back to running, and went for a big retirement goal.
• I had fun with friend dates and reunions, and I realized that I "get out more" than I thought. 
• My favorite project was probably #23, finding things to do that are uniquely Dubai. 
• My most special adventure was walking the last 100km of the Camino de Santiago this summer, though it was also very cool to visit two Wonders of the World this year, too!
• I'm especially proud of the grace I have given to myself on projects and list items that I DIDN'T complete. That's a lot of personal growth for this recovering perfectionist!

THINGS I WILL CHANGE FOR NEXT YEAR:

• I had a LOT of list items that were "24 ____" and/or "do something every month." I had moments throughout the year where it started to feel a bit overwhelming.
• I would like come up with more one-off items on future lists, though that feels more like a to-do list, which is way less fun than a project.
• I have a VERY different theme for 2025, inspired by two of the items from this year's list.

As always, I am so grateful for this wonderful life that I get to live. Cheers to a great year! ✌️