When I get to around this time of year and think of reflecting on the last twelve months, I often think of more specific moments first, like a certain trip that offered an incredible experience (like the previous year’s trip to the Pacific Northwest). But this year, the first thoughts that came to mind were more thematic. I thought of the connections – or rather re-connections – that happened throughout the year. For me, 2024 was a good year for reconnecting!
Spring Travel and Reconnecting
While I love looking back on travel at year-end, in 2024 much of my travel was centered around reconnecting with friends and family which was an added – and fantastic – bonus and much of it happened in the spring. I’ve written before about how I love to explore new places, and I started the spring off with an introduction to Napa and this part of California was absolutely stunning. In fairness, much of California is. I attended a college friend’s wedding and had the added benefit of reconnecting with another close college friend in the area.
And I was lucky in both the spring and early winter to reconnect with family. In the spring we made an almost last-minute decision to spend a long weekend with family in the northeast and then a few weeks ago, I attended a family member’s wedding in the southeast. I haven’t laughed that long and that hard in quite some time (my family knows how to have a ridiculously good time together!).
Asheville, NC
In the vein of reconnecting on vacation, in early fall I visited Asheville and the famed Biltmore Estate, meeting up with a family member to explore. I briefly considered canceling this trip as it was initially planned with more family members to meet up, but most had to cancel nearly last minute for one reason or another. However, I still went and was in awe both of North Carolina’s natural beauty and the manmade decadence of the Biltmore (library goals, anyone?).
However. Just weeks after that trip, Hurricane Helene hit the area and Asheville and surrounding areas was devastated. I cannot even begin to pretend I can imagine what it was like for residents, but I will say it was unbelievable to see pictures of city streets I’d walked a few weeks prior. I am encouraged by the reopenings I’m hearing about and I hope to make it back in the future!
Holiday Lights Made Easier
Okay, so this is a small thing, but total game changer. This year I bought a remote control for my Christmas tree lights. A few years ago, my mother had gotten one and I loved the way it made turning on – and off – the tree so much easier. I didn’t have to crouch down and reach around the tree, or try to reach through the different tree boughs to find and unplug the lights. Nor did I have to try to drape the plug around a branch to make it easier to get when it came to plugging the tree back in. My tree is a little smaller than hers, but the angle is still a little wonky. So I’d kept an eye out in years past for one, but this year I finally just ordered one online. And I cannot believe I waited so long. It makes it so much easier to turn on first thing in the morning before that first cup of coffee and enjoy it fully before a work day.
