My word for 2024 is “experiment.” Action-oriented and creatively driven, here’s a bunch of experiments from the last year. This year, I learned how much I value feedback, so in the spirit of sharing, I might even add to social media.
Health journeys:
- Flexing my ambidexterity neural pathway creation for Alzheimer’s prevention, such as hair-brushing, teeth-brushing, and writing with both hands!
- Journeying through sobriety one day at a time and nearly at 365 days!
- Plants-based living, meal-prepping, and learning the art of slow cooking with my partner
- Walking instead of running sometimes, with the battle scars to prove it
- Turning off my phone (and getting lost on purpose), often tracking time away with the Forest app
- Reducing self-deprecating, sarcastic sharing and instead learning self-love through affirmations
Career reviews:
- Quitting jobs, despite benefits, and starting a bunch of part-time ones, then figuring out market-rate insurance (‘:
- Saying, “adios” to marketing and later diving into freelancing
- Becoming a full-time student, learning a whole new world of library and information science (Sierra, ArchivesSpace, Dublin Core, and so much more)
- Picking up Russian, Japanese, and Swedish
- Trying different CV strategies
- Sharing many coffee talks with mentors and mentees alike
Creative experiments:
- Reclaiming stories through blogs, photos, and archives, and empowering others to do the same as a consultant!
- Dying my hair every color of the rainbow (turquoise may have been my favorite, or the short-lived lilac; I write about changes to my hair and identity here)
- Going back to piano, learning guitar and EDM, and now considering voice lessons
- Writing for external pieces, such as (and saying, “no” to others)
- Organizing conferences and media events, such as leading volunteers at Denver Film
- Bird watching and gardening
- Decluttering and removing barriers, like living without a dresser, destroying it with a hammer after it destroyed my toes (thanks, neighbor, for renting a junk trunk bed at the same time) #RestInPieces
- Dancing at a drag show (for T-1 minute but still!)
Spiritual growth:
- Leaning into my faith and not being afraid of tough conversations
- Going to church regularly, lecturing once and a while, and joining the social ministry group to reorganize the pantry
- Embracing gender as construct and expressing whatever/whoever I want
- Chanting, praying, and meditating nearly every day to understand my concept of God
Interpersonal changes:
- Doing life with my partner and meeting each other’s families
- Scheduling check-ins with my people, then celebrating weddings!
- Supporting David Avido’s first USA visit; later in the year, my now sister-in-law moved to the States, too
- Playing with dogs all summer to slowly prepare for my own pup again
- Reclaiming Vegas with my bestie (and 40,000 other emos) at When We Were Young
- Starting a GoFundMe for a fellow MLIS student, support this student here
There are so many experiments to share, some glamorous, others less so. It has been a fantastic year of trying and transitioning! I have loved exploring new words for the year since 2022, with ideas to come for 2025. How about you? Any reflections on intentions or words for the year?