I’m still alive!

So, without planning, the year 2024 came and went and I didn’t post a single entry on my blog. I considered deleting this blog a couple of times, to be honest. But I couldn’t follow through with it. I keep thinking I must have a reason for keeping it. I still don’t know the reason. Like the saying goes “Better late than never”. Here is my 2024 recap in list format:

Books

This year it was a hit or miss, and mostly a miss with my book choices. I usually finish my reading challenge by now, but this year in particular was a struggle. After so many consecutive books that I didn’t enjoy, I started to be hesitant to grab another book. But I’m still going. I have two more books to read for this year’s reading challenge of 16 books. To see my reading list of 2024 and years past, visit my Goodreads profile.

Artist Feature

Marloes is an artist from the Netherlands I’ve followed for many years. Her art style is fun and down to earth, but it was her artistic philosophy that made me a fan. I admire her creativity, resilience, ability to set boundaries, and her fierce advocacy against using AI to steal artist’s work. I hope one day I can take one of her workshops in Europe.

Vacations

Our Japan trip in 2024 was amazing! I was so relieved that I could still speak Japanese after over 10 years without practice and never having been able to take the language exams.

Cooking

This was the year of pizza. We made so many pizzas that I’ve lost count. My husband makes the dough from scratch; it’s so delicious to have fresh homemade dough. We make a killer tomato base sauce and do not get me started on our white sauce. There are always new ideas to try, and we just can’t get enough pizza.

Podcasts

Immigrating to a new country can be very lonely when you don’t live in a big metropolis. I get jealous of my friends living in Vancouver; they seem to have all the fun and social life I want. To me, this podcast counts as therapy. The offset therapy you get after a great time with your girlfriends. Maddy and Grace, you are always welcome to our pizza parties. Let me know when you are visiting Canada.

It’s a wrap

Thank you for reading. Enjoy the holidays and don’t forget it’s okay to rest and take it easy.