2024: Year in Review
A moment of respite in my birthplace hometown.
It’s been more than a decade of these annual reviews, but truly, writing gives me the closure I need to start the new year fresh with a clear mind. This year has gone on forever but also flew by. It has ebbed and flowed, shifting between a few themes.
January to June: Planning the biggest party we’ve ever thrown 💍
Simon and I got married in June, and had the time of our lives. Leading up to the big day, all my brain space was pretty much focused on planning. Planning a wedding fulfilled my creative needs, but also put immense stress on us. It was an amazing day, but alas, just one day.
Ultimately a wedding is just a one-time thing; a marriage is forever. The wedding planning process has brought Simon and I closer together, but beyond the white dresses and wedding gifts, I’ve started to think of us as a unit, a family that shares our dreams, goals, and to be frank, finances. In the dating stage, we had our own lives, and only after getting married have I felt that we now share a life. His friends are my friends; his family is my family.
The wedding was also a once-in-a-lifetime milestone and excuse to reunite and connect with all our loved ones, from the invites and RSVPs, to the weekend itself and stories that unfolded from everyone’s unique perspectives, to the thank you cards and trail of celebrations that rippled to the other side of the world. What a privilege to be able to throw a wedding, and an honor to be part of a loving community that shared our joy and celebrated with us for so much of the year. The “气氛” is real.
July to August: New job? Ok! 💼
Right after the wedding, I barely got a week to breathe before the next big change. An opportunity to return to my old team at work came around, and as frazzled as I was, I said yes. (My life motto: Commit now and figure it out later.)
Changing teams at a big company is kind of the equivalent of getting a new job. In the middle of a busy work season, I wrapped up an important leadership review with my old team, and returned to consumer-facing e-commerce work that I enjoy, with a team I’ve missed dearly. I had to put personal life on pause, and focus on a quick and smooth transition into my new 9-to-5 routines.
With this new team also came sudden opportunities to travel…
September to October: Ready, Jetset, Go! ✈️
Work took me to London right away. Simon accompanied me in my first visit to the UK, and then my sister joined me as I went back again one month later. Somewhere in between, we squeezed in a fun weekend in Denver (surprisingly my favorite trip of the year). And then five days after returning from London: Part II, I repacked and hopped on a plane to Taiwan to embark on our month-long honeymoon.
Our month in Asia was the longest I’d ever been away from work, and the most complicated trip I’ve ever planned. But it was an extraordinary time experiencing life somewhere new, somewhere so different.
Then we got back from Asia. I got home, unpacked and repacked, and ended up back at the airport four hours later. I had to go back to work, which just happened to be in New York that week. I spent Halloween week staying out late in New York City, which felt like an end of a season, in weather and in life.
Globetrotting is glamorous and all, but at the end of the day, I missed being home.
November to December: rest, nest, be merry 🏠
November welcomed a different kind of change. One that not only made the idea of staying home a preference, but practically a necessity. We voted, we cried, we got off the internet. I turned 30 and took joy in my new identity as a homebody. We cleaned the house, hosted holiday parties, and spent time with family. ‘Tis the season for big sweaters, singing by the piano, cozying up by the fireplace, feel-good movies, and warm carbs.
Above: Friends, old and new. Being able to make new friends and reconnect with old ones at this age? I’m forever grateful.
Things I’m proud of
Threw a wedding that was more heartfelt than visually aesthetic. Didn’t turn into bridezilla.
Leading up the wedding, I ate super healthy and spent hours at the gym almost everyday. I took a DEXA body scan shortly after and found out I have 0 lbs of visceral fat. (?!)
I finally got a pull-up. It didn’t last, but it happened, and it’s possible.
Conquered my fear of traveling to China without parents. I was afraid of not speaking enough Chinese, or not knowing how to connect with extended family members I don’t see very often. But it was absolutely wonderful getting to reunite with people who love me even though they’re so far away.
Built a website from scratch.
Brought new friends to climb with us, and got people on the fitness train. Sorry not sorry, I will drag you to the gym with me.
Embraced work-life balance. I take my PTOs without fear of missing out, and work hard without working overtime. Who knew having boundaries at work actually earns you more respect?
Leveled up my vlogging. Invested in filmmaking with new editing software, lav mics, and music I’m actually paying for.
Made my very first big electronics purchase. (A Macbook!) Yes, it’s taken me this long in life to decide I deserve something nice that’s 100% mine.
Kept this blog alive! I don’t know any non-professional blogger who consistently writes in a public forum, and I’ve decided that’s worth celebrating.
Reflections
This year was a lot. On top of wedding planning, having to work full-time, commute, maintain a house, and make time for friends and family only leaves us with so much time. Putting in hours at the gym (sometimes 4+ hours a day) means less time in front of my computer doing creative things. Planning for traveling, packing, and recovering from traveling means less time to dabble in my other hobbies. I’m tired, but I’m satisfied. I did all the things I wanted to, and at the end of the day I can only look back with gratitude.
It’s hard to notice the the day-to-day, but life is rich. Rich with love, hobbies, good food, opportunities, and all the things. Not disregarding the amount of privilege and luck that has come my way, I feel immensely grateful for everything I’ve been able to experience and build in my life before 30. I’m married to a wonderful partner, we own a house, we threw our dream wedding, finances are good, we have successful careers while maintaining our physical and mental health, we get to travel to wherever in the world, we have free time, we have loving friends and family, and we still have so much life to live. I’ve been working and grinding so much in life that it’s surreal to be like oh… I’m here, I’ve arrived.
But just when I thought I'd “arrived,” the destination changed. At the start of the year I was obsessed over the color of wedding reception tablecloths, and by the end, I’m comparing deductibles between healthcare plans. Priorities and my lifestyle have shifted in a dramatic way as I enter my 30s with a newfound maturity and a different breed of anxiety. That’s how life works, right?
Above: Home, in every sense of the word. Spending our weekends doing what we love to do locally. And visiting family near and far.
First times
This year, for the first time in my life, I dog sat, threw a bachelorette party, completed a Spartan race, crossed to the other side of the equator, stepped foot in the UK, drove a go-kart, climbed silks, bought a laptop, went to a trampoline park, rented studio lights, touched the Gulf of Mexico, flew business class, visited Colorado, purchased gold, watched the NYC marathon in-person, had afternoon tea, took a break from the internet (after the annoying af Superbowl), watched Les Mis and Cabaret, stopped freelancing, took a real nap at work, became a trusted traveler (and never going back), attended a beach wedding, played mini golf, saw Adele live, bought a new car, slept over at an airport lounge, didn’t prepare Christmas gifts, and got a certificate of achievement for conversational Cantonese!
Best of pop culture
Entertainment came BACK this year. The Paris Olympics was one for the books (Simone! Janja! Brooke! Katie! Ilona! Sydney! ShaCarri! Snoop Dogg! Pommel horse guy! Raygun!) Every night I was watching highlights on the verge of tears witnessing pure human ambition and spirit on display. Celine Dion’s comeback during the opening ceremony was also breathtaking.
Although Hollywood was disappointing this year, music-wise, I feel young again with Beyonce’s country album, the surprisingly good Grammy’s, the rise of Chappell Roan, brat summer, and Sabrina Carpenter’s music. I’ve even started to like Billie Eilish.
More random things I need to list before they fall off my memory: Zendaya’s movie promo looks, the emergence of musical theater into mainstream culture (a la Wicked), SNL guest stars Ariana Grande, Nate Bargatze, Ryan Gosling, and John Mulaney, the Obamas at the DNC, and all the comedians for getting me through the year: Ali Wong, Nate Bargatze, Hasan Minhaj, Leslie Liao, Michael McIntyre, Dustin Nickerson, and many more.
Above: Other random moments.
As I enter into a new decade in age, I’m also entering a new stage in life. If all the goals I’ve wanted in my early 20’s have been checked off, what’s next?
Take care of aging parents.
Figure out what it means to build wealth.
Start a family.
Truly take care of my body.
Figure out what it means to thrive as I age.
Be confident in my changing identity.
There are lots of fears going into 2025, but they’re more exciting than anything. I’m ready to leap into the unknown, with all the lessons I’ve learned, a loving community around me, and the greatest partner by my side.
I’ve been working and grinding so much in life that it’s surreal to be like oh… I’m here, I’ve arrived.