2024 was…something.
In the process of endlessly pondering which new things I had to share in my next blog post, my perpetually caffeine-fried brain* wasn’t exactly willing to be of much assistance. It doesn’t help that I occasionally manage to find inspiration, but I suddenly mentally freeze up when its time to put those words onto paper (don’t expect quality-tier writing ahead). Now that we’re nine days away from the New Year and I’m only now finishing writing this…a brand-new set of resolutions are definitely in order.
*Five cups per day is not an advisable habit. Learn from my bad example.
New Years’ Day has actually been one of my favorite holidays, fun fact. I know that it’s probably random for such a holiday to be one of my favorites, but New Years’ has always had a certain…unique sense of nostalgia that I can’t quite put into words. That, and I like our mall tradition. I can’t help it; malls are fun to walk around, without even having to buy anything. (It’s probably for the better that I escaped the stereotypical “teen with a credit card in a mall” phase.)
And I’ve always considered New Years’ as a vital chance to reflect on the previous year, so that I know to make better choices for the next one. With 2024’s status as the most transitional year of my life, I found myself having to make considerably tough decisions and adapting to an entirely new set of surroundings, while embracing the fact that I was going to have to go to a state six hours away — meaning that keeping a presence in my hometown is vastly easier said than done. Thankfully, however, it doesn’t mean that it was impossible; in July, I returned to Florida for a couple weeks to watch over our nine (and counting) pets. During my stay there, I had seen that Henry has still been making himself at home:
And after that trip, I’ve been making good use of my surroundings here in South Carolina and doing my best to explore what this new town had to offer. Cavalier’s Coffeehouse, for example, was a pleasant surprise for me to discover. It’s simple and quaint, yet always worthwhile to spend some freetime at, and their back patio simply feels…refreshing to take a nice stroll through and sit in. Over time, I’ve realized how I’ve been unconsciously using Cavalier’s a substitute for DeLand’s very own Boston Coffeehouse, where near-everyone knew my name there. And the two are good in their own, unique ways.
Speaking of reminiscing (which I seem to do far too often on my blog), I used my trip to also revisit Stetson’s campus during the summer there, where I got to chat with a couple of former coffeeshop coworkers and see how much the campus had been evolving over the past few months.
I digress. 2024 surprised me with a new environment, and “new” is definitely the theme that I’m aiming for with 2025.
Without further ado, my current resolutions?
- Practice more guitar. To my own pleasant surprise, my progress with guitar proficiency has skyrocketed in the past several days, after years of on-and-off teaching myself the basics, and after my lovely fiancée surprising me with a guitar. In May 2023, I had this spontaneous desire to learn it again and even reached out to a former classmate for advice, only for my plans to take an unexpected detour after certain, turblent events. I promise, guys; you’ll see more guitar recordings of me soon enough, after I improve to a certain point.
- Travel more. I’ve already found some great new places so far, and even visited two new states earlier this year.
- Foster a stronger work ethic. As in this economy, I need to save up all I can…
- And most importantly? Make new connections. The continued goodwill and support from my former classmates, my church family, and online acquaintances have already tremendously helped me over the years, and I know that I’ll be able to build upon that for 2025.