A Late New Year's Wrap-Up
And best-of list...and to-do list...
Hello (she says, while peeking at you from behind her hands)!
I was feeling fine about taking such a long break from this Substack until I reread my last post, which promised something very specific for the next week, which I ignored completely.
Here’s the thing: I’ve been caught in a time vortex for the past three-ish weeks while I was visiting family in Utah. And upon arriving back in DC, I wouldn’t say I’m thriving. I hoped to start 2025 motivated with a new writing routine, a work schedule that doesn’t feel all-consuming, and a completely new personality where I am calm and put together. And then, every day this week has hit me like a bus. I’m not sleeping well, I feel nauseous at random times throughout the day, I’m behind on everything, and the weather here is making me never want to leave my apartment, which in turn is making me feel gray and uninspired. I have left the apartment, of course—mostly for work obligations—but I’m not getting the same fulfillment from being out and about as I usually do.
So, I know we’re all kind of over the New Year’s lists—the best-ofs, the wrap-ups, the to-dos—but I’m going to do a bit of all three in this post today for my own sanity. Right now, I’m spinning within the event horizon of a black hole trying to get my data across time and space to a younger version of myself. Let’s hope this post is the morse code I need to help me shout, “Eureka!” and get a move on. (I did watch Interstellar recently—how could you tell?!)
Abi’s Best Of 2024
My favorite outfit I wore of all 2024 is…
What I like about it: I don’t wear color that often, and I like how it shows up here. A little pop with the skirt, a little pop with the headband. I don’t love this striped shirt on its own, but I think it works really well covered with this vest. I also love the contrast between a cutesy babydoll headband and some rubber rain boots. 10/10 for me. Congrats, Abi, you’ve never looked better.
My favorite celebrity look that I think about more often than I’d like to admit…
This dress was defying gravity long before Cynthia Erivo sang about it. I don’t know why this look didn’t get more attention?? I love that they kept her makeup simple and accessories non-existent. Who needs them? We’re all just flabbergasted that this dress exists in the first place. Bravo.
My best bake…
I made this for my lovely friend Caroline’s Halloween party (which was Harry Potter themed, if you couldn’t tell). I’m proud of it for two reasons: 1. I never make cakes and this one actually turned out good, and 2. I improvised and it actually worked out. I was using some natural food coloring for the buttercream frosting, but it was just taking too long to turn the color I wanted, plus the frosting was kind of bland. So I dumped in the rest of the homemade raspberry jam (that also made an appearance in between cake layers) in to get the right color and add some better flavor. People really liked it!
My favorite thing I wrote this year…
For Substack, I was really proud of this article about approaching new cultures! I feel like it kind of got lost in the mix, but it’s at least inspired me to write something longer for my book about this same topic.
As for my personal writing, I’m really proud of an essay called “Children of the Forest” that is coming out in Potomac Review sometime this winter. I’ll link it when possible.
Best picture of my cat…
She’s just a baby.
Best restaurant I visited…
Can’t stop thinking about the totally plant-based sushi at Planta Queen here in DC. Truly mind-blowing.
Movie that I had the most qualms with…
I was going to do my favorite movie, but it’s more authentic to talk about which movie I complained most about. This year, I was so excited to see Heretic. And yet, the more I think about it, the less I like it. I know we’re past spooky season, but I might still write about Heretic here in greater detail sometime. For now, my biggest qualm is that the person questioning religion is the bad guy. We can pretend that the missionaries were nuanced Mormons…but for the movie’s narrative to come to a satisfying conclusion, it ultimately asks that the questioner be killed and the faithful survive. To me, that’s a story that’s been told several times over, and the reality of faith journeys deserves so much more investigation.
P.S. If you are one my friends who I yap to about all the elements in movies I take issue with, I bow down to you and promise to keep my monologues shorter in 2025.
Best book I read…
I tried to read more fiction this year, and was delighted with Barbara Kingsolver’s book The Poisonwood Bible. I read it while we were in Italy, so the memories of the book are punctuated with moments of looking out train windows to views of the sea, of little neighborhoods, of fields and fields and fields.
Abi’s 2024 Wrap-Up
Work Achievements
My job(s) are not easy to list on a resume. I’ve got four long-term freelance contracts going right now on top of two personal projects. There’s my work as programs coordinator for literary nonprofit, The Inner Loop; as producer for the podcast Not For Everyone; as producer for the podcast The Opportunist; and as a writer for the 730DC newsletter, which is like half work/half volunteer—we’re a scrappy team and I love us. My personal projects include writing a book and writing this Substack. This is why I need to get my schedule in order.
For The Inner Loop
Hosted ten readings
Promoted nine local authors’ books
Led three book clubs with Lost City Books
Attended and facilitated two writing retreats
Held three author panels (and emcee’d one of them!)
Co-hosted 9 episodes of The Inner Loop Radio
Put together a gala celebrating 10 years of TIL
For Not For Everyone
Produced 40 episodes
Appeared on one episode in April
Laughed a lot at the hosts’ (and my wonderful friends’) commentary
For The Opportunist
Produced 18 episodes
Pitched the Tim Ballard/OUR story which was made into a 10-episode series
Got to work with one of my dearest friends on many episodes
For 730DC
Wrote 50 newsletters highlighting what to know and what to do in DC
We’re kind of known for our punny headlines, and my favorite this year was “Get your Musk-ito spray ready” over a blurb about Elon Musk trying to take over DC’s local government. Ha ha. (He’s going to find me and kill me, isn’t he.)
For my Substack
Wrote 20 posts
Gained 415 subscribers (some even paid! Angels, all of you!)
Made one podcast episode
Tried a bunch of different post styles as I continually work on what this is (thank you, by the way, for your support despite my erraticism!)
For my book
Wrote 15 essays
Published 3 of them in literary journals
Read 2 of them at different literary readings around the city
Had countless workshops with friends and colleagues and my husband
Started pitching agents and then slowed the F down because I still have a lot I want to alter
Miscellaneous
Wrote 2 articles for The Kennedy Center
Edited a few Theater District podcast episodes
Wrote a few articles for Eater DC
Life Achievements
Um, looking back it seems as if work was my life? Let’s see what my camera on my phone suggests I did this year.
Went on 10 trips (!)—to see family, some vacations, bachelorette parties, weddings, etc.
Visited 2 new countries
Celebrated 9 years of marriage with Jake, the greatest guy around!
Laughed and talked for hours with my best friends
Fell in love with two new babies! (Thanks to my sister/sister-in-law for creating such amazing creatures.)
Started therapy
Turned 31
Started a new morning routine with my cat where I open all the blinds and then find her on the beanbag, where she rolls over to show me her tummy, anticipating pets. We talk about how great she is for a few minutes, and then I start my workout.
I simply can’t go on. It seems as if 2024 was a very full year and I don’t have any more to prove.
Abi’s To-Do List for 2025
Goals are meh to me, but I do like thinking about what I’d like to do more and less of.
More
Baking (stay tuned on this…I have some fun ideas)
Gym time (as in, I’m actually getting a membership and pivoting from at-home workouts)
Flowers
Making my personal projects my priority
Self compassion
Thrifted clothes
Less
Screen time
Food waste (an ongoing goal…)
Overextending myself
Okay, that’s enough! My word, why didn’t anyone tell me to stop talking?
Thank you so much for reading whenever I post. And thank you for humoring me on this specific post that now feels extremely self indulgent. But it really has helped sort my brain out!
Many of you found me through my dear friend Caroline, and she deserves a huge shoutout for going out of her way to recommend anything I do. I did not expect it and appreciate her very much for having faith in me! If you don’t follow her YouTube channel (plus the podcast we work on together, Not For Everyone), what are you waiting for?!
Next week, we’ll get back to our regular programming—or maybe I’ll throw us all for a loop again and write something completely out-of-the-blue? The spontaneity is why you’re here, I’m sure.
Slowly emerging from the vortex,
Abi