Where do I even begin?!

2024 was a whirlwind, to say the least—a year absolutely packed with magical moments, personal growth, and unforgettable experiences. As we step into 2025, I know it will bring yet another year of change. My expat assignment ends at the end of May, and with it, so does this unique chapter of life abroad. Everyone warned me about how quickly this time would fly by, and wow, they weren’t kidding!

Before I dive headfirst into 2025 and all its uncertainties, I wanted to pause and reflect on the year that was. That’s one reason I love having this blog—it forces me to slow down and thoughtfully document my experiences to share with my friends and family. So, let’s take a look back at 2024, by the numbers:

✈️ 22 flights: Over the course of the year, I spent 3 days and 4 hours in the air, traveling a total of 32,181 miles—that’s 1.3x around the world! These adventures took me through 8 incredible countries: Denmark, Italy (twice), the U.S., Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, and Tanzania. Out of those, 5 were new countries for me (Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Luxembourg, and Tanzania). Austria marked my 30th country, allowing me to complete my goal of reaching 30 countries before turning 30.

🏡 13 Visitors: We hosted so many loved ones this year! Elia kicked off the visits in March, followed by Savannah and Ian in Copenhagen in April. Jossue and his brother swung by in May, and then Alex and Sam stopped in Brussels before we headed on our girls’ trip to Austria. Marisa joined me in Milan, Sarah and Zach explored Belgium for a week, our moms visited at separate times, and Ben’s friends filled in the gaps. I love how much joy these visits brought to our year!

💍 3 Weddings: May was filled with love and family time as we flew to NYC for my cousin Abbey’s wedding, then drove to Virginia to see my mom/grandma, then flew to Chicago for Ariana’s wedding where I was a bridesmaid. Then I flew back to Chicago for just a few days in October to be a bridesmaid in Rachel’s wedding. While we couldn’t attend every wedding we were invited to, we’re so happy for all our friends and family who tied the knot this year!

🎶 3 Concerts – In February, we saw Noah Kahan at a small venue in Belgium. He is absolutely my favorite artist right now – I just love his vibe (he was also my number one most listed to artist for 2024). I also went to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour which was so incredible! I wouldn’t consider myself a “Swiftie” by any means, but anyone who can perform for 3.5 hours in a row every night deserves some credit. Another reason I love her is because I felt like I’ve grown up listening to her music – her surprise song was a song I listened to when I had my first heartbreak and it brought me right back to those feelings. I also went 1 day to Tommorowland which is one of the most famous music festivals in the world, and one of the hardest to get tickets to. This experience was unlike anything else, and we walked over 34,000 steps that day!

🤕 1 Concussion: Not all adventures are successful ones. In 2024, I learned the hard way that some risks just aren’t worth it. During a work event that I planned at an adventure park, I attempted a free fall jump, landed incorrectly, and spent days in the dark nursing a concussion. Lesson learned—2025 will include fewer high-risk “fun” ideas!

📸 48 Favorite Photos: Choosing my top four photos from each month was a challenge, given the 17,000 photos currently living on my camera roll! But this exercise reminded me just how amazing this year was:

Reflections on 2024

Of course, not every moment was easy. Spending Christmas just the two of us, while peaceful, felt a little lonely. I also pushed myself too hard balancing work, travel, and hosting, which caught up with me by the fall. And as we look to 2025, there are so many uncertainties—where we’ll live, what our careers will look like, and how we’ll navigate the challenges of returning to the U.S.

But through it all, I’ve learned so much about myself, Ben, and what we want out of life. These “Brussels Bubble” years have been transformative. Our relationship has deepened as we’ve leaned on each other in ways we never had before. I can’t believe we’ve been together for 8 years (as of 1/1/25) — I can’t imagine this life without him.

The 20s are a wild ride full of growth, love, and chaos. One of my goals for this upcoming year is to embrace the twists and turns that 2025 has in store.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Love and best wishes to all my friends and family for 2025.