We’re here in 2025! My annual new year post looks back on the previous year and ahead at what’s to come. I hope you are starting this year with optimism and ambition.
2024 Highlight Reel
Per usual, I’ll start with a highlight reel. This is a list that shows the quantitative summary and notable events of my year.
- Dined at 197 different Austin restaurants, bakeries, food trucks, bars, etc
- Ate memorable meals like Craft Omakase, Intero, Birdie’s, and Tare
- Traveled to Nashville, Cozumel, and New York City
- Read 50 books
- Took 140 OrangeTheory classes where I ran 358.5 miles on the treadmill and made a few PRs
- Partnered with 16 brands
- Saw lots of live music, including Keith Urban, Niall Horan, Zach Bryan, and Glass Animals
- Competed in the dessert category of a barbecue competition
- Took a few classes like croissant making, Italian dinner party, mosaic lamp, and crochet
- Celebrated big events with friends, including 3 weddings, 1 baby, and 3 40th birthdays
- Published 51 posts on Fearless Captivations
Also see my post about 14 new things I tried where I talk about cutting 13 inches of hair, walking the UT football field, and meeting a longhorn.
Favorite shows watched: One Day, Mr & Mrs Smith, Shogun, Hacks, Not Dead Yet, Emily in Paris, Crash Landing on You, Empress
Things I Ate in 2025
This post shares some of my favorite eats of the year.
My Favorite and Most Popular Blog Posts
Masa Omakase at Nixta Taqueria is a Tasting Menu Must-Try
Michelin Guide is in Austin, Texas – Here’s What It Means
10 Best Things to Do in North Austin
Sushi Omakase at Tare Surprises with Texas Flair
How The Prickly Pear Cooking Classes in Austin Teaches You to Cook Confidently
Why Craft Omakase’s Sushi Tasting Became the Best in Austin
11 Best Desserts in The Domain Austin Area
Best Spots to Play Mini-Golf in Austin
Japan Travel Guide + 2 Week Itinerary
2024 Reflection
After 2022 and 2023, 2024 was thankfully a breeze.
In my New Year’s post last year, I mentioned that a big goal of mine was service. I volunteered six times for different organizations. That’s not bad, but I want to do more this year, hopefully monthly.
I also wanted to focus on community. From hosting mahjong meet-ups to meeting with friends, this was an area I enjoyed growing, and I know I’ll continue this year. Relationships are important, especially as you get older, as I’m learning, and these connections are another way to grow.
It was a year of consistency, learning, and slow living. In some ways, I might call it boring. But I think it’s also a reminder to me that life is not always this big, epic extravaganza. It’s all these moments of fun, love, and adventure. And even in that, there is progress and evolution.
But even in the “slowness,” I ate at 19% more restaurants and worked out 50% more than the previous year. I made up for that time by posting 23 fewer blog posts!
Most of all, it comes back to being thankful for the gift of life and the gift of time with family and friends.
2025 Intentions and Goals
Year after year, I think these overarching goals summarize my vision of the future:
- create habits to be a kinder, more thoughtful, and more informed person
- look out for others, especially those who need my voice
- check in with my chosen family
- purchase from local businesses, farmers, and ranchers
- take care of myself by eating healthier, exercising, and improving my mental health
These are some of my goals this year.
- 1 hour of creativity every week
- Volunteer every month
- Read 55 books
- Host mahjong meet-up every month
- Reorganize my clothes closet
- Refresh my wardrobe
- Make my home cozier
Thank you for reading my blog! I wish you the best year yet!
P.S. If you want to see recaps from past years: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014
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