Could it BE Any Better?
Setting 2025 expectations when 2024 was personally epic.
I hope when you read the title you read it in your very best Chandler Bing impersonation. If not, it’s okay—there’s a very high chance my husband doesn’t even know who Chandler Bing is so you wouldn’t be alone. 2024 was an epic year, personally. And, I know I’m supposed to do yearly wrap-ups in December but I was off loving every single magical moment of December and never opened my computer beyond Christmas Eve. But, as we settle back into our routine and prepare for another year, society tells me that this is a great time to reflect on last year and make goals for the new year.
2024 Year in Review
We had an abundance of highlights last year beyond just the whole moving to a new country thing, which is obviously the biggest one. But, in addition to a new environment, looking back at our photos I am amazed at all we accomplished and experienced in just one year. We successfully navigated the visa and temporary residency process on our own. We were saddened and stressed with the news that our landlords would be selling our rental home and that we would need to move. And, then, we successfully moved on our own to a new home in a nearby city. We barely survived the process of school registration but the kids are now enrolled in public school and are doing well. In between all of those things, we made so many memories, saw so many sights, and tried so many new things. I bring this up to the kids often though their enthusiasm doesn’t quite match mine. They are more likely to remember the playgrounds and ice creams of their year though with time I think they will come to appreciate the bigger things, too.
In putting this post together, I wrote out every month, looked at our photos of the year and listed both my lows and my highs. Experiences don’t necessarily always need to be positive. We learn from the negative even more so than we do the positive. We had plenty of challenges, massive amounts of paperwork to become temporary residents, a lot of sick days that seemed to happen on birthdays for some reason, and multiple bureaucratic frustrations. From those moments we learned patience, the importance of rest, and then more patience.
It is clear from our photos that we found our love for the beach last year. Prior to moving to Portugal, I would not have described us as a beach family. Sure, a beach day every now and then is great but it wasn’t a common destination for us…until last year. Suddenly, the beach wasn’t just a summer day activity but a winter destination that could lift my spirits immediately. Feeling down? Head to the beach for a sunset view and suddenly life is beautiful again. My 2024 photos are loaded with beach and sunset photos because no matter how many times I experienced it, its beauty always felt inspiring and photo-worthy. I expect that will not change in 2025.
Another big theme in our 2024 photos is travel. We saw so much more of Portugal, some were return trips to our favorite places and others were first-time experiences. There is so much to do and see here and we’ve still not even come close to seeing it all. Beyond Portugal, we also visited Spain a number of times and came away every time simply mesmerized by the different architecture and landscape.
Our big vacation last year was a two week trip seeing Amsterdam, Bruges, and Paris. I learned that bicycling through the city isn’t my thing but do you know what is? Cheese and stroopwafels. Bruges, while touristy, is perhaps the most beautiful and perfect city I’ve ever visited. And, Paris was my biggest surprise. I had long been under the impression that Paris was overrated. I read too many negative reviews, I guess. But I found Paris to be absolutely charming made even better by my little balcony that overlooked the city streets. Sipping a glass of wine, eating a baguette (with cheese, of course) and looking out at the city passing by below is quite possibly my favorite type of vacation. Additionally, we were there two weeks before the Olympics so we got to see the city all set up for this major event.
Beyond the big experiences there are dozens of amazing moments that left us in awe. Obviously, I won’t share them all but I will name a few because they are memories that I absolutely love.
The Biggest Wave Surfed
On February 24, 2024 we traveled to Nazare because I had read that the waves were predicted to be of epic size that day. I was introduced to the television series 100 Foot Wave while on our flight to Portugal so I was already an expert on all things Big Wave Surfing.1 I became maybe borderline-obsessed with getting to Nazare on a big wave day as a result of that show. So, on the 24th we made our way north to see if we could catch a glimpse of a big wave. And catch a glimpse we did! We didn’t make it to the lighthouse for the proper viewing of the waves. Instead, we found parking near the beach and watched as massive waves crashed the shoreline. Every now and then, a jet ski towing a surfboard would appear and then head back out to sea. We could see the drones flying above keeping a watch over the surfers. At one point, we were able to see a surfer in the distance. But, the waves were so big at the shoreline that it was hard to see any actual surfing in the distance. We heard the clapping on the hillside and knew it must have been quite a show. Turns out, it was the largest wave ever surfed as of that date2 and we were there to witness it. (Apparently the record may have been broken a few weeks ago.)
Forever a Swiftie
On a Thursday in May I randomly decided to see what the tickets cost for the Taylor Swift concert that was happening the following two days in Lisbon. I had already informed my daughters that we would not be attending this epic tour given what I had heard about the costs. But, on a whim, I checked out StubHub and found that tickets in the highest part of the stadium were not that outrageous. So, after a brief conversation with my husband, we bought the tickets. And what a great decision that was! I didn’t know I was a Swiftie but I guess I am now. That concert with my girls was so incredible. We had an absolute blast.
Ronaldo’s 900th Goal
My son became a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo this year so we took him to a Portugal football game for his birthday in June. But, Ronaldo wasn’t playing in that game. We had such a good time at the first game that in September, we decided to attend another one and rumor had it that Ronaldo would be playing. Not only was he playing but that was the night he scored his 900th goal. And we saw it happen.
2025 Goals
Looking ahead to 2025, I’ve not set any big goals. My only written goal is on Goodreads where I hope to read 30 books this year, just like last year. Chris is hoping we sign up for a dance class because he likes to make sure I’m always outside of my comfort zone. I desperately need to improve my Portuguese so I will continue to practice, fail and practice some more. And, I’m seeing an increase in my daily walks/steps lately which means I’m getting more exercise than I typically got in the States so I want to continue to that trend. Other than that, I can only hope to continue to enjoy each day, learn from the hard moments, and cherish the memories our family is creating while on this adventure. And, maybe drink more water and less wine but let’s not track that one, okay? Happy New Year!
Do you have any goals set for this year?
Six hours of viewing a show makes one an expert, right?
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/22/sport/sebastian-steudtner-record-breaking-wave-surfing-spt-intl/index.html
Great photos, you look so happy in all of them. I hope we get to meet up some day..
Wow those waves, Lani!