#15 Hello 2025
Has it been a whole year? 😬
So, it’s been a minute. A few minutes, actually (cue song from Rent). How has a whole year gone by since I sent the last newsletter? I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. But a new year is here whether we’re ready for it or not which, on the plus side, means starting a fresh new planner, one of the great joys in life. Before tucking away my 2024 planner and journal I went back through my lists of things making me happy each month1 and took stock of what brought me joy over the past year. I thought a recap might be a great way to kick off the new year and (hopefully) get me back into posting more regularly2. Here’s some of the things that made my 2024.
1. So much Mountain Dew.
In last year’s post I rejoiced that it was the 20th Bajaversary3 and that for the first time it was possible to buy cans of Baja Blast Zero in stores, which was a lifesaver. Turns out the Mountain Dew gods were smiling down on me because not one but two other favorite flavors came out with zero sugar versions this year: Code Red, and for one brief shining moment that left me gasping with excitement in Kroger, Purple Thunder. I’m going to petition PepsiCo to bring back the Purple Thunder Zero Sugar because it’s the best one and I’m still rationing cans I bought back in the summer.
2. Going to the movies.
I don’t get to the theater as much as I used to — it was a lot easier when I had a year’s worth of tickets to use — but I went multiple times this year and realized how much I missed it. I saw The Fall Guy on a day off by myself, took my mom to see Twisters, and even got to see The Holiday (one of my all-time favorites!) with a friend for Christmas. I forgot how great it is to actually watch movies on the big screen. I definitely want to do more of that in 2025.
3. Friday night wanders.
Something I started after lockdown began lifting a few years ago was running errands on Friday night. I’d drag myself out of my apartment and head to Target or Marshalls or Homegoods and wander aimlessly up and down the aisles for a while. It was nice to be in the presence of other people after working from home all week. It’s also helped a lot with getting steps in for the week, especially when I was feeling wobbly on my feet and could spend an hour walking with a cart. I started calling them wanders and now it’s a highlight of the week, especially if a friend tags along.
4. The Hallmark Channel.
Back in 2023 when I was super lethargic and drifting in brain fog I turned to Hallmark for cozy, low-stakes movies that I knew would have a happy ending to pass the time. And friends, I got hooked. Turns out Millennial women are their target audience now and I’m squarely in the demographic for movies with titles like A ‘90s Christmas. Since then I’ve watched an embarrassing amount of Hallmark movies. They release a new movie almost every Friday and multiples a week during the holidays. The 2024 Countdown to Christmas season included 32 new titles. Thirty. Two. And I watched all of them and then some. I decided that this year I’m going to track everything I watch on Letterboxd. Follow me for pithy reviews of made-for-TV romcoms!
Truly, though, Hallmark movies have gotten a lot better than the sappy4 inspirational movies you remember watching at your grandma’s. The acting and production values are much higher quality, the casts are getting more diverse, and some of the stories are just plain great. I have favorites if you want recommendations. And a streaming subscription if you want to come over.
5. Lego sets.
One thing I mentioned in the Hello 2024 post was that feeling like myself again meant I’d finally finish the Lego set that I’d started months before. And I did! And then I did another! And then I bought more! And put those together, too! It’s becoming a problem! I’m running out of space and money. But it’s really relaxing for me to sit and work on them while listening to audio books, which I’ve also worked through a handful of this year. Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from screens and put things together with your hands.
Hello 2025
So 2024 is gone, and it’s time to embrace 2025 the best we can. I’m hoping to keep doing all the things that made me happy last year — and maybe introduce some new ones. For some reason I’ve been thinking I should work toward walking in a 5k race. Who even is this 2025 version of me? We’ll see if she feels up to it when it comes time for that. Until then, the only marathons I’ll be doing are on the Hallmark channel.
And who knows. Maybe you’ll even start getting these newsletters more often again.
I borrowed this practice from Pop Culture Happy Hour’s recurring segment What’s Making Me Happy This Week
I said that last time and took an entire year, so take that with a grain of salt.
I know too much about Taco Bell and its flagship soda, just ask my coworkers. I have a whole PowerPoint prepared.
I say that but am literally writing this while watching a movie called Sappy Holiday. It’s not Hallmark but is obviously about a struggling family maple syrup farm.