This year, for me, has been a year of changes and growth. I've given myself many challenges this year, some of them paid off, and others have left me in the dirt. Let's take a look back at my struggles and big wins from 2024.

Choir Stuff

For the first time in more than 10 years, I found myself wondering if I should step back from singing Barbershop. In 2024, I overcommitted to singing, between choir directing, choir committees, choir marketing, quartet singing, and training to become a judge. In the 3rd quarter of the year, I started feeling burnt out. As a result, I stopped everything to focus on recovery. Only now, just in time for the end of the year, I've started feeling like I can switch things back on again, being very careful not to take on too much.

Career stuff

I set myself a few ambitious career goals this year - I wanted to speak at a conference (preferably Laracon), I wanted to make a good impression at work, and I wanted to raise my profile as a developer especially in the Laravel space.

I think I've mostly achieved all of those goals. At work, I've contributed to a major launch, I've stepped up to run our chapter/guild meetings, and I've once again stepped up to fill in on another team. I wasn't accepted to speak at Laracon AU 2024, but I was accepted at DDD Perth. My first ever conference talk! I still went to Laracon AU as an attendee - it was a highlight of my year, and I met lots of fantastic people. I helped start the Perth Laravel Meetup, which held quarterly meetings this year and will continue in a new format next year. I also started this blog, which has both served as a career thing and a creative outlet. The 30-in-30 challenge was ambitious especially after a period of burnout, but it was exciting, it was new, and most importantly it was only for a short while.

Creation

Creativity is still a major part of my life, but this year I experienced a changed in the ways I wanted to create things. I was unsuccessful in my goal to re-commit to Choir Concierge and contribute to it more. Instead, I found myself wanting to try board game design as part of my passion for board games. For 2025, I think I'd like to try and balance these 2 creative outlets, and give some of my attention to both of them.

Home life

At the end of last year, we bought a house! We're lucky to finally become homeowners. This year we spent a lot of time gardening, buying additional furniture, and improving our new home.

I also started reading regularly again! It started as a surprise. I began reading Victoria's favourite series - Warriors - in secret, and now that the secret is out I still need to finish the series and I've bought a few other books too. It's great stopping to rest and read, but I struggle to make the time for it.

Finally, 2024 marked some big steps in my gender transition. I started electrolysis, an excrutiating but effective method of permanent hair removal. I revamped my wardrobe again, getting closer to a style of clothing that feels right. Overall, I've felt much more comfortable in myself this year. It was comforting to look back at my early transition and see just how far I've come.

2025

This year, I did a lot. Too much, even. I want 2025 to be a year of consolidation. Instead of going wide on many interests, I'd like to go deeper on a few of them, while still making time for rest and time to spend with family and friends. I'm aiming to make 2025 a year of balance.