The lows and highs of 2024…
GREETINGS!
And just like that, another year has passed–
At the end of every year, we fall into a very reflective state, and for the last couple of months, we’ve been thinking back on our 2024 and envisioning what hopes and dreams we wish to fulfill in 2025. For the first half of this year, we were 25, and for the second half, we are 26. It’s wild to see how much we both have changed as individuals AND a married team since the start of this year. Our thoughts on travel, community, children, marriage, family, religion, health, and home ownership have all been on an absolute rollercoaster, and we already know our thoughts on all these matters (and more) will continue to fluctuate as we proceed forward with the latter half of our 20s. This decade (combined with all the travel) has really altered our worldviews in more ways than we can ever express.
Because our newsletter has always been the space for more vulnerable talk, I’ve decided to sit down and share both our highs and lows from 2024, starting with the lows. (That way, this newsletter can end on a high note haha.) It’s easy for social media to feel like an endless highlight reel, and I’ve always appreciated when other content creators shared the hard parts of life, because it reminds us that life can, indeed, get very messy and disappointing. Of course, these difficulties are rarely filmed, because the last thing on our minds when we’re being wheeled off to surgery, or when our dog is half paralyzed, is to whip out a camera and hit record. It’s human nature to only remember to capture the highs sometimes.
Regardless, it’s worth talking about! Maybe you’ll be able to relate on some of the challenges we faced this past year.
Most difficult challenges from 2024–
The overwhelming feelings of grief, disappointment, sorrow, guilt, and anxiety when Gretel was lost in the wild for 18 days in the midst of a devastating winter storm, due to a mistake by our dog sitter
Further realizing the financial instability of our job as content creator and questioning our career path
Pushing ourselves and finding the motivation to work, even when we’re going through a very difficult time, so our bank account doesn’t take a scary dip
Feeling like our bodies were set on FIRE and healing from the most brutal sunburn of our lives in the Philippines hahaha
Figuring out how to put our marriage first and set appropriate boundaries with our families of origin
Journeying alongside my sister as she battled some very serious health conditions and underwent several surgeries
Fighting the feelings of guilt and failure when we’re not able to fix someone else’s problems
Experiencing the gut-wrenching pain of an inflamed appendix about to burst and undergoing a surprise laparoscopy
Selling our first home and feeling as if we’ve disappointed others by moving away
Learning how to be emotionally brave and stand up for ourselves
Watching Gretel experience an alarming IVDD flare up and seeing her back half paralyzed for a few days
Facing childhood traumas straight on
Struggling to feel like we’ll ever be enough or do enough
Realizing that it’s necessary and important for us to build a local community for in-person support
Finding a sense of trust in dog sitters again after what happened with Gretel at the start of the year
Battling severe food poisoning while also trying to film a food tour in Bucharest
Getting through a serious mental breakdown in Brasov after pushing ourselves too hard to film and persevere when ill
Learning how to say “no” and knowing it’s okay to do so
Slowly healing from childhood religious trauma and rediscovering what religion means to us
Getting into the rhythm of home ownership in the countryside
If you’ve been a part of our newsletter community for the entire year, you would have journeyed with us as we faced most of these challenges. We received countless emails in return, with people from all over expressing how they’ve gone through or are going through some of the exact same hardships. It’s wonderful and comforting to have an online community that’s so empathetic and understanding to life’s many hurdles.
Now that we’ve shared the lows, here are the highs of 2024.
Top celebrations and memories from 2024–
Adopting our second dog, Geppetto, from a shelter
Feelings are pure shock, relief, and joy when Gretel returned back to us after being lost for 18 days
Revisiting Taiwan, my family’s country of origin, and better understanding my roots
Riding a moped through the mountains of Taroko National Park
Scuba diving alongside millions of sardines and whale sharks in the Philippines
Seeing Annie and Shrek the Musical on Broadway
Flying over Teotihuacan in a hot air balloon in Mexico City
Releasing our new “Dare to Travel” t-shirts and getting a full rebrand on our business
Wandering through the billions of blooming tulips in Amsterdam
Hiking the Bavarian Alps in Germany
Selling our first house in Chattanooga and closing that chapter
Tent camping under the stars in Shenandoah National Park
Delighting in the BEST lobster rolls in Boston
Celebrating our 26th birthdays
Purchasing our dream home in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Hearing Olivia Rodrigo sing live at her concert in Atlanta
Celebrating 4 years of marriage
Being selected to work with the National German Tourism Board in West Germany
Hiring our first ever Instagram manager (You’re the BEST, Bopha!)
Swimming in the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea
Reuniting with our families of origin
Overcoming both social anxiety AND host anxiety
Finding the most remarkable, local community and building new friendships with neighbors
Staying two nights in a historic castle in the Middle Rhine Valley
Discovering a healthy work-life balance that allowed us to finally take some rest
Hosting good friends from near and far in our new home and playing games late into the night
Experiencing tremendously less IBS pain than I have ever felt in the last 8 years
Falling asleep to the outdoor breeze from open windows and the sounds of Gretel and Geppetto snoring beside us
Hosting our very first group trip in Taiwan
Successfully meeting every single sponsorship and trip deadline on our schedule
Here are some numbers from our travels in 2024. We were able to…
Travel to 10 countries. Taiwan, Philippines, Mexico, Netherlands, Germany, USA, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Romania. We also visited Taiwan 3 times and Germany 2 times– all separate trips!
Visit 3 states. Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York.
Take 30 flights. Both international and domestic!
Film 37 YouTube videos.
Edit and publish 31 YouTube videos. Which means the first 6 videos of 2025 will all have been from 2024 haha.
Host 1 group trip. More on how absolutely wonderful that trip was in the next newsletter!
And with that, we wish you the happiest end to 2024 and the most magical start to 2025–
Thank you for supporting us and for being a part of our newsletter community. We have thoroughly enjoyed sharing our 2024 with you, and in two weeks, in our first monthly newsletter of 2025, I’ll be sharing how our group trip in Taiwan went! Until then, Happy New Year. May 2025 bring you good health, safe travels, and adventures beyond your wildest dreams. Talk soon.
MOST SINCERELY,
Claire (and Chad)
