In the words of Ashley Cooke “It’s been a year”! 2024 was definitely full of highs and lows. I really missed traveling but concentrated on growing my business and learning more about myself personally. I achieved a few small goals of mine and tried to find some good quality time with family amidst all the crazy things the business and life threw at me.
January
The start to the new year seemed bright and hopeful. I made a new friend and went on a few coffee dates with her. My friends from Pei came to Moncton to see the zoo lights and invited me to join them. It was a fun night! I hung out with my niece at one of her friends birthday parties. I started taking piano lessons which was one of the best things I’ve done for myself in 2024. I got to watch Jessica at one of her horse riding lessons for the first time. It was so neat to watch her learning and excelling at something she enjoyed doing. Of course, I made and enjoyed some delicious food: veal and salmon and other things and tried fresh figs for the first time.
February
February was a great month business wise with the highest income so far up to that point. I helped my great aunt with packing up and cleaning her old place as she prepared to move into an apartment. I also started hanging out with an old friend again: we did some organizing at her place and went out for a wine and puzzle night which was super fun!
My car’s coolant decided to start leaking on a Saturday which was unfortunate as I had a full day of clients on Monday and no mechanics were opened on Sunday obviously. Thankfully I have a brother who is amazing and after checking Canadian tire, they had only 1 hose left that would work for my vehicle!! He helped me replace it and I was good to go!
I also donated blood for the 4th time.
March
End of February and beginning of March, some of the magic that had been 2023, turned to whatever the opposite of magic is. To be completely transparent I struggled through most of March with various aspects life threw at me. My song anthem was “Better Days” by Nikko Moon.
I learned that sometimes you can only take accountability for your mistakes in life, forgive yourself and keep on going if you want to get anywhere.
March was also filled with good moments too. I took a weekend trip to Miramichi with Keith. I was able to unwind from work and relax which was just what I needed. My parents came to stay overnight at my place for the first time since I’d moved in and I made them a chicken dinner for Easter.
I went for my 2nd massage in my life and really liked it and have been going back almost monthly since then.
I hung out with Erica as we did some more painting and cleaning on our great aunts house. We also went to a Tom petty tribute concert together.
My mom’s cousin came home to visit from Abu Dhabi and it was great to see her again. My second cousin had also bought his first home a few hours away and my great aunt and I went up to spend a night.
April
In April I celebrated 6 months of being in Dieppe! Jessica came to visit and Erica and I got to go to her first country concert with her. We saw Brett Kissel and Jade Eagleson which was amazing.
I had a few health scares in April but luckily it was all fine. I got to witness a solar eclipse this month. I was on PEI and my friends invited me to join them! It was a crazy cool experience.
I think I tried 3 burgers for burger love this year and got my first dairy bar ice cream of the season.
I did some diy painting, went to the gym, went to a concert and planted some plants with friends.
Business wise in April, I attended a day at a business seminar. It was a free week long course but the guy who was in charge of it let me attend what days I could as I couldn’t take a full week off to attend. I also lost 3 clients all within the same week basically which stressed me out.
May
In May I had my first beach day which is always a big highlight of summer.
Business wise, I put out an ad to see if I could get another client or 2 and ended up being super booked and juggling everything. I did 2 big move out cleans and also started cleaning houses for a film crew until June.
I was able to celebrate my nieces birthday with her which was a highlight. Any moment I get to spend with that smart cookie I treasure!
My aunt and uncle from Ontario came to visit and I spent a lot of quality time with them which was nice.
I also got to see the Northern lights and check that item off my bucket list!
June
June was filled with summer things like park time with my niece, pool time at a friends, house sitting for friends, purchasing a bike, Ribfest, beach time with my sister, dinner date with a friend, and a road trip to Dorchester, NB with my great aunt.
June was booked solid for business wise and I started another free online business course.
Personal wise, June was the month I started counseling. I struggled with sharing this because counseling has so many connotations. For the longest time I thought if I attended counseling, it meant something was wrong with me. But I’ve learned that it doesn’t mean that at all and can simply help you learn from your past and move forward into a better future. I have seen growth in myself and I’m proud of myself for taking that step.
July
July in true summer fashion had beach days with my sister, friends and nieces. I joined Bumble for friends and made a friend (Laura) on there! We hung out a lot: ice cream, a day trip to Alma, and beach days and evenings. Alma was fun as we got lobster rolls and I swam in the Bay of Fundy.
In July I also took a road trip to Wallace, NS to surprise a friend for her birthday. We did some exploring in Pugwash also.
My youngest niece had a birthday party at a splash pad and that was a fun time.
I finished my free online business course and attended my graduation.
August
August was a slower month work wise which was okay because it was a very full month of adventuring! My friend Laura and I went blueberry picking and beaching. We took a day trip to Fredericton to see where she would be going to school in the fall. I also got to go to the water park in Moncton (Magic Mountain) for the first time. It was a super fun summer activity and a new highlight!
I took my first ever road trip with just my mom and I. We went to Tatamagouche, NS for the long weekend where we got to stay in a tiny home. We went to the beach, went out for supper, played cribbage by the campfire, hiked to a waterfall where I got to swim in, explored the town, and went to the farmer’s market.
Some old friends from Ontario came to Pei so I got to see them again for a quick visit. Keith came to spend a weekend with me and we took a day trip to Miramichi. I also got to visit some friends at their cottage on PEI and ride their seadoo switch and also their towable tube! It was so much fun and one of my highlights of this summer.
I got to spent a weekend with all my siblings where we made lots of delicious food, had a campfire, played pickleball, and had a quick visit with my nieces.
I finished the business seminar and had a meeting with the guy who was in charge of organizing it. He was full of information and said to reach out if I had any questions in the future.
September
Long weekend of September was spent visiting Ontario with my great aunt. We surprised my Grandma for her 80th birthday.
Laura and I went to the night market in Fredericton and tried some different foods.
We had a sister day in Moncton for Erica’s birthday. We got Korean food, had starbucks, went for a walk, talked and took pictures.
My Grandma came to visit from Ontario and so it was nice to spend some time with her.
I took a solo road trip to Halifax to see my friend and meet her boyfriend. We went to Ikea, did axe throwing, and made/ate some food together.
I got to test drive a hybrid this month and upgraded my vehicle (not to a hybrid haha, maybe next time!).
October
October was a full month: Thanksgiving dinner at my apartment, fall walks, visits with Nova and Phoenix, and another country concert. I went to see Jordan Davis, Ashley Cooke and Mitchell Tenpenny (bucket list item!) with Jessica.
November
November started out pretty crappy as I got a cold that has seemed to last all the way up until the new year. I donated blood for the 5th time, went for breakfast with Jessica and her friend, had some sushi dates with Laura and got to do a little birthday date with my Dad (breakfast out and a hike).
Business wise I started to get burnt out and was very much looking forward to a break.
My aunt and uncle came to PEI for another visit and I always enjoy any time I get to spend with them. Jessica and I spent a night with them at their air bnb and went in the hot tub which was super relaxing.
December
My birthday was pretty low key. I had a client in the morning and in the afternoon I got to see my nieces and said goodbye to my aunt and uncle who were flying home that day. Jessica and I got Dairy Queen and watched Netflix in the evening.
I had 2 double birthday celebrations with 2 of my friends who also had December birthdays: bowling, ice cream, dinner date and presents.
I made a roast chicken dinner for my family which was delicious! This year I decided to do up little cards and chocolates for all my clients so that took some time but I loved doing it. Keith came to visit again and we played Pokemon, made food and watched movies.
I had a few days off over Christmas and despite being sick I got to visit with my nieces, eat meat pie, make Christmas bark, visit with Laura and relax some.
I took a road trip with Keith to surprise some friends and I got a few business things done on the drive as well as getting to spend some quality time with him. He’s the only family member I didn’t get a photo with this year sadly so the one of him and my niece will have to do!
New Years Eve I was sick for the 2nd year in a row. I ended up getting a fever for 3 days!
2024 was a hard year, so much growth, lessons learned, health stuff and tough challenges. But it did have it’s good moments as I made some good friends, checked some bucket list items off and worked on myself. I am looking forward to 2025 and all it will bring. New gym goals, more personal growth and relationships, new steps for my business, possibly some travel plans: bring it on!
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