2024 Roundup

2024 in Review

... What? A guy can't take 10+ months to write a post about how his year went?

Yeah, okay, this is a first and hopefully a last. It has indeed taken me until late October to write this post. In my defense, it's been a busy year, and I always wait into January a little while to give December time to settle, as well as to catch up on some pending music and movie releases for my rankings. That took a lot longer this time around, and then other stuff got in the way—publishing books, birthday celebrations, trips to the UK. I thought about abandoning it plenty of times, but that would be sad.

So here we are again, and in about 3 months we'll be back for 2025 haha.

Thanks for checking out this post! 2024 was a really solid year full of lots of fun and growth, and I'm excited to have this chance to look back and get a better idea of what the year was like as a whole.

Major Accomplishments and Events

• Declan is a charming and imaginative little guy who always has a story to tell and an adventure to undertake. He continued to really enjoy school, express himself creatively, tell jokes, and be a really lovely member of our family. He also enjoyed playing sports—soccer, basketball, baseball, and especially just goofing off outside or riding his bike. He's a joy to have around and a ball of energy.
• Finnegan really came into his own in 2024, turning 1 and learning to run and learning to talk (only a few words strung together in 2024, though that has since changed drastically) and delighting everyone with his expressions, both melancholy and manic. He's very similar to his brother but also completely his own person, and it's been wonderful to watch the two boys encourage each other to grow and change.
• The years keep getting better with Sarah. We celebrated our 9th anniversary and took time frequently to enjoy doing the things we like together. We spend nearly every evening together after the boys go to bed and have really loved continuing to share our lives together, have fun, make lasting memories, and discover new delights.
• 2024 was also a year of big changes, beginning with job loss in January. Toward the end of the month, as I was walking out of a session at the Bountiful Temple, I got an email notifying me that I'd been let go from my position, effective immediately. (Best place to get news like that, I guess.) I worked at Hudson Legal for 7 years and generally quite enjoyed myself. I certainly wasn't anticipating leaving anytime soon, although admittedly the restructuring of the workload had meant a lot less income for me and I was starting to look at additional part-time employment to supplement that. And, if I'm honest, management was less than stellar and I didn't always feel the company itself, broadly speaking, was well run. But I did quite enjoy my time there, I liked the work and the coworkers, I made decent money and ended up having a lot of schedule flexibility (especially after transitioning to permanent WFH), I learned some valuable skills and put some good out into the world, and I was able to support my family, take us on trips to some really wonderful places, experience all that Pittsburgh and Salt Lake have to offer, eat delicious food, and usher into the world two delightful little boys. Now, putting all that on my job as an immigration writer might be overstating things a little; but really, I'm glad for the time I had there and was sad to see the position go, even though it was ultimately probably for the best.
• Consequently, Sarah and I both spent the next few months looking for jobs. She was successful in finding a great position at the University of Utah, which she started in June. We moved to Lindon to live with my parents; I transitioned to being a stay-at-home dad and to pursing freelance editing more seriously. All in all, these changes have been really good for us. Sarah likes her work, I love being at home with the boys, and we're really grateful for the opportunity to live here and to be around family so much. Declan and Finnegan both adore having their grandparents, uncle, aunts, and family dog at their beck and call. We won't be here forever, but it's been a real blessing.
• In that weird interim period between losing my job and Sarah starting hers, I had a lot of spare time. I applied for work, did freelance projects, spent time with my family, caught up on some reading/movies, all that. But I also started publishing my writing. Anyone who knows me likely knows that I've been writing for most of my life, starting at age 10; and at the time of writing in October 2025, you all know that I've put out multiple books in several series and have launched into publishing in earnest, so I won't belabor the story. But very swiftly after losing my job, I decided I wanted to self-publish my work, starting with the first novella of The Garden Knight, which came out less than 6 weeks after the job loss. I think that's a pretty good turnaround! The novella was already written, but just in a first/second draft stage, so that was 6 weeks to revise, polish, proofread; find a cover artist (Sarah); relearn how to lay out and typeset a book; learn how to publish via Amazon; and set up everything else with social media, websites, promotion efforts, and all that. But the novella came out on time and to a great reception, and the first book followed 6 weeks after that, and it's been onward and upward ever since. It's been an incredibly fun and satisfying adventure. (As a side note, deciding to publish came almost exactly at the two-year mark of learning about Dave Wolverton's passing, which was a galvanizing moment for me as well in determining that soon—very soon—I was going to publish my writing, one way or another. So that was special.)
• Lots of time spent in 2024 with family and friends and at fun activities.
• I competed at the Highland Fling strongman competition in Highland again, my second time. Placed about middle of the pack, which tracks. Lots of fun!
• Hit some pretty good PRs in the weightroom:
• Bench 315 x4
• Front Squat 405 x1
• Push Press 315 x1
• Deadlift 585 x1
• Squat 545 x1
• I did 917 chin-ups, 515 dips, and 680 sit-ups.
• I hit 2,359,536 pounds in lifting volume for the year.
• I also ran 170 miles, biked 90 miles, walked 108 miles (as workouts, not in total), and rowed 86.65 kilometers.
• Some of the above metrics are pretty good. I'm especially proud of my push press and squat PRs. Some of the other numbers are lower than I'd like but still represent a solid effort throughout the year, which in general I'm pleased with. I have a long way to go still for my physical fitness and goals, but in at least one direction (strength) I've made a lot of progress and have a lot to show for it, so I'm happy.
• In 2024, I wrote 107,375 words. That's toward the lower end for sure, but given that I also published three books, I'll cut myself some slack.
• Published Leafdust & Deadwood, Tangleweed & Waterbloom, and Splinterleaf & Hollowfrost in the Garden Knight series.
• I wrote 52,557 words in November alone, my best-ever in a single month.
• I finished writing a short story (Songshadow) and a novella (The Gloaming), both as-yet unreleased (but both are really good).
• I continued cooking/baking, spending time outside, studying Spanish and tons of Welsh (I really buckled down on this in 2024 and saw some significant improvements), and pursuing other interests and hobbies.
• I tried a few fun new foods, including duck eggs and elk.
• I prepared a bunch of new recipes and visited various new restaurants in Utah that I enjoyed, including Millie's, Sol Agave, and Dave's Hot Chicken.
• Overall, I spent the year doing lots of things that are really important to me (time with family and friends, writing, exercise, reading) and filled the cracks with lots of little fun things that made it a very enjoyable year.

Monthly Highlights

Under each month I've included a selection of pictures. Most of them are of Declan and Finnegan, but I think I'm doing a little better at including Sarah and myself in a few pictures now and then.

January

In January we celebrated the New Year and Declan's birthday. We went to Mary's art gallery showing, played in the snow, went hiking, and had fun.

These were from a hike up above Salt Lake to Twin Peaks, which was really fun.

The handsomest little snowman.

February

In February we celebrated Imbolc, took family photos, celebrated Valentine's Day, and went to Jenny & Chris's wedding.

One typical Finnegan face...

...and the other.

Despite appearances, we all enjoyed Jenny & Chris's wedding.

March

In March we celebrated the equinox, Ostara, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Sarah's birthday, and Finn's birthday.

Roasted some rabbit and ushered in spring.

This was a photo at his request.

These little guys are the best of friends, most of the time.

....what.

Hey look, my book!

We spent a lot of time out exploring Salt Lake together.

See? Pals!

April

In April we watched general conference, saw the eclipse, went hiking some more, and played outside together.

Another hike, past Twin Peaks to Black Mountain.

These are from out biannual visit to +E Ranch.

The aforementioned Black Mountain hike. I had a great time, would highly recommend. Amazing views and just a great place to go wander.

Hey look, another book!

May

In May we celebrated Beltane, Gabbie's birthday, Miranda's birthday, and Mother's Day. We also prepped for our big move down to Lindon and said farewell to Salt Lake City.

Snow?!

Drove up to Bountiful at 1am to catch out the aurora borealis for the first time in my life. Super cool.

Reagan's graduation!

This kid loves his snowcones. (Me too.)

Saying farewell to the SLC condo in preparation for moving down to Lindon.

June

In June we celebrated our 9th anniversary, Father's Day, my birthday, and the solstice. We went to the Scottish festival and played t-ball with Declan. Sarah started her job at the University of Utah.

Declan played t-ball and really had a great time.

Finn tried the centrifuge at the planetarium, whirled off, and knocked his block off.

Exactly like his brother when he was young, Finn loves grocery store pears and apples.

We were so excited to see a new MilkShake Factory franchise open up in Pleasant Grove. It's a Pittsburgh-based store that we frequented, so I had to bring the Pittsburgh boy for the grand opening. Super good shakes.

Super proud of this kid for playing sports and having fun.

My traditional birthday cake.

Like clockwork, the 1.5-year-old's fascination with looking through his legs. Declan did the same.

July

In July we celebrated Independence Day, attended another Scottish festival, and spent a lot of time swimming, hiking, and playing in the grass.

These were from my 545-pound squat.

I love going out into nature with these boys.

Our blackberries keep getting bigger every season.

Little movie pals.

Blackberries, ha.

We met a falcon at the Scottish Festival.

August

In August we celebrated Lammas, Dad's birthday, and Mary's birthday. I also competed in the Highland Fling and Declan went to preschool.

Some action shots from the Highland Fling.

Behold the evolution of man.

September

In September we went to the State Fair, celebrated Dave's birthday and the equinox, and enjoyed a bunch of time outside and in nature.

Watching canine acrobatics at the State Fair.

Saying hi to local goats.

I was a Kickstarter backer for Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag. Fun to see my name in the credits. Fun game too!

And another book joins the party!

Went to see Celtic Thunder with my aunts, dad, and grandma.

Little dudes love corn pits.

And soccer was another fun time!

October

In October we watched general conference, celebrated Samhain and Halloween, and generally just enjoyed a really lovely autumnal spooky season.

See?

More movies. As many as we can manage.

Mummy and skeleton for Halloween.

November

In November we celebrated Reagan's birthday and Mom's birthday, as well as a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Meeting Santa at Christkindlmarkt.

His natural habitat.

A little local concert Audrey put on, which we all loved.

December

Finally, in December we went to the Christkindlmarkt, Sarah's work party, and the lantern festival; celebrated Yule, the solstice, Christmas, and New Year's Eve; and generally just had a great time with family and friends and snow and fun.

Playing with some classic old toys.

315 push press.

405 front squat.

(I should really film these.)

(and now I can, because I have a tripod!)

Pretty good Christmas haul—including all remaining The Corrs albums on vinyl, which was an incredible treat from my family.

Well, that wraps up the year! It was definitely one of the best yet, especially because of Sarah and the boys. I know my writeups are a little shorter than usual, but I'm going off memory here—and besides, the pictures speak for themselves, I think. 2024 was pretty great.

Media Recap

And now the other fun stuff from 2024. Below you'll find writeups on the different types of media I enjoyed, including a few links where applicable.

Music

I listened to a total of 176 new releases from 2024. (Because this is coming so late, a lot of these were actually listened to in 2025. Oh well.) There was quite a bit of great new music; I've managed to narrow it down to my top 50, but that's from an already-curated list of music I knew I would love before I listened.

The first 20 albums are in order; the next are roughly grouped in sets of 10, but the order kind of falls apart based on the day and the mood.

I've done a few writeups or comments on individual albums where applicable. Enjoy!

1. Nightwish - Yesterwynde. Nightwish is one of my all-time favorite bands and was my gateway to symphonic metal, so a new album from them in 2024 was a real treat. Their latest releases have veered more toward the orchestral, the introspective, the slightly experimental; so while Yesterwynde isn't necessarily their most bombastic, powerful, or thematic album, it holds its own against their best for its sheer artistry and talent. Every member shines on this release. I found myself listening a lot while writing and playing Tears of the Kingdom, which felt particularly appropriate. The vinyl is excellent and lush.

2. Pale Waves - Smitten. I'm a sucker for catchy synthpop, so it's no surprise that I latched onto this new release so hard. In my opinion, it's their best—all four have been really great, with different sounds and strengths, but I see myself returning to Smitten more than the others in the coming years. I also snagged this one on vinyl and it's really lovely.

3. Savoir Adore - Savoir Adore. Just a genuinely stellar album start to finish, playing in the indie pop/dream/synth space. I've never heard a song sum up one of my rare moods more precisely than "When It Rains." I love the metaphorical language, the delivery, the shimmery hooks. Beautiful.

4. Cathubodua - Interbellum. This was one of my first listens in the year—during a grocery store trip, actually—and I was blown away at how fully developed and enthusiastic their sound is. Absolutely incredible release, and I can't wait to see what they do on their next full-length with all the bells and whistles.

5. Orkhys - Legends. This French symphonic metal band (with strong Celtic influences) has such a unique sound, vocals and arrangements alike, and I've been enraptured since their debut. This is a strong followup and a worthy successor and showcases all of their strengths, particularly in songs inspired by Celtic/Breton legends. I have vain hopes of seeing them live and own a very comfortable shirt because I love them so much.

6. Elvellon - Ascending in Synergy. One of my favorite symphonic metal bands and they've finally come out with another album, and it doesn't disappoint. Instantly singalong, powerful voice, excellent music and lyrics.

7. Seven Spires - A Fortress Called Home. I think Seven Spires is one of the most dynamic and interesting bands in the modern metal scene, twisting in elements of symphonic, death, and progressive traditions with incredibly innovative songs and fully drenched thematic vibes. I've seen them twice in concert and each time I've been blown away.

8. Midfield - Midfield. This one came out of left field for me, just showed up one day and floored me. Incredible emo/pop-punk. So catchy.

9. Furor Gallico - Future to Come. I think Furor Gallico have such an interesting sound, kind of a folk/death metal sound with some symphonic elements and a lot of traditional inspiration. I really enjoyed this latest from them and am currently waiting for my copy of the vinyl to arrive.

10. Pirate Queen - Ghosts. Another one that came out unexpectedly and really surprised me. So catchy! So vibrant! So fun! Really excellent metal group and very promising for future releases.

11. Loreena McKennitt - The Road Back Home. One of my favorite performers with a truly breathtaking live album. I cherish everything from Loreena and replay this constantly.

12. Amy Shark - Sunday Sadness. Amy's got such a unique voice and I think the personal storytelling on this record is top-notch.

3. Chrissy Costanza - VII. I really love Against the Current and was a little hesitant about this solo effort, but Chrissy brought all the dynamic melodies and fierce vocals I was hoping for. Powerful.

14. Cold Years - A Different Life. Punchy pop-punk/rock that's only getting better with each release.

15. Damh the Bard - Raise the Flag of Green. Evocative and soothing in equal measure; folk/Celtic music for those with bare feet in the earth and eyes lifted to the sunlight.

16. Florrie - The Lost Ones. Really great to finally, finally get another album from Florrie. Shimmery synthy pop perfection.

17. Kishi Bashi - Kantos. What a weird and wonderful exploration! I love this experimentation. Full of bops, as the youths say.

18. Sum 41 - Heaven :x: Hell. What an incredible final album from the juggernauts of heavy pop-punk. Truly a phenomenal collection of songs from one of the best bands in the genre.

19. Wraithfyre - Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Chasms. One of the best black metal bands I've heard. Super atmospheric.

20. Yours Truly - Toxic. Torchbearers of modern pop-punk with a really interesting and driving sound.

21. 408 - Hot Mess. More pop-punk goodness.

22. Hartlight - As Above, So Below.

23. Soulwitch - Principium.

24. Novelbright - CIRCUS.

25. Nocturna - Of Sorcery and Darkness. I've been eagerly awaiting this one since I heard their previous release. Excellent symphonic metal, absolutely nails the vibe.

26. Poppy - Negative Spaces. What a truly weird journey Poppy has been on, but this album is absolutely incredible metalcore/screamo. I would have died for this album in like 2008.

27. BAND-MAID - Epic Narratives.

28. Antti Martikainen - Alatyr. He put out like four albums in 2024, but this was my favorite. Great soundtrack music for writing, D&D, exercise.

29. Dawn Of Destiny - IX.

30. Cara Dillon - Coming Home.

31. Taylor Acorn - Survival in Motion.

32. Alterium - Of War and Flames. I've loved everything Nicoletta Rosellini has done (Kalidia, Walk in Darkness), and this new band is great.

33. BUMP OF CHICKEN - Iris.

34. State Champs - State Champs.

35. The Story So Far - I Want To Disappear.

36. An Ancient Legend Long Forgotten - Atmospheres, Vol. 4.

37. Dream State - Still Dreaming.

38. Leaves’ Eyes - Myths of Fate.

39. Disney - A Whole New Sound. All of these are great, but Magnolia Park's "I2I" is absolutely the standout.

40. Neck Deep - Neck Deep. Between this, State Champs, and The Story So Far, this has been a great year for the aught-wave of pop-punk.

41. Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - Rogue to Redemption. I don't know how often I'll revisit this, but honestly, it's just great to have some classic rock & roll come out with such a fresh sound.

42. Winifred Phillips - Ancient Heroes.

43. Crimson Sun - Sorrowbreaker.

44. Restroyer. - Restroyer. I could lift a mountain listening to this.

45. Proper Youth - Rusty Grand Am. The Instagram algorithm worked! Dreamy pop.

46. The Wise Man’s Fear - What Slept Beneath Tarvos. Another grocery store listen, haha. Took me by surprise how much I liked this.

47. Fellowship - The Skies Above Eternity.

48. Stand Atlantic - WAS HERE.

49. Loreena McKennitt - The Mask & Mirror Live. I generally wouldn't include a live album on a best-of list, but this was just so good.

50. Metalite - Expedition One.

And that's the list! Lots of symphonic metal grabbing the top spots, but I don't think anyone will really be surprised by my list.

Honorable mentions go to dArtagnan, Wind Rose, Al Lewis, Beware the Patternmind, Gruff Rhys, Ninja Sex Party, Origami Angel, Super American, and blink-182's expanded version of their latest album.

Oh, and here are my favorite EPs!

1. Dialith - Alter EP. Drop everything and go listen to "Ironbound." That saxophone is so good.

2. Nightbreakers - Until You Were Gone EP. Catchiest new release this year I think.

3. SILENT SIREN - Youthful EP.

4. Box Elder - Between Endings and Beginnings EP.

5. Delain - Dance with the Devil EP.

6. East of Eden - Forbidden Fruit -2nd Piece- EP.

7. Greywind - Antidote EP.

8. MANØRS - Capitalise EP.

9. Reeve Stimpson - Over Me EP.

10. TWICE - With You-th EP.

Pretty excellent year for music all around. Lots of great releases with plenty of instant favorites.

Movies

In total, I watched 111 films in 2024. Of those, 51 were rewatches, 39 were 2024 releases, and 52 were in theaters. Not as many new releases as I'd like, but a lot of them were pretty good!

My 12 favorite 2024 movies (in order):

1. The Wild Robot

2. The Fall Guy

3. Alien: Romulus

4. Transformers One

5. Nosferatu

6. Deadpool & Wolverine

7. Dune: Part Two

8. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

9. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

10. Civil War

11. Immaculate

12. The Beekeeper

I don't want to get too lengthy here, but I really enjoyed all of these movies and think they're excellent in a lot of different ways. I had a great time with each of them.

Books

I read 120 books in 2023: 85 novels/novellas and 35 comics/manga/other. Here are some of my favorites!

• My own books! I published 3 Garden Knight stories in 2024.
• Prophet of a Blind God, Demon in the Dark Water, and Wraithbound - Tim Akers. He's one of my favorite writers of modern fantasy, and I've really been enjoying his weird dark output lately. 
• The Dragonbone Chair - Tad Williams. Can't believe I never read Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn before, but I absolutely adore it. This first volume was incredible. I can't wait to proceed with the rest of the series—and to savor them, as they're dense and epic and personal and very, very good.
• Brian Lumley - I read five books by Brian Lumley this year. He's one of my favorites, particularly for his Cthulhu Mythos–inspired tales. Truly creepy and cool.
• The Tainted Cup - Robert Jackson Bennett. This was a fantastic first entry into a new series and it has a fair amount of overlap with what I'm trying to do with The Garden Knight; loved it.
• Red Rising - Pierce Brown. I read the first three books of the series and really loved them. Can't wait to plunge into the rest in preparation for book seven in (probably) 2026.
• Gloom - Michael Nicol. This is an indie friend of mind and his debut was really excellent dark fantasy.
• The Silverblood Promise - James Logan. Truly excellent crime-themed fantasy with excellent magic and even better characterization.
• Can You Go? - Dan John. He's one of the best in the strength & conditioning world and I really loved his insights.
• War of the Hounds, The Dryad's Crown, and The Night of Yuletide Pirates - David Hopkins. Another indie friend, he's doing some really fantastic worldbuilding and character studies in his fantasies. Highly recommended.
• Heir of Novron - Michael J. Sullivan. Great end to the initial swashbuckling trilogy.
• The Mercy of Gods, Livesuit - James S.A. Corey. I've only read the first Expanse book, but these starts to the new series were great. Livesuit in particular was really creepy.
• Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir. What a weird twisty story, I loved it.
• Confessions - Kanae Minato. Layered Japanese horror that I read during Halloweentide. Phenomenal.
• Not a Speck of Light - Laird Barron. One of the masters of cosmic horror and this collection had a lot to love in it.
• The Fury of the Gods - John Gwynne. A brilliant finale to the trilogy; loved every minute of it.
• For comics, I really enjoyed: The Bone Orchard Mythos by Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino (spooky eldritch horror, incredible art), Reckless by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips (I love me some noir/western/crime stuff), Spider-Woman, The Amazing Spider-Man.

Podcasts

I still listen to a lot of podcasts! Walking, driving, running, lifting, meditating—all the time. Here's an updated list of some of my favorites:

• Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend: Conan O'Brien interviewing friends and musicians and celebrities. Frequently hilarious and always enjoyable.
• The Dan John Podcast: I have been blazing through the backlog. Dan John is an excellent source of information about lifting, physical competition, personal balance, and life in general. I've learned a ton.
• The Endless Knot: A complex look at the interstitial interactions between mythology, linguistics, and culture over time. Really enjoy the in-depth focus on each topic.
• Lore, Grim and Mild Presents, Bridgewater, Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, 13 Days of Halloween: I'm listing these together since they're all the brainchild of Aaron Mahnke. They're all fantastic, though Lore remains my favorite. There are a bunch of others I need to get caught up on too. Really great investigations into mythology, folklore, literature, and ghost stories.
• Lexicon Valley: The podcast that got me into podcasts. I really enjoy John McWhorter's approach to linguistics and his method of explaining interesting topics.
• Medieval Death Trip: "Exploring the wit and weirdness of medieval texts." This might be my favorite podcast ever, and I always carve out time for a long walk with Finnegan whenever a new episode drops.
• Myths & Legends: Funny, interesting retellings of myths and legends across cultures. This is my go-to for running.
• Philosophize This!: A chronological look at major figures in philosophy. It's a great weekly exploration of topics I know some, but not a lot, about.
• Saga Thing: Very similar to Medieval Death Trip, but focused on Icelandic sagas. I love learning more about them, and the hosts are great.
• Intentionally Blank: Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells chat about pop culture. Really fun.
• Celtic Source: A study of various Welsh myths and folklore from a knowledgeable and accessible professor.

TV Shows

Here are some of the TV shows, old and new, that I watched and enjoyed in 2024. Some are brand new, some are rewatches, some I'm not yet current on but am still enjoying.

• Andor
• Only Murders in the Building
• Dark Matter
• Moon Knight
• Our Flag Means Death
• Rutherford Falls
• Animal Control
• Kaiju No. 8
• Solo Leveling
• Frieren
• Halo
• The Peripheral
• The Night Agent
• Percy Jackson
• Shrinking

Videogames

I played about 101 hours of videogames in 2024, which is an above-average pace for me (and something I'd like to maintain or exceed). Most notably, in 2024 I beat:

Bowser's Fury (100% completion)

Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag

Astro's Playroom

And I also played a lot of the following games that I really enjoyed and would recommend:

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• Mario Kart 8
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
• Valkyrie Elysium
• Elden Ring

Final Thoughts

2024 was a busy, landmark year for me and my family. Job loss, moving in with my parents, publishing novels, Sarah starting a new job, plus all the little adventures and moments of growth along the way. I was able to do a lot of really good things in 2024, and I had fun.

Thanks for reading, and see you soon for 2025's recap!