Cue the confetti cannons and leftover cheese platters—we’ve officially reached the tail end of 2024! It is that magical, slightly disorienting time of year when I have no idea what day it is and it’s time for my annual wrap-up blog! Spoiler alert: 2024 was pretty chill compared to years past. Fewer trips, fewer concerts, fewer outings...but MORE cicadas than I ever wanted in this lifetime. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Where We Went 🌍
What an amazing view (Pike’s Peak, October 2024)
Work Trips:
This year’s work adventures included Milwaukee for our annual Brewer’s game (plus a necessary detour to Mars Cheese Castle—priorities!), Grand Rapids to celebrate a manager’s retirement, and Colorado Springs for a team-building event. Colorado was a blast! Hubby tagged along, and we made the most of it with sightseeing. We rode the train up Pike’s Peak—80 degrees at the bottom, 30 degrees at the top, and 100% freezing-my-face-off magical. We also visited Meow Wolf in Denver, which was like stepping into a psychedelic dreamscape. It’s weird, wonderful, and a little like dropping acid without the...well, acid.
Personal Trips:
In May, we spent a week in LA for the Cruel World Festival (more on that in the concerts section), among other things. It was our redemption tour after bronchitis ruined our last visit to LA 13 years ago. This time, we hit Universal for the VIP treatment (Mario World was EVERYTHING), Disneyland (cue me ugly crying during the parade), and Santa Monica, where we saw the 90210 beach house and wandered the boardwalk.
September brought us to my favorite kitschy destination: the Wisconsin Dells! No water parks this time, but we shopped, ate great food, and revisited the delightfully bizarre House on the Rock. It’s exactly as strange as I remembered.
Lastly, we took an unexpected road trip to Mississippi for my husband’s aunt’s funeral. While bittersweet, it was lovely catching up with family (and their adorable pup).
Concerts We Rocked Out To 🎶
Cruel World Festival: Ministry. The Mission UK. Gary Numan. Adam Ant. Duran Duran. Need I say more? Seeing Ministry dig into their early hits and seeing The Mission UK live was pure bliss. Bonus: running into friends from Chicago, plus a local crew, made it even better!
Summerfest: Jesus Jones lured me back to Summerfest after a 30-year hiatus. We also caught Motley Crue, who should’ve retired a decade ago. Still fun, though!
Barry Manilow: Because when Barry comes to town for his farewell tour, you go. The man still knows how to put on a show at 81!
ELO: Another farewell tour. Another must-see. Incredible as always.
Candlelight Concert (Gorillaz): String versions of Gorillaz hits in a cozy Chicago theater? Yes, please.
KMFDM: My expectations were low, but they totally delivered. Special shoutout to The Morlocks for being a killer opening act.
Other Highlights 🌟
Chronic-Con: I finally checked this off my bucket list! Got to meet Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman, who were both beyond lovely, and attended their Hollywood Babble-On live show. Kevin even took time to chat and give hugs—celeb photo ops usually aren’t this amazing or interactive!
New Ink: My sleeve is almost finished, thanks to the incredibly talented Christian. Just a few spots left to fill in!
Cicada Chaos: These little monsters turned summer into a horror movie. Next time they invade, I’m fleeing to a cicada-free zone.
Elmhurst Quarry Tour: I know, I know—this sounds odd. But those giant holes in the ground have been part of my life forever, and learning their history was surprisingly cool.
EPL Author Fair: Participating in this fair reignited my love for writing. It was inspiring to reconnect with fellow authors and the community…and sell a few of my books in the process!
Home Renovations: This year, we tackled a new roof, furnaces, and AC units. Coming soon: a fully remodeled master bath. Shoutout to Justin, the MVP of event planning AND renovation managing.
Looking Ahead to 2025 🛫
Vegas and London are already on the books (hello, Oasis reunion!). I’m working on two books to come out in 2025 - one based on my Lost Soles collection and a Hallmark-esque romance. Plus, our bathroom will finally be done. Until then, here’s to another year of adventures, music, and maybe even fewer cicadas. Cheers to 2025, friends—wishing you all the best! 🥂✨
XO
Kelly