2024 in Review

It’s time to ring out the old and ring in the new. It’s now 2025, so I thought now would be the perfect time to reflect on 2024, share the highs and lows, how I have grown and what God has taught me.

This year has been both one of the best years of my life and one of the worst. But that’s the way life is isn’t it? It's a collection of highs and lows, and those highs and lows combine to create a beautiful story.

The word that’s been on my heart this past year has been ephemera. This word, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary means “something of no lasting significance” it also means “paper items (such as posters, broadsides, and tickets) that were originally meant to be discarded after use but have since become collectibles.”

​I spent a lot of this year thinking about what this word means. The word has an adjective form - ephemeral. In the beginning of the year I took it to mean the beautiful things in life that are small and fading, like laughter, a sunset, or a cup of tea. But as the year went on, I learned that people, situations, and relationships can be ephemeral too. It’s not that they hold no significance, but that they are here for only a short time before they fade away. This is both sad and beautiful and I think it sums up 2024 well.

January -

January of 2024 was a month where not a lot happened. I went through a season of quite a lot of self reflection, thinking about where I wanted to be in my relationship with God, and giving myself credit for how far I had come in the past four years. In the beginning of January I hit 70k words on my YA fantasy novel which was so incredibly exciting, I had been working on the book for over a year at this point.  I also had the opportunity to reconnect with some old friends, and read 15 books (my record).

​February -

I filmed my first vlog in February (even though I didn’t upload it until March) and I was so proud of myself for finally taking the first step in creating video content. My sister, Mom, and our best friend and her mom went to a Christian Women’s conference. I literally remember nothing from it except for a lady playing the accordion.
    This was a month of growing into myself more and learning to trust God with my creativity.

​March-

March is a month that I have a love-hate relationship with. Spring is peeking through the snow, yet some of the days are just down right dreary. This March I tried to lean into coziness and living in the moment. 
    We celebrated my cousin’s birthday with him, and had so much fun taking him to the arcade. I went to New York City for a day with my grandparents and visited The Strand Bookstore and Museum of Modern Art. It was so special being able to experience the city with them. Also in March I uploaded my first two YouTube videos, which is something I had been thinking about for years, so it was a big accomplishment to finally do it.
    Also, this little blog turned one year old.​

April-

April was undoubtedly the best month of possibly my entire life. I love April so much, the way spring begins to arrive and all the sweetest of flowers bloom. I struggled with the feeling of blah the first week or so of the month, but things got so much better. That’s the beauty of life and how God works, he turns the challenges into beautiful things and rewards us for being faithful. 
    
On Apr 11, 2024 I finished drafting my YA fantasy novel. It was a mind blowing and amazing experience getting to the end of that story that is so dear to me.
    
Then towards the end of the month I had my birthday. I visited Emily Dickinson House in Amherst Massachusetts and loved getting to be in the home of one of my favorite poets. My family and friends did so much to make my birthday special, and it truly was.
    
​Then on April 26, I got the opportunity to live out my childhood dream. My Mom, Dad, and I got on a plane and went to my dream destination of London, England. I have talked about this trip extensively on the blog, but I think it’s so worth mentioning again. This was a trip I worked so hard to make happen, one that I had dreamed and prayed about since I was a little girl. And I also had my parents to myself for a whole week which was an amazing thing in and of itself. Being in England was an experience that grew me, that made me live even more as myself and made me treasure every experience. The last day of April was spent at Oxford University, a great way to end off the month.

May -

May began with me still in England, going to The Globe Theater, Bath, and a true English Afternoon tea.
    
​After my trip it was a challenge to get back into normal life. I really found myself trying to focus on the here and now. I spent a lot of time with friends and began uncharacteristically getting excited for summer.

​June -

In the beginning of June my family took a vacation to Washington D.C. We had a ton of fun exploring the city, going to museums and learning more about our country’s very important history. 
    
​Something I found myself thinking and journaling a lot about this month was how much things in my life were changing, it really had me noticing the ephemerality of seasons of life. But through that, I prioritized quiet afternoons and taking photographs of the little things that made me happy.

​July-

uly was marked with my Anne of Green Gables Re-read, a Lord of The Rings sleepover, phone calls with my online friends, blueberry picking, and a New England beach trip with friends. 
    It wasn’t all fun though, I lost my great-grandmother in July which was a big change in my life.

August-

August was the beginning of a very hard season of my life. I had many good moments though, I spent the perfect summer weekend home alone, had an all nighter with my youth group (which was very chaotic), hung out with friends, solo watched Princess Diaries, participated in my first book launch, and went to afternoon tea with one of my besties. This month was hard though for many personal reasons, as well as my grandpa going to the hospital and dealing with many health issues that are still prevalent. During this time it took all of my strength to surrender my will and plans to God.

​September-

School started and my blog began growing astronomically. I went apple picking, had a beach picnic with my mom and brother. I reconnected with an old friend, went to my Uncle’s wedding and spent a weekend with my mom and sister, going to fancy restaurants, coffee shops and watching rom-coms. There was a lot of fear in me over my grandpa’s health, but I tried my best to live in the moment and let myself enjoy autumn.

October-

Whereas April was the best month of my life, October was possibly the worst. In October my family lost two very important people, including my other great-grandmother who I was very close to. My family took a 16+ hour road trip to go to her funeral. Then we had another service locally. I spoke at both, which was an experience that stretched me. The whole experience of losing someone I was so close to really stretched me, but I’ve learned how important it is to be present with the people in your life, and how important it is to let yourself grieve. 
    
​There were beautiful things too, like autumn leaves and chai lattes and packages from friends.

November-

In November my church celebrated our 10 year anniversary, I hosted a birthday tea party for one of my friends, worked my butt off in school and re-read Little Women. My family decided to decorate for Christmas early, something I am so grateful for. I also hit 100 email list subscribers. Thank you to everyone who made that possible. Our Thanksgiving was very nice, with lots of family and food.

December-

Christmas this year was a little different for me. Especially in light of my grandfather’s health issues. It was very hard for me. I’m a very “christmassy” person, but sometimes Chrismtas doesn't feel right, and that’s okay. I had a snowy December though, I passed all of my finals, and took plenty of quiet time for myself. Saw Wicked, and Christmas shopped my heart out.

Looking Forward -
    I don’t know what 2025 will look like. But I am incredibly hopeful. 2024 was a year of wisteria, tears, ephemera, working hard, hoping, praying, and living. I don’t have a word yet for 2025, I don’t have many plans. But one thing I know, one thing 2024 has taught me, is that God is in control. God knows what’s going to happen this year. For me and for you. 
    
​Please, let me know what your 2024 was like? What are your goals and plans for the New Year? I love you and pray all the best for your New Year. See you next week with my favorite post of the year.

“We don’t record flowers,” the geographer said.
“Why not? It’s the prettiest thing!”
“Because flowers are ephemeral.”
“What does ephemeral mean?”
“Geographies,” said the geographer, “are the finest books of all. They never go out of fashion. It is extremely rare for a mountain to change position. It is extremely rare for an ocean to be drained of its water. We write eternal things.”
“But extinct volcanoes can come back to life,” the little prince interrupted. “What does ephemeral mean?”
“Whether volcanoes are extinct or active comes down to the same thing for us,” said the geographer. “For us what counts is the mountain. That doesn’t change.”
“But what does ephemeral mean?” repeated the little prince, who had never in all of his life let go of a question once he had asked it.
“It means, ‘which is threatened by imminent disappearance.’”
“Is my flower threatened by imminent disappearance?”
“Of course.”
My flower is ephemeral, the little prince said to himself, and she has only four thorns with which to defend herself against the world! And I've left her all alone where I live.

-from "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Belle Thomas

Belle is the writer and dreamer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about reminding girls of their identity in Christ, classic books, history, Louisa May Alcott, and earl grey tea. ​​​