2024. A New Year. A Reboot.

Greetings from the Caribbean!

Last year I felt I aged ten years in ten months. On a personal level, losing our mom was heartbreaking. She died three weeks after her diagnosis (and we were/are worried about our dad’s health). My foot surgery, strikes, stress, the sense that everything’s a dumpster fire, multiple wars and geopolitical conflicts, extreme weather, the normalization of fascist policies and politicians, the dearth of empathy, the viciousness of online discourse, Covid, racism, sexism, ageism, etc. etc. it’s all too much. Constant flight or fight is not healthy.

A few weeks before my mom died, she said she worries about me. That I worked too much and I needed to take time to have more fun. WHAT?!

I knew then that my mom was really sick. I mean, what Caribbean mom would say this? I told her so and she laughed. She also said she had no regrets as she had a wonderful life. My mom had a point on the fun thing but who can think about having more fun while the earth is burning (literally)?

I was apprehensive about this trip, my first time since the funeral. I’ve been in a weird space most of the year and thought being here would make things worse. Instead the opposite happened. It’s as if a fog has lifted. Being in the village where my family has lived for generations is healing and grounding. I appreciate being in my paternal grandparents’ garden, happy that their trees are bearing fruit again post Hurricane Irma. I spent a few days at The Cottage and was grateful that my great grandmother, grandmother, and mom held on their land.

Of course I don’t know what 2024 will bring. I do know that I can only control how I react to what life throws my way. Even if 2024 is another struggle year, it will still be a better year. I cannot have another year like 2023 and I refuse to. I’m usually a cynical optimist but last year I went hard in the paint for cynicism.

2024 is the year of the reboot (the good kind).

Moving forward I’m going to limit my time on social media. There are some great things about it but doom scrolling doesn’t do anything but raise our blood pressure.

I’m going to do my best to stop obsessing about things I have no control over. I will donate and volunteer.

There are wonderful things happening with some of my projects and I shouldn’t feel guilty about it. I’ve worked very hard to get to this point. I used to believe that being a broke creative person was somehow keeping it real. ahahaha. Nope. I’m entering my Rich Auntie Era. Being a Rich Auntie doesn’t necessarily mean one is rich. It’s more about a point of view, a way of life. That said, run me my coins! No, really.

Between my surgery and the strikes my budget took a hit. I want to take more day trips/weekend trips this year. Italy can be a chaotic country but one thing she does very well is having an accessible high-speed train system.

Losing a parent and facing your own mortality is no joke. I need to stop waiting for the perfect time/moment to do things. The perfect time is the present as tomorrow is not guaranteed.

I intend to pay more attention to the joy, wonder, and beauty of this world we live in. It still exists but I didn’t see, or seek, much of it in 2023. 2024 will be different. Last month I said to to my friends and family that 2024 will be a great year, even if it isn’t. I’m warning people now, I will be leaning hard into the woo-wooness, feminine energy, inspired vibes of my Caribbean background and Italian life. The American can do spirit is fantastic but balance is key. I going to embrace the upside of these different cultures instead of the negative ones. Let’s see how this works out. It might be the best thing ever or a complete disaster. Either way, I plan to enjoy the process.

Here’s to a new year!