Reflecting on 2024 - Practicing gratitude in the New Year.

If I'm honest, December is an incredibly busy time to find peaceful moments to take the time to meaningfully reflect on the year that's been. With visiting family from overseas, being present in that connection and making the most of that was an important choice for me, and will always take precedence. We live so digitally sometimes, and I adore this community but I'm an advocate for staying aligned with a personal value of family time, in this space too

I did manage to steal some quiet time while on a train during our European New Year trip though. I also felt that while I could draft it on that train journey, it was contextually relevant (not to mention most realistic) to post in January. Contextual to the fact that I want to encourage the conversation lasts beyond the end of December, and doesn't fade too early in 2025.

So often I (we?) can be guilty of ending the year with reflections, practicing gratitude, setting intentions for the new year, but then as we move deeper into the year we let them unroot, fade out of active consciousness. Being present with what we're grateful for is so healthy to reground and recentre. And if we can stay connected to what we were grateful for the previous year, does that not support a healthy flourishing foundation for the new year?

Gratitude's can be deeply personal, and some of mine are, so you won't see me spill those here. But sharing some less private ones, to support, promote or even inspire others to think about what they're grateful for, is a positive movement we can all be part of. Because creating uplifting spaces is of course what Londani Life is about at is core.

So as you continue reading here, try and remind yourself of what your year held. What you did for yourself, for others and what they did for you. Because this world and life can be beautiful if we allow us the time and space to remind ourselves of what we do have.

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This year has been amazing. The last full year of my London expat adventure, though a last in that facet it was still a year where firsts were experienced, growth was journeyed and appreciations for this life evolved.

On the eve eve of the new year, I sit here on a train through Austria, travelling from Vienna to Salzburg. The winter blue sky sparkling the way, the light scattering of snow on the ground glistening in its light, a shimmering European landscape like an oil painting framed on display. My mind wandering back through the year, grateful in the moment, grateful for the year.

At the close of this year (2024), some things I’m grateful for are:

• All the countries I got to visit this year, and the varied experiences they provided

• Seeing Taylor Swift live for the 5th (!!) time

• Seeing my favourite pop star (TS) live and in concert at Wembley stadium. A globally famous venue for the largest tour in history!

• All the quiet coffee moments I could spend reflecting, and those shared with the company of loved ones

• Mum and Dad visiting, and spending time with them in the UK, making memories, showing them my London life.

• Karl getting to spend more time with my family, watching him so comfortably be himself and enjoy their presence (we have been together 4 years, but our families live in Aus so before this visit they'd spent a total of 4 days with each other!! Special is an understatement).

• Karl’s mum visiting, and spending more time getting to know her more and making memories together in Europe

• My promotion at work

• My physical health and fitness, enabling me to run TWO half marathons

• My mind, memory and cognitive health

• The same cognitive health, but also my determination and self belief in creating this blog

• Those who have followed, liked, commented, clicked and read my blog

• Karl: His love, support, encouragement and continued patience as a partner. Fostering such a fun, loving and safe environment.

• Friends - for the laughs and conversations exchanged, and memories made

• The safety of my home

• The health of my family and friends

• My perseverance

• My self belief

• My courage

• My honesty

• My kindness

• Having a steady income, and being able to stick to my savings goals

The train continues to carry me along this Austrian rail path. Driving under a blanket of fog now, the misty grey haze acts as a dim canopy, out the side window it sits behind the tree's in the foreground. Much less an oil painting now, rather a grey scale postcard, picturesque of snow capped tree’s and snow laced grounds.

If I was to send that post card to myself at the beginning of 2024 from here, I'd let her know she does good. There's things I'm grateful for, and things I'm proud of. Some of them intertwine, but that's the beauty of living with ability to choose our own version of life, we can choose how we see it and how we feel it. Not everyone in this world has that privilege. Reflecting on the year gone by, practicing gratitude, is an important way to reground and reinvigorate.

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As the New Year dawns, and this now goes live in the early days of 2025, there's still time to reflect on 2024. It can close in such a bustling smudge of social and food-coma-inducing occasions, enjoying the slow moments of January to reflect on the gone, and look toward the new is refreshing.

This is your year, your story.

Write it with purpose, because here we go.

Thank you 2024.

2025, it's time. Let's go.

Dani xx

p.s let me know in the comments how you reflect on your year. What are you grateful for?