2024 in review
Dec. 31st, 2024 08:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
whiteferrari💭 2024 wrapped ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
looking back on my 2023 wrapped as I write this and it's insane to me how I thought I had a lot of growth last year – it's nothing compared to THIS year, I'd say. this year has been filled with a lot of trials and tribulations. god, the things that i put myself through this year is crazy, i've beaten myself up so much over and over yet at the same time, i've achieved so much. something someone said to me recently is to take things slow. as simple as that sounds, i wasn't able to. life felt like a non-stop rollercoaster that sped up every day, with endless obstacles in the way. I've lost so much this year yet I gained a lot too. I created so many memories, learnt a lot about myself, met a lot of new people and hit a lot of milestones.
that being said, let's get into it :)
top 3 greatest achievements
1. opening the biggest store (5000sqft) of my career
- this was in my goals in the beginning of the year aaaand i did it! i have to set the scene – i was the only visual merchandiser on the project along with my sr manager and we handled this big ass store opening from start to end alone. the amount of tears i shed over this store, it's my baby. my pride. but it is also the cause of my burnout. i think this is the last time i truly let myself enjoy the job creatively because afterwards, my passion died. nonetheless, i still gaze fondly upon this store. i worked on it tirelessly and gave my all to it.
- the redacted is truly unnecessary as you are able to discern the place i work for if you're observant lol. i expanded my responsibilities to another region this year and assisted to open 2 stores there whilst opening 4 here! crazy work. it was back-to-back projects and yes, it contributed highly to my work burnout but :,) i think i did a fairly good job. i have to pat myself on the back or else i'd End It All. being the sole force of all these projects and focusing on other shit like multiple marketing campaigns in the meantime is not an easy job but i did it! i did it well!
- like i mentioned, 2024 hasn't been easy. I went through hell in my personal life, had a decline in my mental health due to work and not to mention, the lack of support on all ends :,) of course, I'll credit a lot of it to my coping mechanism aka seeing dream 10x lmao but at the same time, I managed to persevere and talk myself through all the mental tribulations. I've had to learn to appreciate my own company as well and isn't that the most cliche thing about growing up? you lose people, you become a workaholic and you struggle to stick close to the hobbies/interests you once loved? adulthood is so strange for me because of the pandemic years being prominent in my twenties and I come out of it suddenly in my mid twenties without having enjoyed the first half. this year, however, I've learnt to accept that. it takes a lot but I've come close enough to a place of sitting alone in all of this grief and coping as much as I can.
top 3 memories/highlights
1. psych ward gc
- dedicating a paragraph to my circle of freaks... never felt a puzzle piece slot in more perfectly than the moment i introduced yu to the group. meeting lea (again) and janel (2x!! gross) are the biggest highlights of the year too. i don't know what else i can say that i haven't said about these 3. there's not enough words in the world to emphasise how thankful i am for their love and friendship, the true pillars of support for everything i've gone through. they tolerated the hell out of my stupidity too and dealt with me through the highs and many lows. i hope i was just as much to the three of them, for they've become my fondest memory of the year and one of the very few things that saved the year for me.
- they deserve a placeholder on their own. 10 times! i saw them 10 times this year!! when i hit seoul for tds3 in may, i did NOT expect to tour with them. i booked jakarta and obviously singapore. after jakarta however, i broke down and began searching for manila. i wish i went for bangkok, that would've been amazing but i'm counting my blessings! all these concerts i went to, i've built so many memories from meeting a lot of new people, discovering new places and trying new things. it's not even limited to just seeing dreamies, it's the whole fucking experience. i cherish all these memories so closely to my heart. onto the dreamies, god, i love them. the last night of tds3 encore is still on my mind and i loved every second of every concert i've been to. i never tire of them, my love for them grew to an insane level and i'm so honoured to have witnessed their improvement through all these performances. thank you, dreamies, and of course, everyone i met during these trips. you made my year way more tolerable.
- my first solo trip!!! woah this trip came with a lot of hardships that i don't even want to get into but truly, at one point, i wanted to call the entire thing off due to the immense anxiety i felt about it. i had to spend the trip alone, or at least that's what i prepared myself for. then, ally happened and i am sooo grateful to her for staying with me. ally, for some reason, if you're reading this, thank you. i don't think i ever articulated properly how grateful i was for your presence and your many bags in the airbnb. you introduced me to other mutuals and made me feel less alone. i had mentally prepared for a solo trip but you came in with your mess and dragged me around and gave me so many memories to bring home and cherish. to all the mutuals i met on the trip – j, berry, jess, kari, jade, harleigh, wendy, cla, casey, riri, and so much more – thank you for spending time with me. it's beautiful how we came together over a silly kpop boy group and managed to fulfil so many memories together. visiting a cat bar, eating yummy food, going to the mf club (?? crazy), staying up till 2-3am, having long, serious yaoi talks.... it's endless and i'm so happy i was present for all of it. the trip became so much more than i thought and i went home, missing all of you as much as dreamies. thank you.
top 3 concerts
since i've gone to so Many concerts this year. the count is 20, doubled of last year.
1. tds3 jakarta
- experiencing this from 2nd row from the stage is truly a memory for the ages. i still recall my breakdown walking to the row like no, this can't be happening, i'm going to be perceived by the dreamies so up close? insane. the ending where the fireworks exploded into the sky and i saw the looks of awe on dreamies' faces... i bawled like a baby. it was unbelievable that i was there with them, witnessing a huge milestone in their career. like i was THERE! not forgetting, my sweet love, lea. we spent those 3 days together, and it brought me so much joy to be in your presence. spending time with you is the closest thing to coming home for me, the immense level of comfort and safety i feel with you, it cannot be recreated elsewhere. thank you for experiencing this with me. i wouldn't want it any other way.
- i am so Glad to finally travel to manila... a huge, HUGE point ticked off my bucketlist. the crowd in manila is just built differently and whilst i'm not a local, i felt so much pride to be standing in the crowd and watching how much dreamies enjoyed the 2 day concerts. i loved jumping around, feeling free, singing along with the filo fans. everyone was so incredibly nice too. this paragraph wouldn't be complete if i don't mention janel. UGH. i love you to death, darling. i felt so taken care of and you brought me around like a lost puppy, especially since my state of mind was in shambles after finishing the orchard central store. you were sweet, accommodating and you held my hand through it all. i had the best time being with you. you're like my built in sister. thank you for spending the time with me and sticking close to me through the trip. it's only the beginning to our forever. :|
- sorry that these are all tds3. i did see other artists (like taylor swift, olivia rodrigo, aespa, etc) but there's just so much intertwined with these tds3 concerts that they linger at the forefront of my mind. i will never forget, all the way from the 4th level, being choked up the moment trigger the fever started. i almost fell all the way down. oh, and watching renjun sing his anl bridge FINALLY! i love these 7 silly guys... first day concerts are always the best, i never know what to expect and it's always a rush in my veins. crying silently through the whole segment of ttf - hello future - bromel was a highlight truly, and it's out of joy. absolute joy that i managed to get there in the flesh in seoul to witness 7dream reunion on stage and sing along to all these songs and relive my favourite performances. oh i adore you dreamies, i miss you all the time.
top 3 albums
this has been a year of comebacks for my rnb girlies. let me sit in their brilliance.
1. eternal sunshine by ariana grande
- oh ari... you cannot expect me to not put her here. i've been anticipating her comeback since positions. the mere fact that she hit us with this album out of nowhere... i love this woman with everything in me. this album dominated my spotify wrapped, it's so crazy how much i hyperfixated on it. i am STILL looping it to this day and it sits at 3k plays (thanks lastfm).
- memorable tracks: supernatural (all 3 versions, live & troye included), eternal sunshine, i wish i hated you.
- tinashe you absolute legend. her dedication to her craft is so admirable to me and i love it when artists carve out their albums from musicality, performances, visuals and concepts. she truly has it all.
- memorable tracks: thirsty, cross that line, when i get you alone
- her long awaited debut album... i think i am one of the very few people that still rock with this album lmao. it's a good rnb album from start to finish, soooo amazing that all my disappointment and impatience regarding the record from the wait to the roll out/promo cycle go away. it's a pity that this album is such a stellar debut and it won't be recognised due to the lack of effort from her/label. anyway...
- memorable tracks: all yours, still, insomnia
top 3 things to look forward to in 2025?
1. hitting 10 store openings in my career
- 10 projects in the span of less than 3 years.... insanity. please stop overworking me @ redacted brand. but it is exciting. it is very, very exciting. as a workaholic, hitting this number is deeply satisfying to me. so yes, i do look forward to it!
- we are linking up. i do not care how and when. but we are. if i have to fund the entire group's trip, i will fucking do it. i will not leave 2025 without spending physical time with these 3 idiots.
- it's funny because it was meant to be in 2024 but things happened, work responsibilities over took our priorities and thus it's shelved to 2025. but TRUST. it will happen.
- kim jongin will be back in february 2025. if you're new here, he is the love of my life. i will chase you till the end of the earth, jongin. i will be here to support you through everything and anything you do. you're my priority in 2025.
there's a lot that i've not said and i will keep it short and sweet in this paragraph. 2024 started out promising, very very bright and my light dimmed towards the end. but in every dark tunnel, there's always a glimmer of light. to the ones that held that light up for me– lea, janel, yu, siti, shar, mae, and so much more – thank you. it hasn't been easy surviving this year. many a times, i've seriously considered ending it, my mental health was at an all time low and i lost so much faith in myself as a person. but i held on, and it's because all of you held me up. thank you for that. sorry for the mush but it had to be said.
all i can wish for in 2025 is kindness. just kindness from the universe to be graced upon me. nothing grand, nothing more ⊹ ࣪ ˖☘︎ ݁˖
xx bella ♡
