What to look forward to in 2024
January is a month to be hopeful. The year is new and offers us all an opportunity to reevaluate and reset.
My colleague Steven Kurutz even claims that January is the best month because of the sense of calm it provides after the deluge of holiday obligations we all get caught up in.
In honor of the new beginning, I’m sharing some of the notes readers have sent me about what to look forward to in 2024, all of which were wonderful to read.
“My big pandemic project was completing a master’s degree completely online. I just finished it and can enjoy my start at Harvard in May because I have never been to campus.” — Cameo Wood, San Francisco
“I look forward to a year full of fun, free from the worries of caring for my 97-year-old mother, who passed away in September. It was an honor to be around her for the past five years and to donate part of her lifetime earnings to charities, entirely according to her wishes. So far I have three international trips planned and one local adventure. Like many of my active friends, I would like to enjoy traveling while I still can.” — Jan Foster, Auburn
“It’s going to be a big year! I am taking my licensing exam to become a licensed clinical social worker and am getting married in April. I am happy that many good things are still going to happen.” — Hayley Iwig, Los Angeles
“I’m looking forward to celebrating my 75th birthday in March. The plan is to take a bus tour of Hollywood, dine at the historic Musso and Frank restaurant and conclude with the musical ‘Chicago’ at the Pantages Theater. My wife of 50 years and our daughter’s family will join me.” — Bill Bescoby, Rancho Cucamonga
“I look forward to cooking new stews and casseroles, taking countless cat photos, gawking at oak trees while listening to audiobooks in the nearby park, and continuing my voter registration and voter outreach leading up to Election Day on November 5.” ” — Pamela Beck, Sacramento
“The best part of my 2023 was rediscovering my love for running and competing as an athlete. After more than 10 years away from a sport that I dedicated my entire college career to, I found an amazing, diverse community of athletes and community building people. See you on the trails in 2024!” — Ryan Lester, Oakland
And before you go: good news
Jasmine Rae de Lung, a baker in San Francisco, has made a name for herself in the cake industry with unusual and dynamic creations that mimic the natural world and its unpredictability.
De Lung, who primarily makes wedding cakes, studied art in high school and eventually earned a master’s degree in psychology. Her cakes, which typically cost between $5,000 and $10,000 for local weddings, reflect that background: They are often abstract in shape and decorated with unusual techniques, such as using shaggy rice paper to create flowers or stretching fondant to create a… create rough, skin-like texture. The end product reflects the environment of De Lung and the baking process itself.
Photographer Sasha Arutyunova and writer Anna Diamond profiled de Lung for The New York Times last month in an article about her company and her artistic practice.
According to De Lung, the inspiration for her cakes comes from “surrender to what happens, rather than designing and creating every detail.” She added: “You buy the process, not the product.”