Reflections of 2024

January 4, 2025January 5, 2025 charleneaross7 Comments

Like all years, 2024 was filled with highs and lows. But overall, 2024 was a pretty good year for the Rosses. And it was definitely a good year for me. I spent a lot of time with family and friends, got a promotion (and a decent raise) at work and got to travel pretty extensively for both work and pleasure.

Work trips included Boston where I got to meet my online BFF, the fabulous Tina Drakakis in real life after 16 years of girl crushing her over the internet; Knoxville where I got to connect with amazing former work colleagues and friends; New York where Marley was able to tag along and I could show her my favorite US city, Oregon where I got to visit my dear friend Nancy, New Orleans where I got to eat my way through the city with one of my work besties, and Chicago where I got to bond with my amazing team.

Personal trips included a trip to San Francisco to visit Chandler, a trip to Michigan to visit my friend Jennifer and also go to my family lake house, and a trip to Southern Italy to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary with some of our best friends. (I might have buried the lead there, that trip to Italy was the trip of a lifetime.)

But as awesome and exciting as all that sounds (and it was!), most days were pretty um, what’s a nicer way to say mundane? – let’s say, ordinary. I woke up early, I worked out, I walked my dog Geordie, I worked from home, I cooked dinner, I cleaned up, sometimes I walked the dog again (the night walks are Marley’s job but 24-year-olds are often out and about), I watched TV with Dave, I practiced excellent skincare, and then got up the next day and did it all again.

Also during my mornings (most mornings, anyway), I’d write in my happiness journal. I’d sit down and reflect upon the day before and write down what I did that made me happy. Most days are filled with those ordinary things – walking Geordie, noticing the brilliance of the abundance of spring flowers, spending time with family and friends, good food (a lot of my happy moments are based on enjoying food with people I love), and music. Lots of music. These moments of reflection I’d try to focus on how extraordinary the ordinary can be.

Here are some of the moments that made me happy in 2024.

January 1 – Dave and I hiked Ensenol Canyon – 7.22 miles! The weather was perfect. What a beautiful day. It gives me hope for a beatiful year.

January 13 – I spent the day with my mom. We went to the Conejo Botanical Gardens and to lunch at Sharky’s – so healthy! – and then to a few thrift stores. It was a lovely day.

February 3 – DTLA with Marisa Hoff. Such a fun day getting out of the bubble. Got in so many steps, saw great art, had a yummy lunch, and enjoyed a lovely glass of wine in a hotel lobby bar – a win of a day!

February 11 – Super Bowl at the Hoff’s. There was a moment when I was remembering all the SB parties at Steve and Jennifer’s and just felt so happy and lucky to have these friends and these memories and just to be living this wonderful, crazy, messy life.

February 21 – It was so beautiful this morning. The day after the rain. So crisp. So clear. Cold, but invigorating. Clear blue sky. White puffy clouds. The kind of day that makes you happy to be alive.

March 8 – I met Tina Drakakis IRL, and it was everything I hoped it would be. It didn’t even feel like I was meeting her for the first time – it felt like we were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in forever catching up.

March 24 – I went to Buffalo Exchange with my mom and Ashley to sell Amanda’s clothes which was heartbreaking but I’m so glad I could help Ashley with that task that has been overwhelming her.

March 30 – New York! Marley is in NYC for the first time and I am so happy. We walked 34K steps and saw so many things. I have been looking forward to this trip for so long.

April 7 – What a fab day! Breakfast with Rita and Kate and then to TJ’s and cleaned the house while listening to a great book, then Writers’ Group at Julie’s. FUN & PRODUCTIVE! Full of people who fill my soul with happiness and love.

April 27 – Mera is here – yay! Lunch at the beach with Mera and dinner at my mom’s with Mera and Dale. Oh, how I treasure these lifelong friendships.

May 8 – I’m listening to Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and I just love how she writes about the small moments that make a life – nothing and everything all at once.

May 10 – My first concert of the year. Sam Hunt and Jake Owen and Niko Moon and it was so great – back in the pit, singing my lungs out, and dancing, dancing, dancing. To quote my favorite Jake Owen song, we really were shining like lighters in the dark in the middle of a rock show. 😉

May 20 – I volunteered for the Ronnie James Dio Cancer Foundation event and had a great time as always. Watching super fans geek out (hey – I get it!) just fills my heart with such joy.

June 6 – In NOLA. Dinner at Peche. Fun at Lucy’s Surf Bar. Just being at this amazing conference with work friends at this fab city is so fun. Also posted a good pic of me and got a sweet text about it that made me smile.

June 18 – I walked Geordie for his night walk and saw a father and son running in tandem and then loop around a tree. As soon as they looped, they started racing. Watching them really brought me so much joy.

June 29 – I talked to Pat and it made my heart so happy. He sounds great. Happy. Healthy. Funny as ever. It was so good to hear his voice.

July 7 – Concerts in the Park. Fantastic Diamond. Kim and Rita came and we had yummy food and I saw many neighborhood friends. True suburban bliss.

July 12 – Kim and I went to Laurel’s for a Summer Friday HH swim. So fabulous. Summer Fridays are my favorite.

August 3 – A perfect lake day. Beautiful weather. Kayak ride. Floating. Boat ride. Lounging on the deck reading a good book. Cards at night. Best day ever.

August 29 – Writer’s Group at Rina’s. As always, these women fill my heart with happiness and my soul with creativity.

September 10 – I heard a song today that made me say wow and songs that make me say wow always make me happy. Music that gives you all the feels is everything!

September 12 – My happy moment was hugging Arlyne in the kitchen of this beautiful home in Sorrento where we are staying and saying, “We’re here!” Also, Larry had charcuterie and spritzes waiting when we arrived in the house. What a wonderful start to the trip!

Southern Italy with fabulous friends – the trip of a lifetime! (Picking out just 4 pictures was nearly impossible!)

October 12 – Chandler and I spent the day together. We rented e-bikes and walked around Ventura, Carpenteria, and Ojai. It was so great to spend time with him one on one. A perfect day.

October 18 – On my morning walk the moon was still so bright and huge because it was low in the sky. I texted pictures to Chandler and Rita, and then later on the walk, I saw a man get in his car, see the moon, get out of his car, and take a picture of it. It made my heart so happy to see that.

Good morning, Bella. My photos of you never do you justice.

October 19 – There was a remembrance at the beach for Amanda. It was so nice to see her friends come together and show her so much love.

November 1 – Dave and I saw Inhaler last night and OMG. They. Were. Amazing. New band obsession. So fucking good!

November 6 – That fucker won the election again. He is a stain on America that cannot be washed away. No happiness today, however, I am so grateful for friends who send funny memes and words of encouragement and share their tears, all of it.

November 17 – In Palm Desert. I think my happy moment today was sitting by the pool with a good book and a Piña Colada. That’s pretty hard to beat.

November 21 – I helped Marley edit her college essays and it makes me so happy that she wants this so badly. I hope she gets into a school where she wants to go. I’m so excited for this next chapter for her.

November 27 – We just had the best night last night. We had cheese fondue and everyone helped with dinner and helped clean up and we had such a great conversation. At one point, I was so happy and also so sad at the passing of time I almost cried.

December 31 – I sat in my office for a bit in my cozy chair with a glass of wine, and read this book and reflected on 2024. Overall, it was a very good year. Looking forward to what is to come in 2025.

What are you still doing here? This blog post is so long. I haven’t written in so long, I’ve forgotten how to edit. (Oh, who am I kidding – I’ve never known how to edit.) But seriously, if you are still here, thank you for the indulgence. It is appreciated more than you know. I hope you have been able to find some time to reflect on this past year (if that’s your jam) and maybe even set an intention for the new one (again, if that’s something you like to do).

Wishing all of us a 2025 where we find the extraordinary in the ordinary. ♥♥♥

I’m a Little Bit Sad

June 3, 2019June 3, 2019 charleneaross14 Comments

“I’m a little bit sad,” my son used to say to me when he was three. “I miss my Tatie.”

And by Tatie he meant his best friend Katie who he’d just seen the day before. Or maybe an hour before.

“It’s okay, buddy,” I’d tell him, giving him a hug. “We’ll see Katie soon.”

My son would say this often about Katie when he wasn’t with her and my husband and I found this adorable. “I’m a little bit sad,” became vernacular for us.

“I’m a little bit sad Alias isn’t on anymore,” my husband would say as he was flipping channels after the show ended because of his crush on Jennifer Garner.

“I’m a lot a bit sad,” I’d tell him because it was Alias that introduced me to my forever #1 boyfriend Bradley Cooper.

Or, “I’m a little bit sad we’re not going to Italy this summer,” I’d say as we pulled the camping gear out of the shed for our yearly vacation.

“You’re going to be a little bit sad for a lot of summers,” he’d joke.

To us, “I’m a little bit sad,” was funny. A reminder of our sweet and sensitive toddler.

But Jennifer Garner doesn’t play college students anymore. Now she plays middle aged moms.

And we still don’t get to go to Italy this summer, but we also haven’t gone on a family camping trip in a really long time.

Because while still sweet and sensitive (a little), my son is not a toddler anymore. He graduated from college two weeks ago. Today he starts a five month engineering internship 375 miles away that will likely lead to a job. And even though he’s been away at school for four years it’s different this time. Permanent.

And I’m so happy for him and so proud of him. Happier and prouder than I’ve ever been.

But also, as he drove away a tear unexpectedly rolled down my face.

I’m a little bit sad.

Planning my Dream 20th Anniversary Vacation with GoWithOh

October 30, 2013 charleneaross12 Comments

In March Dave and I will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. In the early years of our marriage, I pictured celebrating our 10 year anniversary in Vegas renewing our vows with an Elvis impersonator. (Fat Elvis – duh!) Instead we set up camp in two beach houses with my family – about 15 of us total, dining on chili cheese dogs and sleeping on an air mattress; all the hoopla reserved my for nephew’s first birthday celebration instead of our ten year union.

Life never really does turn out as planned, does it?

For our 20th wedding anniversary I’ve always dreamed of returning to where we got engaged – Italy.

But… (almost) 20 years later – two moves, different jobs, financial ups and downs, a mortgage, two kids – one less than two years away from college… life and those plans right? While we are lucky to be rich in love (most days), our current bank balance suggests that we’re much more likely to be celebrating our 20th by clinking our Chianti glasses at our favorite Italian restaurant with views of the hills of Agoura, than at a quaint trattoria with views of the hills of Tuscany.

But last week I read this blog and found out about a contest called “Be Our Guest Tester” hosted by the website GowithOh.

GowithOh rents vacation apartments to travelers in 17 European cities – five of them in Italy. (Florence. Milan. Rome. Pisa. Venice. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes!) To enter the contest all I have to do is write a blog post about which apartment I would chose from their site and why, and tag the post on Twitter using the hashtag ##GwOGuestTester. Fantastic!

When Dave and I travel to Europe we love staying in quaint pensions, small bed and breakfasts, or apartments like Europeans do. Sure, luxury hotels are lovely, but if you’re going to experience another country, I think the best way to do it is by traveling -and living- like a local.

GowithOh just happens to have 255 apartments located in my favorite Italian city – Florence. We returned to Italy and visited Florence on our second anniversary. I immediately fell madly and deeply in love. I wept when I stood next to The David, I was so overcome with its beauty. I raised my hands in victory when I climbed all 463 steps to the top of Il Duomo. We crossed the Arno River and picnicked on a hillside taking in the wonderful Tuscan views. And you want to talk tears of joy? I think I cried every time I ate because the food was so fresh and so incredibly delicious, it made me the happiest I’d ever been every time I ate. (Which was as often as possible.)

So Dave and I started cruising the GoWithOh website to pick out our dream 20th anniversary trip apartment. Where would we stay if money was no object? It was almost impossible to choose.

We loved ceilings and the uniqueness of this one.

And we loved the traditional Florentine style of this one.

But this one simply took my breath away. That view? Are you kidding? This is where Dave and I would choose to spend our 20th Anniversary 2nd Honeymoon.

Apartment-with-Go-with-oh-Florence-apartment — Yes please!

But wait… there’s more…

We’ll spend our afternoons resting from sightseeing and rejuvenating before heading out to the piazza for an evening stroll and (a tears-of-joy-inducing) dinner here.

We’ll prepare a simple breakfast here…

Then eat it here…

None of your business what we’ll be doing here. (But it might or might not rhyme with peeping. Shut up! Sightseeing makes you tired!)

And trust me, for a European bathroom – this one is HUGE! (Love that tub!)

I might not win the GoWithOh Guest Tester contest, but that’s okay. We’ve had a great time perusing at the apartments they have to offer. Looking at all the pictures and planning our dream trip (even if it is only in our hearts and our heads) was almost as fun as being there.

Almost.

Paris… London… Berlin… where would you go with GoWithOh?

Where Would YOU Go if Money Was No Object?

June 28, 2013 charleneaross8 Comments

This post was inspired by Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop. I chose prompt #5: 8 places you’d go this summer if money wasn’t an object.

Hmmm… do I have to do them all this summer? I guess I’d better get started. And since we’re talking Lotto Dreams travel, I’ll have to hire a Lear Jet so I don’t have to mingle with the type of people who fly tourist. (Which is pretty much me!)

Earth – photo credit Tonynetone via Creative Commons

#1 Istanbul

When I was in college a favorite marketing professor of mine told tales of her backpacking trips abroad. She was the one who sparked the desire in me to backpack across Europe during the summer of 1986. She traveled to many places and her favorite place hands down was Istanbul. She made it sound so magical I’ve wanted to go ever since. She especially loved the Grand Bazaar where haggling for beautiful and unique treasures was an art form. Most Saturdays Chandler and I go yard saling and haggle over prices of ~~used junk~~ unique treasures. I cherish the time with him and I enjoy our little treasure hunts, but somehow I think shopping for shit we don’t need in Turkey would be way better.

Istanbul-Grand-Bazaar — Istanbul Grand Bazaar Photo credit Brian Snelson via Creative Commons

#2 Italy

I became engaged in Italy and it holds a very special place in my heart. The food, the art, the culture, the people, the gorgeous countryside, the art, the wine, the fooood (yeah, there’s a reason Elizabeth Gilbert ate her way through Italy) – I am madly in love with Italy. However, I have not spent any time at the lake district or on the Italian coast. (Unless you count those nine hours in 1986 when I sat at the very unattractive port of Brindisi waiting for the ferry to the party nation of Greece.) I would love to rent a villa at Lake Como or the Amalfi Coast and spend an entire summer there lying around doing absolutely nothing but drinking wine and eating. (Except that I have six more destinations to visit!)

Verona-Italy-Juliet-balcony — Standing on Juliet’s balcony in Verona, Italy the day after my engagement.

#3 London

I spent a semester of college attending school in London and it quickly became one of my favorite cities. Dave and I have often talked about how we would love to live in London for a year or two. I love the museums and the architecture, the parks and the pubs. I love shopping on Portobello Road and Kensington High Street. I can’t wait to take my kids to London one day and show them the sights. My kids don’t really love cities, but I think London would turn them around.

London-Big-Ben — Lovely London – Photo credit Tim Morris via Creative Commons

#4 Greece

Was that nine hour wait in the industrial port of Brindisi and 24 hour barf-over-the-side ferry ride worth it? You bet. During that 1986 trip I went to Athens (don’t bother) and Ios (party paradise) and then returned to Greece in 1988 (before starting my semester in London) to visit Ios once again, and added Mykonos and Santorini. The stark contrast of the white stucco buildings and bright blue sea is just breathtaking. I think I’d skip Ios this time (mostly out of fear that they wouldn’t let me off the boat because I’m too old!) But I would love to spend some serious time there lounging on the beaches of Santori, Mykonos and Corfu reading a book and eating a lot of simple Mediterranean food and not much else. Ah yes, the art of doing nothing!

Brindisi-to-Greece — Heading to Greece via huge ferry slumber party

#5 New York City

Well, I’m halfway through my fantasy travel summer and of course a trip to New York is mandatory. I haven’t been to New York in eight years and I miss it desperately. I always feel so alive in that city. I love the shops and restaurants. I love the bars and seeing plays both on and off Broadway. I love walking everywhere. And I simply adore the fashion. People don’t dress up in California like they do in New York. I could stand on the streets of Manhattan and people watch all day.

Side note: I follow a fabulous blog called Fashables that features street style photography. (Photographs taken of random people walking down the street.) It helps me get my New York fix. But I am dying to go back soon for reals.

Fashables collage — New York street style photography by Ryan Shell of Fashables

# 6 Napa Valley/San Francisco

Napa/San Francisco totally counts as one place right? I went to Napa earlier this year for the 2013 Wine Sisterhood trip (did I mention it was amazing) and can’t wait to go back. The trip I went on was a girlfriend’s trip, but I’d love to take my husband there. We went in 1990 when we were dating and we are well overdue for a trip back. And since this is a money-is-no-object fantasy, I’d like to hire a limo to take us to all the wineries and restaurants (yes every single one) and drink until I start to slur and eat until I start to waddle. I think a week should do it. I loved the Andaz Napa Hotel and would definitely stay there again. And a trip to San Fransicso on the way to our next destination would definitely be in order.

Chappellet-vineyards — Beautiful Chappellet vineyards in Napa Valley

#7 Hawaii

Dave and I have been there three times – twice to Maui (once before we were married and for our honeymoon) and once to Kauai when Chandler was just under two. As much as I love Hawaii (and I do), I probably wouldn’t put it in my Top 8, but Marley is dying to go to Hawaii. She finds it horribly unfair that Chandler has been to Hawaii and she hasn’t. The fact that Chandler doesn’t remember the trip at all does not seem to sway her thinking about this gross injustice we have committed against her.

Hmmm… now that I’ve looked over my list I’m not sure I’ve really chosen that wisely. Maybe I should ditch London and Greece and tell Marley too bad about Hawaii and choose an African Safari or Costa Rica or Machu Picchu or Puerto Rico. I also love the Canadian Rockies and I’d like to see Columbia and Brazil and Berlin and Croatia. Eight is just not enough. So where would my final destination be?…

#8 Michigan

Michigan? What?! Instead of an African Safari? Well, I’ve already decided to ditch Hawaii (sorry Marley) and all this traveling has made me rather tired. And my mom and uncle own a lovely little cottage on a small lake in Michigan and my cousins own the house next door. It’s like we have our own little family compound. And while it’s not exactly rustic, it’s not very luxurious either -somewhere in between. Just right as Goldilocks would say. There are boats and wave runners and kayaks for sport and plenty of lounge chairs for reading and napping. The trees are green and the people are friendly. (Like scary-weird friendly.) It’s a little bit of heaven right smack in the middle of the country and it feels like home. At the end of a long journey (even an imaginary one) there’s no place like home.