One last high five to 2025
Well folks… we are all one day away from closing the door on 2025, meaning we have made it a quarter into this century and that I will officially be turning 25 next year. I feel like every single year, I’m super guilty of pulling the “ where did the time go” card, and that’s partly because it does feel like we were ringing in 2025 yesterday. And tomorrow, with an absolutely horrific snapchat filter, we will raise our champagne (or probably in my case, sparkling grape juice because it just tastes so much better) cups to toast to 2026. I am guaranteed to spend my next four months writing the year wrong every time I attempt the date, the four months after embarking on random new adventures, and the final four months of 26’ wondering - where did the time go?
So I thought we could wrap up this year together, like we have for the past two years, reflecting on where the time actually went. Where have I been and what have I been up to these last 11 months, 29 days, and handful of hours?
January:
Rang in that new year (what feels like a million years ago and yesterday at the same time) @ Paradise Park
Celebrated the new year with my family (+ add my second bag to my Coach collection)
Introduced Ziggy to his first Chicago snow
Hosted my first (might be the first for a lot of people) fairy + hear me out party
Saw Shucked on Broadway in Chicago
Toured a billion apartments
Tried the best Italian food in Chicago @ Antico
Attended a Brat Party
Visited the Chicago Catcade
Celebrated three of my besties birthdays
February:
Toured another 7 billion apartments
Met Christina Tosi at the Chicago Milkbar opening (#3 in line)
Went to two amazing restaurants for Chicago restaurant week!
Visited my sister at Purdue University
Hosted a Galentines Party
Did my first ever scalp massage
Saw Clue on Broadway in Chicago
Took a weekend trip to Walt Disney World with my mama:)
Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Springs, and the best piano bar experience at the Boardwalk Resort
March:
Started a new job as an associate brand manager (yay promotion one of the year)
Got a visit from one of my favorite people, Sarah to celebrate the luckiest month of the year!
Toured another couple of apartments (noticing a pattern?) AND FINALLY FOUND THE ONE!
Celebrated St. Patricks day on a bar crawl with my best friends
Danced the night away at Howl at the Moon
Saw the Crime Junkies on tour in Rosemont
April:
Packed my entire life up in boxes (again)
Threw a farewell party to apartment #409 (“the very best of Sharon & Jess”)
Got an amazing visit from Amy
Played the entirety of Barbie 3 Musketeers Wii w/ Jess and Mollie (I had to include it)
Moved into my new apartment!! (ahhh)
Saw Moulin Rouge on Broadway in Chicago
Enjoyed the Jackson Park Cherry Blossoms
Attended my first American wedding!
May:
Visited the new Harry Potter store on Michigan Ave
Celebrated my grandpa’s birthday & mother’s day
Hosted a housewarming tea party! It was epic
Saw my friend Serena kill it at Second City improv (#1)
Had my first time getting a flight cancelled while at the gate (rip Dallas iykyk)
Flew to Seattle to reminisce over Memorial Day weekend!
Had a blast with Amy at all my favorite spots and even got to watch some kitties
Saw Ratatouille Eat the Movie at Moishe House
Celebrated some more besties birthdays
June (strap in for a lot):
Said goodbye to my friend Katherine, who moved home to Dallas
Started the BEST trip travelling the world with my best friend Jess
Visited Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse, and Temple Bar in Dublin
Took an amazing bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher
Went back home to London!
Saw Ellen!
Visited Camden Market, Queen Mary’s Gardens, Tower Bridge, Westminster, Soho
Saw my old home in South Bank (good old Bomberg house)
Saw Wicked on the West End!
Visited “The Black Dog” pub in Amsterdam & saw TS (just kidding about that last part, but a girl can dream)
Enjoyed the three C’s of Amsterdam: Canals, Cheese, and Coffee Shops:) alongside Mollie, Lanie, and Becks
Visited the house of Anne Frank
Ate the best crepes of my life at Anthony Bourdain’s old stomping grounds
Lived my dreams on the Sound of Music bus tour in Salzburg, Austria
Saw Mozart’s first piano in Salzburg
Visited Hallstatt, Austria, the city that inspired Frozen’s Arendelle, and climbed to the top of a UNESCO world heritage site
Trained to Munich, then flew to Barcelona (so technically, 3 countries in a day)
Visited the Barcelona Carmel bunkers, the Boqueria, and hit the beach
Had some of the best food of my life (Citizens Cafe and Colom were life changing)Pl
Played a lot of Guess who
Had an international clubbing experience at Razzmatazz a couple hours before boarding a flight home
Visited the Shedd Aquarium
Hosted my first trivia for the interns at work
Went to the Chicago pride parade
July:
Celebrated the fourth at my friend Lanie’s with some pretty phenomenal layered Jello shots
Planned a picnic to watch the fireworks at Navy Pier
Saw the Leaning Tower of Niles, IL for the first time (WOW Europe who?)
Went to Six Flags Great America
Went to Garfield Park Conservatory
You’re not ready for this one…… I GOT A CAT
Celebrated my grandma’s birthday
Attended the annual Wicker Park Fest and saw the band in 10 Things I Hate About You
My bestie Sarah asked me to be her bridesmaid!
August:
Watched Twilight at the Rooftop Bar
Took a trolley around Chicago
Had the most incredible 24th birthday -boating in Lake Michigan with my best friends, going to brunch, watching Parade on Broadway in Chicago, and getting AYCE sushi
Watched the the Broadway in Chicago summer concert in Millennium Park
Moved my sister into her sophomore year of college
Watched Pride and Prejudice in Millennium Park
Had trip #2 to WDW, this time for Lanie’s graduation trip - and went on Guardians of the Galaxy two more times
Got to experience a VIP tour of Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom (also got pixie dusted)
Was gobsmacked by the engagement of my close personal friend, Taylor Swift, to Travis Kelce
September:
Visited the Art Institute
Celebrated my other grandpa’s 90th!!
Celebrated Ziggy’s 6th birthday party, wooo!
Went to a Cub’s game - and we won!
Watched Downton Abbey The Grand Finale in theatres
Visited Lincoln Park Zoo & Great America (part 2)
Went to a Broadway Rave
Hosted my first ever chaos Fallapoalooza party
October:
Got a quick visit from the one and only Donna
Said goodbye to my first company:(
Listened to “Life of a Showgirl” for the first time
Travelled to Wisconsin Dells & Devil’s Lake for a quick weekend trip with Mollie!
Did an escape room with my best friends - we got out!
Went apple picking in Indiana
Started my new job!
Celebrated my best friend’s birthday at a Karaoke bar!
Held some baby chicks at Richardson Farm
Watched The Sound of Music on Broadway in Chicago
Put Will Shuester’s up all over my friend’s apartment
Celebrated a bunny’s second birthday
Was Daenerys Targaryen and dressed Emmy up as a pumpkin for Halloween
November:
Emmy saw her first Chicago snow!
Went on my first work trip at my new job to Le Mars, IA
Put up the holiday tree (Emmy was a big fan)
Watched every single episode of DWTS with Lanie and crowned OUR winner (yes Robert!)
Listened to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform Mozart’s requiem
Hosted my little sister for the weekend + Chriskrindlemarket #1
Hosted our cousins + 25 others for Thanksgiving!
Added my third Coach bag to the collection (oops)
Hosted (hehe another pattern) Friendsgiving!
December:
Visited Donna in Nyack, NY and hung out with her cat, Miku
Took a trip to NYC (and Terrytown) with my best friends
Lost my phone to the Bronx:(
Saw two musicals on Broadway (Maybe Happy Ending and Chicago)
Emmy got her pictures taken with Santa
Celebrated Hannukah with my family
Hosted Chrismukkah (just the way Seth Cohen would’ve liked it)
WILL ring 2026 in Galena, with the absolute best people by my side:)
So in a nutshell, how does one measure a year? Is it in Broadway Musicals seen (8), Coach bags impulsively purchased (2), Survivor seasons started (2), Parties thrown (11, I think), Cities visited (10), or is it all the countless memories made along the way? I think the latter from 2025 will be with me for very long time indeed.
It was a pretty fantastic year! And I’m looking forward to making this next one shine even brighter.
Talk to you all in 2026! Happy new year to you & yours!
Sincerely,
Sharon