As the year draws to a close, we would be fools if we did not reflect on the whirlwind that was 2024. We received so much love from our recap last year that it motivated us to make this a tradition. Not only does it keep our loved ones informed – it also helps us have gratitude and joy from the memories we made.
Let’s be honest, this year wasn’t for the faint of heart. There were moments that tested our resilience, made us question our sanity (and our internet connection), and left us feeling like we were perpetually walking a tightrope. But through it all, one thing remained constant: our desire to find joy, adventure, and laughter with each other and you, dear reader.
The year began familiarly with our neighbors and us continuing our traditional apartment crawl with drinks and treats. It has been a source of comfort to have a community within walking distance that supports each other. We still borrow masking tape, black paint, eggshells, and other things from each other and it’s still a joy to know them. March saw us diving headfirst into the vibrant world of anime at AMKE (https://animemilwaukee.org/). We embraced every opportunity to explore new things together, and it was just one of many firsts for conventions this year.
March also brought us the infectious energy of the Too Many Zooz concert – we never miss seeing this band when they come through town! And who could forget the momentous occasion in April when we leased our first electric vehicle, a sleek Hyundai Ioniq 5. It was a small step for us, but a giant leap for reducing our carbon footprint.
In the summer, we traded the city lights for flickering campfires. We attended our annual, and magical, “Wizard Camping” trip in June. That was followed by a visit from Sam’s mom, stepdad, niece, and great grandfather.
The year continued to be a rollercoaster, with the uplifting experience of supporting the Red Nose Foundation (https://rednosefoundation.org/) with a charity concert in May. Steve, Sam and their friends (shout out @itsScopoo) coordinated with the Indonesian charity and was able to send them about $400! That’s 6,492,000 Indonesian Rupiah! We felt extremely proud of this global impact we were able to make for youths.
July was a blur of road trips – exploring the beauty of the South Carolina coast and then welcoming Sam’s online friends for an epic birthday celebration back in our WI home. This was the first time in the year that we were able to meet some of our incredible friends from online. In August, a visit from the legendary @s4xton happened, and a trip to the awe-inspiring global meetup of DJs at Techno Harbor in Chicago kept us busy.
September brought a bittersweet mix of emotions. We celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary by Steve getting his first tattoo, a spirograph from their honeymoon back in 2012. Sam had her spirograph tattoo done years ago, and Steve finally had the courage to get his his done this year. They ended the day with a romantic night of art exhibits at GLEAM at Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
We also took Poops for a quick chest x-ray that same anniversary morning because he had a persistent severe cough for about a week. On September 12th, we said goodbye to our beloved Poops, our last furry friend who brought so much love into our home. Poops suffered from a cardiac disease due to his enlarged heart. He had been taking three meds, twice a day, for years without any problems. On the day of his chest scans, the doctor found a tumor that was pressing against his lungs and impacting his ability to breathe. With losing pets in back-to-back years, it has been devastating to us learning to navigate life as non-pet people. We miss them both deeply and have no plans to adopt new family members at this time. Grief is a heavy thing, and we are so appreciative to everyone that loved our sweet boy as much as we did. He was a very, very good boy. RIP Poops – he would’ve been 15 on Christmas eve this year. <3
Fall saw us reconnecting with nature with more camping trips with friends. Our Discord server – The Front Porch – held its first virtual Friendsgiving filled with delicious food and even better company. November brought the vibrant chaos of Colossalcon North (https://colossalconnorth.com/), a haven for geeks and nerds alike. We were able to meet and shake hands with the voice actor of one of our favorite characters in the video game series Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. In December, Sam and Rosie held a race in the game Sayonara Wild Hearts, followed by the epic (and slightly ridiculous) “Trash Cansmas” party in Final Fantasy XIV – a testament to the enduring power of online friendships.
During this whole year, Sam and Steve also managed to commit to their relationship with intentionality. We held “fireside chats” (this link is for reference and does not necessarily reflect our personal practice. We encourage you to tailor it to fit your needs.) every Sunday and we joined a new Dungeons & Dragons group with some online, and longtime real friends.
As we look back on this year, a simple truth emerges – life is a balancing act. We learned to navigate the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, with a shared sense of humor and an unwavering commitment to each other. We embraced new adventures, cherished old traditions, and most importantly, created memories that will warm our hearts for years to come. Not only with each other, but with you as well. The lows can still be felt, but it’s love that keeps us going.
Personally, this year:
Sam was able to juggle online and offline communities this year. She completed a full year of streaming on Twitch, reached affiliate status in February, and got accepted to join the Artists & Makers guild. She loves having a space that feels like gentle accountability and friendship combined with her own responsibility to be present in a digital studio. It has really helped her hone her artistic skills and get clear about what kind of art she wants to sell. This year she also shaved her hair off like she had been wanting to do for years. She attended several events to support growth in her local community, like drag show fundraisers, attending her first forum with Art of Love, and the grand opening of the creative materials reuse shop Hello, Art Hatchery. She also managed two online charity events this year, both dedicated to supporting the youth locally, and globally. Her stream anniversary charity fundraiser raised $370 for the Recraft Creative Reuse Center. She also helped initiate and participated in her first art market. The small $100 paycheck/month from Twitch ad revenue and gracious subscriptions has been incredibly supplemented with about $500 in sales this year from starting recycledart.work. Also, did you know you can subscribe to Sam for free if you have Amazon Prime? She encourages everyone to help reallocate Bezos money.
In 2025, Sam is hopeful to increase useful products, inventory, and sales in the new year. She also hopes to return to hang drying clothes to reduce the house’s reliance on the dryer and she eventually really wants a tattoo of Poops the Dog.
Steve tried a lot of new things this year. He completed his first professional certification in April and is now an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. He picked up Final Fantasy XIV again, joined the Trash Can Task Force free company (in game guild/group), and started raiding weekly with people from the group, which has been both fun and challenging. He picked up an electronic drum kit earlier this year and started streaming Clone Hero on his own Twitch channel. Despite his fear of needles, he also got his first tattoo without passing out (despite a couple close calls😅).
In 2025, Steve is looking forward to more adventures with Sam – both IRL and in co-op games. He also hopes to do some more drumming and gaming streams, and to end the Wisconsin chapter of the SBurbols journey.
