Originally, this was going to be just an Instagram post, but I felt that 2024 was filled with many important events for me, and I want to keep these memories here.
I left 2024 with great relief and gratitude. Despite a few difficult moments, I learned so many things, not only practical ones but also about the world, myself, and relationships.
I pushed my own boundaries, traveled halfway across the world without a phone, and experienced some bizarre adventures. I believed that I was capable of organizing and managing everything. I discovered how much support from loved ones can give, even when they tease me that I should start a podcast about the telenovela of my life.
I took part in a weekend analog photography course in Berlin. I learned to develop photos in a darkroom by myself, and I didn’t expect it to be such a satisfying activity. The workshop was better than I expected—there were only two other people and the instructor besides me. It was the first time in my life that I developed photos from start to finish, and it was very enjoyable to see and experience how a photograph is made.
I fulfilled my travel dream of sleeping in the Amazon jungle. I’ve wanted to see the rainforest since I was a little girl, and spending a night in a hammock with the whispers of the forest was magical, but also strange (in my imagination, there were venomous snakes and spiders, but no crowing roosters). Here's a snippet from the post about the jungle, which I encourage you to read:
Before 10 pm, we packed into hammocks, wrapped in sheets, and tried to fall asleep, but the green lungs of the Earth were loudly announcing themselves. The shapes around me had completely blurred. I listened to the ominous yet strangely calming sounds coming from behind the black wall of the forest. After a while, it occurred to me that the noise was not just from birds and rain but also... roosters from the village! Roosters crow at very odd hours and wake me alternately with the tropical heavy rain.
You can find the post with the Amazon Jungle experience here, and the practical guide on how to organize such a trip here.
At the beginning of the year, I moved to Kraków and settled into my new-old reality. The final farewell to Brussels wasn’t sad, but creating geographical distance from friends was. I’ve grown fond of my apartment in Poland again; I feel better here than in Belgium, and I plan to stay here for a while. Spring and summer in Kraków were an intense social time, and I remember it with a smile. Plus, in 2025, there will be a lot of posts about Krakow on the blog!
Seeing humpback whales was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. A whale mom swam up with her calf to less than 5 meters away from us, and I had chills all over my body. I saw firsthand how intelligent and sensitive these creatures are and how much they can teach us. Lesson one: humility towards nature and the Ocean. I’m also incredibly grateful that I had the chance to see these beautiful animals up close, and I already know that my next tattoo will be a pink whale.
You can find all the posts about French Polynesia here.
This year, I visited my favorite country - Colombia - once again. You can read about Cartagena in this post. I also spent a few days at Islas del Rosario, the beautiful paradise islands off the coast of Cartagena. The Caribbean Sea, golden beaches, delicious fish, music, and lounging in a hammock with the sound of the waves was the perfect start to the year.
I saw a big exhibition of impressionists in Paris, but it wasn’t the exhibition that was the best part of the Paris trip—it was spending time with family and friends, eating together, walking, and evenings. It was an amazing, relaxing time, and I’d like there to be more of those moments in my life in 2025.
Pierwszy raz byłam w Sopocie i bardzo mi się spodobał. W sopockiej Państwowej Galerii Sztuki widziałam wystawę świetnej Ewy Kuryluk, odwiedziłam kilka genialnych kawiarni, zjadłam wyjątkowo paskudne lody przy molo i pojechałam na rowerze do stoczni w Gdańsku trasą przy samej plaży. To był świetny weekend i chciałabym kiedyś poznać lepiej całe Trójmiasto.
In 2024, I did my first two major collaborations with hotels on the blog and began to think more seriously about blogging. You can find the results of my work in French Polynesia here and here.
I spent my best birthday in Copenhagen and cherished moments with friends in Brussels. Copenhagen totally stole my heart: it was my second time there, and I completely fell in love with the city. Beautiful spaces, the best museums, shops that could double as museums, design, cozy interiors, and warm people – but above all, the level of civilizational development that perhaps no other country in the world has achieved. This progress ensures a good, comfortable life, peace, and convenience. The city is well-designed, and there’s great attention to relationships – both between people and their connection with the city. Everything is functional but also aesthetically pleasing. Society values beauty. On one hand, there are innovative, creative solutions like the automated metro or CopenHill (a waste-to-energy plant with a ski slope on top!). On the other, there's simplicity, a celebration of daily life, natural materials, warm interiors, communal cooking, and enjoying time with loved ones. To me, it's a higher level of civilization.
FIND MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMAZING PLACES AND MY COPENHAGEN GUIDE HERE.
While in Madrid, I stood in front of my favorite painting, which Foucault described as "pure visibility" – Las Meninas. I love The Maids of Honor for several reasons, but mostly for its intricate pictorial space and the reversal of roles: the painter himself is on the canvas, standing in his studio in front of an easel, and we’re left unsure who is looking at whom, who is observing the painting, and who is being observed. There’s also the double mediation (a mirror) and the reversed role of the viewer and the canvas. I love this original play with the audience, where we’re uncertain if we’re looking at the canvas or it’s looking at us. The intricate lines of sight, repetitions, and duplications raise questions about who is being seen and who is seeing. I highly recommend searching for this painting right now on Google Images and trying to grasp everything that’s happening within it!
In 2024, I cycled a part of the exceptional Velo Dunajec route for the first time. I set off from Szczawnica, making a small stop in the Red Monastery in Slovakia for halusky and a cold beer. It was my first time on this route, so I don't know what it looks like in summer, but I dare say it's at its most beautiful in autumn. The paths were covered with a carpet of golden leaves, the warm sun embraced the alleys, and a fresh breeze from the Dunajec River carried the scent of wet rocks and mountain freshness.
I ate at Botín – the oldest restaurant in the world, located in Madrid. This place has been operating continuously since 1725, and the underground room is even older, dating back to 1590! Traditional Spanish dishes have been cooked here (unchanged since the 18th century) over an open flame in old, original ovens, which I had the opportunity to see up close. When I mentioned that I wanted to write about this place on my blog and Instagram, I was taken to the kitchen to see the old ovens and interior in person. I didn’t last long there, as the ovens were blazing hot, and it was probably around 100°C. The food is delicious, and the prices are reasonable. Be sure to book online in advance, as this place is very popular!
Check out my reel from the world's oldest restaurant
The first time I saw LA, I had very mixed feelings, which I wrote about in this blog post. On one hand, it's a chaotic, dirty city grappling with immense homelessness, poverty, drug addiction, and a mental health crisis. On the other hand, there are the beautiful Venice Beach canals, shops along Rodeo Drive, impressive villas on the hills, wide beaches, and the huge film industry. What I'll mostly remember about LA are the massive distances, not just the geographical ones.
In 2024, I discovered aerial yoga and became hooked. I'm writing this in January 2025, finishing my basic course, and I can't wait for the next one, for which I've already signed up. Also, after many years, I returned to horseback riding, which not only gives me great satisfaction, joy, and improves my well-being, but also shows me that I can overcome some physical and mental limitations if I put enough work into it. I've slowly started learning how to jump over obstacles, but I still have a long way to go.
At the beginning of May, I relaxed on the beach in Rhodes, enjoying Greek cuisine. It was wonderful to bask in the sun on the beach in a beautiful hotel while Kraków was still wrapped in chilly spring nights.
To start the year off right, I took part in an Italian ravioli-making workshop. I learned to make perfect dough and shaped delicious ravioli! I clearly remember the ones with a filling of sweet fluffy ricotta, roasted pumpkin, and caramelized onions. Aside from the pasta masterclass, February was filled with evenings spent with my kittens, dinners with friends, good films, and organizing my apartment. It was a great start to the year.
This year, I fell in love with stained glass, not only Wyspiański's, but also those hidden in Kraków's townhouses. The Stained Glass Workshop and Museum is the most beautiful and unique museum in Kraków. It's not just a museum, but also a still-living workshop (founded in 1902!), where you can see how stained glass is created and even participate in workshops to make your own stained glass in the same place where artists like Józef Mehoffer and Stefan Matejko worked. Moreover, the Gallery of Young Poland’s Stained Glass Masters is the only place in Poland where you can admire the stained glass works of four outstanding early 20th-century artists: Wyspiański, Mehoffer, Jastrzębowski, and Stefan Matejko (the nephew of Jan Matejko).
Fun fact: one of the founders of the workshop was Stanisław Gabriel Żeleński, the brother of writer Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński.
A guided tour must be booked in advance.
This year, I also saw for the first time the beautiful Art Nouveau stained glass "Stań się" designed by Wyspiański, located in the Kraków Church of the Franciscans.
In THIS POST, YOU’LL FIND 5 OF THE MOST INTERESTING MUSEUMS IN KRAKÓW!
