As another year draws to a close, it is time for a little reflection. 2024 has been a year of personal growth, exciting projects, and some seriously unforgettable moments. Please allow me to share some of my highlights.
3️⃣0️⃣ Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving #
First things first, I (sadly? or proudly?) joined the 30s club this year! It’s a milestone deserving to be mentioned, and I’m embracing this new decade with open arms and a sense of excitement for what’s to come. This also marks the end of a significant decade in my life. Most of the previous ten years were spent in Copenhagen, where I moved when I was just about to turn 22. It’s been a period of immense personal growth and countless experiences, and I’m planning to dedicate a separate blog post (or a new series of posts) to elaborate deeper into my time in Denmark and hopefully share useful learnings and insights. Stay tuned for that!
💯 Conquering the Danish language #
Let’s kick things off with a huge personal victory: I officially passed Prøve i Dansk 3 (official website only in Danish). This marks the culmination of a two-year journey of Danish language studies at language school. But the story goes even further back. My first tentative steps into the world of Danish began way back in March 2017, when I first started using Duolingo. While my learning was on and off for a while, I finally decided to commit more seriously around the same time I started joining Danish language classes in August 2022, and my consistent efforts on Duolingo significantly contributed to leading me to where I am today. Fun fact: Duolingo decided to present me with my “Year in Review” recap on the exact same day I passed the exam! Talk about perfect timing… As of December 31st, I had a whopping 814-day streak on the app 🔥. It’s a testament to consistency and a reminder that even small daily efforts can lead to great results 💪.
🆕 Finally launching my new website #
Next up is something I’ve been putting off for far too long. The website you are visiting right now is the result of a brand new project I worked on for a few days and happily launched live back in March 2024. I could finally say goodbye to my old blog running on Wordpress and join the world of static site generators, like Hugo. This solution helped me bring my vision to life: a light, fast and responsive website serving both as a personal blog and professional portfolio. I’m quite proud of how it turned out, and I’m looking forward to share more (hopefully interesting) content in future blog posts.
If you’re curious about the making-of this website, I encourage to check my other blog post:
🎧 Starting my journey as DJ #
I started appreciating the world of DJing back in October/November 2023, after trying to create some party mixes with Virtual DJ (using only mouse and keyboard 😆). As I started liking the idea of creating my own mixes of electronic music, in early 2024 I jumped into an intense research to upgrade my equipment to an entry level DJ controller: the Pioneer DDJ-FLX4. Since then, I enjoyed learning and practicing the art of DJing and even had the chance to start showcasing my skills in public. I had my first proper experience as a DJ assistant at a public event – the semester start party (in Danish: Årsfest) at the Technical University of Denmark on September 9th. I was fortunate enough to accompany my colleague and talented DJ, Martin, as his trusty sidekick. It was an absolute blast to be part of the energy, the music, and the overall atmosphere. I learned so much from Martin, and this experience hyped me even more. I hope I’ll share more news about my journey in 2025, with even more opportunities to see me behind the decks.
❄ Chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø #
This year, I finally embarked on an unforgettable Arctic Experience with my dear colleagues and friends Mirko and Diego. We visited Tromsø, Norway, a city located well within the Arctic Circle. To be precise, Tromsø is approximately 350 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and around 2,200 kilometers south of the North Pole. What made this experience even more unique was that our visit coincided with the start of the polar night on November 27th. This period, which extends until January 15th, marks the time when the sun remains below the horizon, resulting in the absence of direct sunlight. However, it’s important to clarify that the polar night isn’t characterized by complete darkness. Instead, a significant amount of twilight illuminates the sky for a few hours each day.
During our stay, Tromsø was blanketed in a continuous snowfall, an experience of such intensity that I’ve rarely encountered before. Experiencing Arctic Norway was truly enriching, highlighting the remarkable diversity of life in the planet’s most remote regions. Tromsø has gained increasing prominence in recent years, largely due to its strategic location for witnessing the Northern Lights and the surge in global tourism. Its proximity to the Norwegian fjords contributes to a slightly milder climate compared to inland areas, where winter temperatures can be far more severe. I’m pleased to say that, with appropriate clothing, I comfortably navigated the cold, making the adventure thoroughly enjoyable. A significant highlight was, of course, joining a Northern Lights Chase and witnessing the lights for the first time. This, coupled with a breathtaking snowshoe hike in the mountains and an exhilarating dog sledding ride, made this trip truly exceptional.
🏞 Road Tripping Through Western Canada #
This summer, I embarked on an unforgettable road trip through Western Canada with my friends Dario and Stefano, journeying from Calgary to Vancouver. We traversed the majestic Rocky Mountains, exploring numerous national park highlights. The trip was a visual feast of stunning landscapes, from towering mountains to pristine lakes. While we hoped for more wildlife encounters, we were also relieved to avoid any close calls with bears. Sadly, our trip coincided with devastating wildfires near Jasper, forcing us to alter our itinerary and bypass the area. Our hearts go out to those affected by this disaster.
Despite this setback, the journey was incredible, filled with challenging hikes and breathtaking sights. We witnessed glaciers, waterfalls, and experienced the beauty of Vancouver Island, including a memorable whale-watching tour and surf lesson in Tofino. It was a truly remarkable adventure, with a total of over 3000km of roads travelled!