31 Dec Year in Review: What I Said Yes to in 2024
It’s been a minute! To me, it actually feels like a second. On January 9, I’ll be 49. The only reason I know I’m getting older is because years now feel like seconds. So, what’s new?
At the beginning of this year, I said 2024 was going to be the year of no; a year where I say no to everyone and yes to me. While I’m not happy to report that I’m still not in remission despite all our best efforts, 2024 was still a great year. It was slow-paced (for me) year in which I found myself doing some amazing things. So, what were those things?
2024 in Review
January started with a bang. I gave a talk to students at Simon Frasier University about cooking while disabled. I loved this talk because I was able to give them tailored advice to help them survive university. I also continued my work on eliminated conversion practices in Canada by helping the CBRC create an education module for professionals who want to support survivors and educate them on what these practices look like in Canada in health care settings. I started to develop another cookbook. I also reached my first big fitness goal. More on this last one later.
February saw me go out on submission with a book that I really hope I can talk about soon. I’m still waiting for an offer. It’s very topical as it explores both transgender rights and reproductive rights. It’s definitely a book needed for these times.
March saw me meet yet another fitness goal. I was not expecting to reach it so quickly after reaching my first one.
April saw a university student in the UK reach out to me because they wanted to use my photography in their dissertation and interview me for it! Many cool things happen in my life. This is right up there in the top 10 coolest things to ever happen in my life. Of course, I said yes.
May saw the coolest of cool things happen that I’m not allowed to completely talk about yet. But I think I am allowed say that my work is going to be in a museum. I do a lot of different types of work and there are a lot of different museums, so I’m not giving anything away. I’ll be able to say more in the next couple of months. Museums are my favourite things on this planet! To have this specific museum reach out to me to ask about this specific work… there was a lot of shaking and tears.
June saw me reach yet another fitness goal that I thought was never going to happen in a million years! And this is when I decided that I was going to write an anti-diet culture fitness food book/cookbook, the antidote to the sad bodybuilding diet. I decided that in 2025, I am going to enter a bodybuilding competition to say goodbye to my 5oth decade of life. And I launched Jules’ Notes so that people can follow along and begin to learn how to do a fitness without restrictions and free from diet culture. You should head over there and sign up for email updates! I also decided to put a pin in the other cookbook to focus on the anti-diet culture book.
July and August were quiet. Which was much needed. The above was a very quiet start to my year, but it was also a lot considering I’m still in a flare and had to switch biologics in the summer because the first one I was on failed completely.
September saw me go back to school to become a registered health and nutrition counsellor specializing in sport and disability. I’ll have more to say about this too. When I told people on social that I was doing this, the support and excitement was overwhelming. There are already people on a waitlist for when I’m ready to practice. I haven’t officially announced that website yet, but you can take a sneak peek and join my waitlist.
October saw me take another trip to the mainland because I was a featured chef doing a workshop during some BC Culture Days events. That was very fun. I love doing these types of events, too. I also said yes to teaching a course about meal planning while disabled to registered dieticians who specialise in eating disorders/disordered eating. This course will out next year.
November was another quiet month. Phew. Because that was the month of a very bad thing, and I had no ability to brain.
December saw more news that I can’t talk about yet. I’m really hoping that a contract is signed before my birthday so I can announce it then. While I can’t say what it is, I can say it’s not book related, but it is media related. And my trainer and I decided that I will be entering TWO bodybuilding competitions in 2025. The first is during Easter Weekend down in Victoria and the second is the first weekend in July over on the mainland. When I first got the idea to compete, the idea was to compete in a competition for trans people held each November down in Georgia. But now that won’t happen as it will be unsafe to travel to the USA. So, now I’m competing against my cis peers TWICE!
And that was my quiet year with all the things I said yes to.
But what about 2025? It would be great if my book sold, but that is beyond my control so it’s not a goal. Same with finally going into remission. That said, there are some things I’d like to accomplish next year.
2025 Goals
Physique Goals
- Compete twice in classic physique: Open in April and Naturals in July
- Gain an addition 3 kg in muscle
Accomplice Health and Nutrition
- Reveal Phase 1 website
- Grow waitlist to 10 people
- Reveal Phase 2 website
Bodybuilding/Fitness Anti-Diet Culture Food Book
- Finalize recipe list and outline
- Write the proposal
- Figure out a good title, damn it!
Leisure
- Make time to cross-stitch again
School
- 50% complete; enough to get credentials for registration
Media Things Not Yet Announced
- Survive it lol
And that is it!
How was your year? What are your goals for 2025?
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