January: In Review
A month in doing, reading, watching, eating, styling, etc.
I rang in the New Year in my hostel room in Antigua, Guatemala, barely awake at midnight thanks to a pretty packed travel itinerary. It was both my first solo international trip and my first “new” country since before Covid (country #54), so to say I was making the most of it is an understatement. A full Guatemala travel post is going to go live on Thursday (fingers crossed), but to say I am now enthralled with the country would also be an understatement.
My time there wasn’t particularly relaxed but it was intentional and (therefore) fulfilling which is exactly what I would ideally like this whole year to be. With that in mind, here is my January 2024 in review with what I’ve been doing, reading, watching & listening, and a few life(style)ing favourites. I would love to hear how your 2024 is going so far!
January Doing
Once I was back from Guatemala, I was straight back into the swing of things including the beginning of a 10-month long Leadership Cohort. I was selected as one of “Chicago’s rising non-profit leaders” and am honoured and quite thrilled to have this opportunity to spend a good chunk of time developing my leadership skills. The program has paired me with a mentor which is a new thing for me. I imagine I will share some of my learnings at some point in the not-so-distant future.
The beginning of January now means NA Day, an annual non-alcoholic tasting event that Chicago AF (alcohol-free) puts on. This was the event’s second year (and our second time attending) and I just think it is fantastic. Hopefully more cities can have a similar event soon! At this point, I have tried a lot of the options but the market is rapidly expanding meaning there is always something else to discover. Our favourite tasting was Odd Bird wine, so much so that we immediately went and bought a couple of bottles.
Chicago restaurants continue to be a great source of joy in my life. We went back to Mon Ami Gabi for our anniversary dinner (their French onion soup has to be one of the best things to eat in the middle of a snow storm). A friend and I tried Superkhana International and were delighted by their very creative Indian-inspired menu. For Chicago Restaurant Week, we opted for Gaijin’s lunch and were pleasantly surprised to have Okonomiyaki, a Japanese savory cabbage pancake, for the first time. And, for this month’s outing, the Pasta Gals tried Pasta Veneta in Fulton Market which has a delicious caviar spaghetti on the menu which seems important info for everyone to know.
January Reading
January was a fantastic reading month, I read eight books with a really nice mix of non-fiction and fiction (a balance that I am prioritizing this year). Some longer reviews to come for some of these but here is a quick overview!
Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala by Stephen C. Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer (1982). An absolutely fascinating look at the events surrounding the CIA’s overthrow of the democratically-elected Guatemalan president in 1954. I learnt so much (and it reads like a novel), highly recommend.
I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala by Rigoberta Menchú, translated by Ann Wright (2010). The author won a Nobel Peace Prize for her work advocating for the rights of Guatemala's Indigenous peoples. This work is based on her life story (it isn’t completely true, it seems to be a blend of peoples’ stories) but is a really important look at the terrible experiences of the indigenous community, particularly during the civil war.
The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan (2024). A WW2 historical fiction set in Malaya (modern-day Malaysia) with an interesting protagonist, a Malayan mother who becomes an unlikely spy for the invading Japanese forces during WWII. This was fantastic, everything I like in a historical fiction book.
Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes (2024). Natalie Haynes does it again! She is one of my favourite contemporary writers as she does such a fab job of bringing the women stories of Greek mythology to life. This book focuses on the stories of eight goddesses on Olympus and the Furies.
In the Shadow of Quetzalcoatl: Zelia Nuttall and the Search for Mexico’s Ancient Civilizations by Merilee Grindle (2023). What a biography! A life story that I didn’t know I needed to know, but I do. Nuttall was an early American anthropologist who spent most of her career studying Aztec customs and cosmology. A fascinating woman who lived a fabulous life, I also learnt so much about the early days of the field of anthropology.
River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure (2024). A literary fiction novel set against the back-drop of developing modern China. Honestly, not my favourite - I just didn’t particularly care for any of the characters and was happy when the book was over.
The Postcard by Anne Berest, translated from the French by Tina Kover (2023). WOW. Definitely one of the best books I have read in a long time. I devoured this story (based on Berest’s family story) of a Jewish family devastated by the holocaust and the effects on the following generations.
The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth by Elizabeth Rush (2023). Another non-fiction that taught me so much (there is always so much to learn), this one recounts the story of a scientific voyage to the Thwaites Glacier and the science that happens on-board and the community that is built among those who are on the boat for two-months. But, the author, is also considering having a child and so a parallel story is her reckoning with that decision in a climate-changed world.
What did you read in January? Would love to hear in the comments!
January Watching & Listening
In order to make this list each month, I need to be better at documenting which films I watch (I’m not as committed to updating Letterboxd as I am to Goodreads). I know that we - along with the rest of the world - watched Saltburn (stream on Prime) which was a ride I was slightly unprepared for on a Monday night but entertaining nonetheless.
One Sunday morning I snuggled up on the couch to watch Ixcanul (stream on Prime), a Guatemalan film centered on a seventeen-year-old Mayan girl who lives on the slopes of a volcano. It is beautifully shot while also depicting some of the continuing issues for Indigenous peoples in Guatemala.
Unless it is The Bear, TV shows take a long time to get through in this household. We still haven’t finished Something In The Rain (Netflix), a Korean love drama that we started last fall and genuinely enjoy and we managed one episode of Griselda (Netflix), the new drama about "the Godmother" of Miami's drug empire. Maybe one day we shall finish them.
If there is one podcast that stands out in my January listening, it has to be Women Who Travel by Condé Nast Traveler. I came across it in December and since then have been binging all the episodes. Every week the topics/guests are brilliant. Highly recommend.
Any film or podcast recs for me for February?
January (Life)Style-ing
I’m on a low-buy for the foreseeable future, so the only thing I purchased in January (wardrobe-related) was a leather watch strap for my Apple Watch. My athletic watch band bothers me when I’m dressed up, so something slightly more dressy has been on my list for months. Thus far, I am very happy with this Quince one!
A highlight in my wardrobe this month is a stunning grey vintage Brooks Brothers coat that a high-school friend’s Mum gave to me when I was back in Cleveland for Christmas. She bought it for her first business trip (many moons ago) and had been looking for someone to give it to. How lucky am I to have been the chosen one?! It has slipped into my regular rotation very easily.
When my sister told me that this product was going to change my skincare routine, I was a little dubious but after a month+ of using it, I can’t imagine going a day without it. It’s called “Best Skin Ever” for a reason and can be used as a cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer. It is so nice, my skin drinks it up, and I look forward to using it every morning and evening.
On reflection, my Christmas gifts have been put to good use this month, including a discovery set of fragrances from Sana Jardin, a sustainable mission-driven luxury perfume house. So far, the Jaipur Chant is my favourite scent. It’s lush.
Coming up in February 2024
I’m starting the month off with a long weekend in Cambridge (Massachusetts) as I have to attend in-person class for my Master’s program. Over the past couple of years I have spent quite a bit of time in Cambridge and have grown to really enjoy the city - probably not that surprising. In between my 8-hour class days, I have a couple of museums and restaurants on my list to try as well as a few favorites (looking at you Harvard Book Store) to return to. I’m planning on having a Cambridge/Boston travel guide up sometime soon!
The rest of the month will be spent in Chicago and I have some fun things lined up. Every February we go and see a couple of shows as part of Chicago Theatre Week (always enjoy that it happens around V-day) and this year we chose Illinoise - “a new kind of musical” that is based on Sufjan Stevens classic album - and Studies in Blue - the Joffrey Ballet’s current performance.
Apart from that, this month my hours outside of work are going to be spent focused on my Master’s capstone research, getting my money’s worth from our athletic club, and (obviously) exploring some new places in Chicago.
What do you have going on in February? Talk soon! xxx