This is the second post in my three-part Italy series. We spent a few days in Rome before taking the train up to Florence. Florence is about an hour from Rome and is known for its wineries. We didn’t do a wine tour, instead, my husband booked us a cooking class where we learned how to make three different types of pasta. The cooking class was one of the most memorable parts of our trip, and while we were only in Florence for a few days, we made the most of it.
Once our train arrived, we were able to check into our Airbnb early and drop off our luggage. One of the most notable places to visit in Florence is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. This cathedral is massive! It’s so exquisite to see up close. If you look at any photos from Florence, I can almost guarantee that the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore makes an appearance. Earlier in the day, there was a torrential downpour of rain, but fortunately, it didn’t last long, and the sun came out. All these photos have not been edited in the slightest, it was that nice while we were in Florence.
Another famous landmark in Florence is the Ponte Vecchio. The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone arch bridge over the Arno River in Florence. While walking on the bridge, there are a variety of different shops selling jewelry, watches, and other local goods. We walked on this bridge several times throughout our time in Florence.
Our cooking class was on our second day in Florence. The cooking class was in the back of a restaurant. As we proceeded down the hallway, we were led to one of two rooms. Two cooking classes were going on simultaneously, with a barrier between the rooms. Each room had three tables, two wider tables with a narrow table up near the chef’s area. Each setting has flour, two eggs, and a variety of cooking utensils for everyone to use.
I was slightly nervous as the cooking class approached. I like to cook, but I’m not an expert, and I’d hate to mess anything up since we have to eat what we make. However, our chef had great energy and was walking around helping out if needed. The three types of pasta that we made were: Tortellini, Ravioli, and Pappardelle. Tortellini was by far the hardest to make. Our chef showed us the process, and I was lost. He showed us again, and it wasn’t until I watched my husband do it first that I started to understand how to fold the pasta appropriately. Ravioli is easy; the pasta is laid out, the ricotta is put inside, and the Ravioli is folded and cut into squares. Pappardelle was also easy, as you simply had to cut the pasta into long strips.
Once we had made the pasta, we collected it, and our chef made the sauces for each type of pasta. We had unlimited wine in our cooking class, so we sipped on wine while we waited for the pasta to cook. Everything was delicious! Looking back, I had no reason to be nervous, as these types of classes for tourists assume that everyone is new to making pasta. This cooking class was out of my comfort zone, and I’m glad I did it.
It was a jam-packed two days, but I felt we were fully able to explore Florence. The only thing we didn’t do was go to a winery or two. The wineries are up on the hillside in Florence, so they aren’t walkable. There are bus tours that can take you up into the wineries, but we didn’t want to book that on top of our cooking class. I felt the cooking class was well worth it, so I’m glad we chose to do that instead. If we are in Florence again, that’s something I’d want to do.
The final post in this Italy series will be our trip to Lake Como and Milan, which is even farther north than Florence.
The first post in my three-part Italy series will focus on Rome, which is where we spent the most time on our trip. When planning our trip, we attempted to find a direct flight from Minneapolis to Italy. This proved unsuccessful, so we decided to fly out of O’Hare in Chicago instead. This was the best decision because this way we could fly directly to Italy rather than a layover somewhere else. From there, we took trains all over Italy. Looking back, this made our trip so much more relaxing. Rome was a highlight of our trip and one of my favorite places I have ever visited.
Our first day in Rome was all about navigating the city. We took the Leonardo Da Vinci Express from the airport to Rome Termini, which is the main train station in the heart of the city. My husband and I were committed to walking everywhere, which we did. Rome’s streets are older and all cobblestone, so we dragged our suitcases from the train station to our Airbnb. Maneuvering through Rome with our suitcases was a challenge. The streets and sidewalks are often very narrow, and with everything being mostly cobblestone, I’m surprised that our suitcases didn’t pop a wheel. While exhausting, I feel accomplished that I was physically able to do all that walking with my backpack and a suitcase to lug around. Our first day was mostly getting acquainted with the time zone and the city.
Our second day was spent seeing the Colosseum. The Colosseum was one of my favorite moments from the trip. When we walked to the Colosseum, we passed by all these beautiful marble buildings. On either side of us, there were historic pillars from buildings that were built so long ago. Rome is a historic city, and there’s so much to see while walking. Our Colosseum tickets were for a self-guided tour, and we had 75 minutes to explore. We walked around the Colosseum and to the outer ring of the arena. If you look down into the arena, there are these flaps that would lift up. This represents when animals would enter the arena, they would come out of these flaps to attack the gladiators. My husband looked this up, and it’s estimated that 1 million animals were killed during this time. While we toured the Colosseum, the weather was gorgeous! It was so sunny. We spent almost the full time walking around the Colosseum and taking a ton of pictures.
On the same day we did the Colosseum, we went to the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps are a monument in Rome, and it’s actually illegal to sit on them. Walking to the Spanish Steps, there are a ton of designer clothing stores on either side of the street. Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and more had storefronts in this area. I am not into designer clothing, but it’s impressive to see all the fashion designers in Italy. As we approached the steps, there was a big fountain in the middle of the cobblestone courtyard. Climbing the steps, we were treated to a lovely view of Rome. It was worth all the uphill climbing to get there.
The day before we flew home, we toured the Vatican. As a fun fact, the Vatican is located in its own city-state called Vatican City. My husband wanted to tour the Vatican as he wanted to see the Sistine Chapel, which has the paintings Michaelanglo did, specifically the painting in which God is touching his finger to Adam, giving him life. When touring the Vatican, there is a strict policy on what you wear. Shoulders cannot be showing, and any pants, skirts, or dresses have to be below the knee. Anything low-cut is strictly forbidden. Outside the Vatican, there are vendors selling shawls to those who need additional coverage. We originally signed up for an Italian tour because the English tours were all sold out. As we arrived for our tour time, the woman who checked us in gave us a look and asked if we spoke Italian. We responded honestly that we don’t, but we were really looking forward to the tour, and we knew what we had signed up for. She was able to pull some strings and move us into the English-speaking tour. It was lucky, but to reiterate, we knew what we signed up for, and we weren’t expecting anyone to bend anything for us.
While touring the Vatican, there were so many different marble statues and artifacts to see. There was a statue of the goddess Athena. Our tour guide explained that Athena’s eyes were black (as opposed to having regular marble eyes) to make Athena seem more intimidating. There are also several marble statues of lions, including Hercules holding the lion’s head. Our tour was a solid two hours, and once the tour ended, we proceeded to make our way to the Sistine Chapel.
The Sistine Chapel was much smaller than I anticipated it would be. It’s strictly forbidden to take photos of the Sistine Chapel. There are several security guards stationed throughout who were yelling at people who had their phones out. The reasoning behind this is that flash photography can ruin or damage the paintings. I think this is neat because it forces people to live in the moment and take it all in, versus taking a photo to remember for later. My husband felt this was one of his favorite parts of our trip.
Oh, and I can’t forget about the cat sanctuary! The Torres Argentina Cat Sanctuary was the site of Julius Caesar’s assassination. In 1929, this area was excavated, and cats would hang out in the area. In 1993, two women started working on getting the cats spayed and neutered. The cat sanctuary was born ever since then! When we walked up to the sanctuary, there were kitties everywhere! They were napping in the plants, walking around the site, and if you go down this set of stairs, there’s a door that leads to the front desk. As a cat lover, I was thrilled. The Torres Argentina Cat Sanctuary is fun to see, and it’s free, so why not go see the cats?
There’s so much more that I can write about, but those were the major highlights from Rome. I’m glad that we spent the majority of our time in Rome, as there’s a lot to take in. For my next post, I will be talking about Florence, including the cooking class we took.
For the past ten days, my husband and I were in Italy! This trip has been a long time in the making. Ever since our trip to Europe, I have wanted to plan another international trip. We talked about planning this trip last year, but ended up pushing it to this year. When we were deciding where to go, my husband originally suggested France, specifically Paris. I suggested Italy. The more we looked into it, we solidified Italy as our next country to visit.
Learning from our honeymoon, we didn’t commit to any other countries to visit. We solely focused on Italy, and that was absolutely the best choice. We went to Rome, Florence, Milan, and Lake Como. While we didn’t see every single city in Italy, I felt we still saw a lot in the time we were there. I’d rather fully explore one country than try to see three or four countries and bounce between cities. Paris was dropped from our trip, but I hope to visit Paris someday.
I’m looking forward to getting back to my routine. I’m dedicating one post per city that we visited, and of course, I will share the pictures we took. Our trip to Italy was amazing, and I’m happy that we were able to make an international trip work this year.
Our main purpose for going to Chicago was to see Critical Role live. With that said, we ended up having an extra day and a half to explore. I have been to Chicago several times, and there’s something comforting about visiting a city you have been to before. I know my way around public transportation and have an idea as to where things are in the city. What made this trip unique was that instead of driving to Chicago, we took the new Borealis train line to Union Station. This was so slick, and I’m open to taking the train again.
We left on Wednesday from Union Depot in Saint Paul, which is not far from us. We left at noon and arrived in Chicago just after seven. The train ride took about seven to eight hours. While it may seem longer than driving, there’s always an extra hour added to a trip for bathroom breaks and stops for food while driving. The train was on time, and the boarding process was smooth. The seats had more legroom than I anticipated, and I didn’t feel cramped. The final stop was Chicago’s Union Station. From there, we took an Uber to our hotel.
On Thursday, before the live show, we wandered around Millenium Park, which is where The Bean is. The Bean is what it sounds like, a sculpture that looks like a bean. It’s a must to go up to The Bean and take a selfie because the sculpture is reflective, so you see yourself as you take the picture. After walking around Millenium Park, we stopped at Giordano’sfor Deep Dish Pizza. My husband had never been to Giordano’sbefore, so this was something we had to do. We went to the one right near Millenium Park, but there are several other locations throughout the area. We went with a classic Deep Dish with pepperoni, cheese, sausage, and green peppers. It was so good. Every time I go to Chicago, I have to eat Deep Dish Pizza; it’s the rule. From there, we went back to our hotel so I could get ready.
On Friday, I was tuckered out from the Critical Role live show, so this day was more chill. We had breakfast at Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe. We made our way to Navy Pier, which is something my husband hadn’t done before. Navy Pier has shops, the Children’s Museum, and a variety of restaurants right along Lake Michigan. It’s pretty to walk and it was sunny all day on Friday. After getting a mid-afternoon coffee, we walked to our hotel before meeting with friends for dinner. One of my good friends from college lives out in the Suburbs, so I try to see her whenever I visit. She was kind enough to drive far to meet us closer to the city. We went to a vegetarian/vegan restaurant called Handlebar. I had a Buffalo Chicken Wrap made from Seitan. I don’t think I have ever eaten Seitan before, or if I had, I didn’t know it. It was delicious. On Saturday, my husband and I hopped back on the Borealis train to head home.
Considering I was in Chicago for two days, it was a busy weekend! It has been a bit since I was last in Chicago, so it was good to be back. The Borealis train made the trip that much better. I would take the train again because no one wants to drive in downtown Chicago if they don’t have to.
Last weekend, my husband and I went to Chicago to see Critical Role live. Around October last year, Critical Role announced live shows for their tenth anniversary. There were live shows in Australia, a live show the same weekend as Gen Con, and live shows in New York and Chicago. Being from the Twin Cities, Chicago is easy to get to, so I waited in the online queue and bought tickets. I had never seen Critical Role live before this, so I didn’t know what to expect from the show. It was so fun, and I’m glad I went to the show.
For the live show, I decided to cosplay as Keyleth. This time, though, I wore my green contacts for the first time. I bought them late last year, so I didn’t have a convention to wear them to. I had been saving them for the live show. I found the contacts to be comfortable to wear for hours and didn’t have an issue with my eyes being dry or the contacts being blurry. As part of my Keyleth cosplay, I had the orange wig and the crown, which were the most uncomfortable parts of the look. I only ended up wearing my floral crown for twenty minutes before having to take it off because it dug into my forehead. While I had a wig line on my forehead from wearing the wig for close to eight hours, it was worth it. Being in cosplay, I felt it contributed to the energy of the live show.
The live show started at seven, but I was scrolling through the official Critical Role Discord, and some fans mentioned that a long line was beginning at the merch line. I convinced my husband we needed to get there early, so we called Uber and arrived at Wintrust Arena at 4:30 PM-ish. The merch line wasn’t nearly as long as I feared, but we immediately went to the line to wait. While waiting in line, several people handed me trinkets. Some fans made stickers, pins, buttons, and bracelets and would hand them out to people regardless of whether they were cosplaying. While in line, I received several stickers and a Pâté charm. I received so many trinkets that I had to start handing them to my husband to hold because I had no pockets. When we entered the arena, a Pike cosplayer handed me a Keyleth friendship bracelet. I am obsessed! I will never be taking this off and will wear it every day.
I didn’t buy VIP tickets, so we entered the arena at 5:30 PM when the doors opened for general admission. The stage was exquisite! It was lit up with blue and red lights. It gave off a darker carnival type of mood. The live show started on time and went till 12:15 AM or so. I wasn’t sure how long the show would be, as I know Critical Role’s streams are longer. I’m not going to spoil the live show, as the recording of the show won’t be uploaded for some time. It was entertaining, to say the least, and the energy within the arena was exuberant.
I am so happy I was able to attend the live show! This is my first time seeing Critical Role, but it might not be the last. I’m not sure how far I would travel for a live show, but if they are ever in Chicago again, I will be there.
Last weekend, I drove to Kansas City, Missouri, for Planet Comic Con. I have family in the area, so I’m fortunate to stay with them, making it a pretty cheap trip. I look forward to Planet Comic Con every year. I always go on Fridays, which ends up being one of the less crowded days of the convention. On Saturday, I spend the day with family roaming around the city, and then I drive home on Sunday. Planet Comic Con was successful, as I bought new comics to read and debuted a new cosplay.
At Planet Comic Con this year, I wanted to buy comics to have something new to read. There are several comic book vendors, but they mostly sell single-issue comics. I used to read a ton of single-issue comics when I went to my local comic book store regularly, but now I have switched to reading trade paperbacks or graphic novels that contain five issues in one book. It’s much easier for me to keep up on a series than trying to purchase each issue separately. I found two vendors selling graphic novels at half off or significantly discounted. I purchased four new graphic novels: Dark Ride Volume 1 Hell Ticket, Crossover Volume #1, Moonknight Volume #2, and Snotgirl Volume #3. I haven’t started them yet, but I plan on reading them in the next few weeks.
Besides shopping for comics, I debuted a new cosplay! I have wanted to cosplay Scarlet Witch for a while, as I loved her in WandaVision and the various Avengers movies. I have also been reading Steve Orlando’s run on Scarlet Witch. There are a lot of different ways to cosplay Scarlet Witch. There’s her traditional look with the red leotard, all her looks from the movies, and her darker look from Doctor Strange. I found a costume online from her look in Avengers: Endgame with the red coat. I ordered it, and it worked out great! I will write about this in an upcoming post, so I won’t go into further detail right now.
On Saturday, we went to City Market, an outdoor market I had never been to. It’s funny; I have been to Kansas City several times, and each time I go, I always end up going somewhere new. I purchased some candle melts from one of the vendors there, and after, we went to a few breweries. Kansas City is known for its breweries. We went to River City Bluff Brewery and Callsign, the latter being owned and operated by veterans. Both were breweries I had never been to before. We ended up having lunch at J Rieger & Co, a historic distillery, before finally ending up at Boulevard, a brewery that I have been to several times and ends up being a go-to.
It was a fun filled weekend! It’s nice to be able to leave Minnesota every now and then. I love how Kansas City is only six hours away because you can get away without being too far. Planet Comic Con was a blast as always and I can’t wait for next year.
Last weekend, me and my husband went to the Minnesota Ice Castles. The Ice Castles are exactly what they sound like. We went to this event several years ago, but it was in a different area. This year, it was at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Near the Ice Castles, there was an ice sculpture park where you could watch contestants create ice sculptures. Someone made a Trojan; another sculpture was a beer bottle from a local brewery.
It’s nice to have outdoor events in Winter. I don’t mind Winter as a season, but these months can drag on.
A few weeks ago, one of my friends had marked that they were interested in attending the Book Fair at Inbound Brewco. I’m all for supporting local bookstores and I’m a beer drinker, so the event sounded like it would be fun. On top of that, it’s cold in Minnesota this time of the year, so it’s nice to have something to go do inside. The event happened this past Saturday and I was excited to see how many people showed up for this event.
Me and my friend drove downtown which is where Inbound is. As we approached, there was horrendous traffic everywhere. I haven’t seen traffic like this unless it’s a sporting event such as the Twins or the Vikings playing. I knew immediately that this would be people who wanted to attend the Book Fair. We drove away from the traffic and parked several blocks away which worked well. We walked several blocks and approached the brewery to see a massive line! The line was out the door, all the way down the street, turning left and down a side street. Me and my friend were committed, we already paid to park and had friends we were meeting up with, so we ventured to the back of the line.
One thing I always appreciate about a situation like this is meeting new people. I have stood in long lines at conventions and always ended up chatting with those around me. There was a woman and her friend behind us who would jump into our conversation every now and then. We found out that we were reading the same book and would chat about the various books we liked to read. It gives me a sense of community that we are all united in attending this event because of our love for local businesses and books. After an hour and forty-five minutes of waiting, we were ushered into the tap room.
I’m not complaining about the wait time to get into the brewery. I’m not an event planner and I could never be an event planner. I have massive respect for event planners for this reason. I think the brewery did not anticipate this many attendees which is why the line was so long. Inbound is one of my favorite breweries, but it’s not big enough to handle this event. However, if the event were in summer, it wouldn’t have been as big of a deal to wait. Me and my friends were not dressed for the weather. My feet were freezing and I should have worn fleece socks. I didn’t bring gloves and trying to call friends and let them know where we were in line did not help. I’m choosing to focus on the positive things about this event which is how exciting it is to see this many people show up. It was fun to chat with different people and be in the atmosphere. After the event, I drove home and didn’t talk to anyone for the rest of the day. I felt I had too much social interaction and needed to recharge my social battery.
With that said, I’m happy I went. Me and my friends survived the cold together. I would attend an event like this in the future, but knowing how popular this event would be, I don’t think I would attend again in January.
Happy New Year! To ring in the New Year, I like to make Pop Culture New Year’s Resolutions. I’m not a fan of typical New Year’s Resolutions, so I like to make resolutions that relate to my hobbies or the things I’m interested in. It makes resolutions much more fun. I will start by highlighting some of the resolutions I had in 2024 and then conclude with my resolutions for this year.
2024 New Year’s Resolutions
Colored Contacts – I did it! I made several appointments with my eye doctor and I have a pair of green colored contacts that I still haven’t used yet. I plan on wearing them for my Keyleth cosplay sometime throughout the year.
Paint my Malifeaux Minis – Nope! I still want to do this though. They have been sitting in the box for far too long. I don’t own any paint, so I have to go buy paint first. I might look up tutorials before I get started, so I don’t mess them up.
Halfway through Mighty Nein – Nope! I’m on episode #45 now and halfway through the campaign would be episode #71. It took me a bit to get into The Mighty Nein since it’s very different from Vox Machina. Now that I have gotten to the pirate arc, I have been flying through episodes. I do want to finish Mighty Nein this year.
Travel to 1 State or Country that I haven’t been to before – I did it! I went to New Mexico and Wyoming for the first time, so I crossed two states off my list.
Play 4 Different Console or PC Games – I did it! I played more PC games than Console games which is rare for me.
Here are my resolutions for 2025.
Finish The Mighty Nein
Okay, enough is enough. I am committing to finishing Critical Role’s second campaign. I fell behind in their third campaign, so I want to catch up with that one too. My primary focus will be on The Mighty Nein. It’s been helpful being a Beacon member because everything is available on their streaming service. Will I see the day when I have watched everything Critical Role has ever released? I hope so.
Golf at least 3 Times This Summer
This is probably the resolution that feels the most random to include on this list. I picked up golf a few years ago when my husband wanted to go more often. I have my own set of left-handed clubs because I was annoyed at not finding them at courses we would golf at. I like golfing! It’s a great way to be outside during summer and I find it to be an activity that keeps me moving. Every summer, we always say that we want to go golfing, but it ends up not happening. I want to make golfing more of a priority when the weather is nicer.
Travel to 1 State or Country I haven’t been to before
This will always be a constant resolution for me. I like to travel and go to new places. I’m hoping to go on an international trip this year, so I’m leaning towards achieving this goal by going to a new country versus a new state. We shall see.
Play 4 Different Console or PC Games
Similar to the traveling resolution, this will be another resolution I will always include every year. Gaming is a hobby I want to keep, so by having this as a resolution, I feel it keeps it at the top of my mind.
I decided to keep my list resolution list smaller compared to previous years. I am looking forward to what’s to come in the new year.
2024 was a pretty solid year. It was a quieter year which was honestly kind of nice. I didn’t travel as much as I have previously, so I felt I had plenty of time to spend with friends and family, getting back into cosplay, and attending conventions. If I had to describe this year with one word, I think it would be stability. I made the time for things that made me happy and my husband has been working on various house projects. The projects have been small, but our home is becoming more like ours with each project. 2024 was a great year for me.
Movies I Watched
Barbie (2023)
Anyone but You (2023)
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road
No Hard Feelings (2023)
How to Be Single (2016)
The Predator (1987)
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
The Polar Express
Without a doubt, the movie of 2024 was Deadpool & Wolverine. This movie was a callback to the early superhero movies of the 2000s. I loved all the cameos and Channing Tatum knocked it out of the park as Gambit. The fact that we probably won’t see a Gambit movie is sad. I liked the opening with Deadpool killing people and dancing to “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC. It’s no wonder that “Bye Bye Bye” was a top song I listened to this year.
The two other movies on this list that stood out to me were Anyone but You and No Hard Feelings. Anyone but You was the romantic comedy starring Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell. Their chemistry was undeniable. In No Hard Feelings, Jennifer Lawrence made her comedy debut. Jennifer Lawrence is funny and I’d love to see her in more comedies.
I didn’t watch a lot of movies this year. I don’t go to the movie theater much anymore. With the decline of superhero movies, this could be a factor, but also, going to see a movie is more expensive and if it’s not a movie I really want to see, I don’t bother.
TV Shows I Watched
Star Wars Rebels
X-Men The Animated Series
The Kardashians
Jersey Shore Vacation
The Acolyte
What We Do In The Shadows
Hunters
Hunters was the show I most recently finished watching and I loved every episode. It usually takes me a bit to finish a show, but with Hunters, I was watching at least 5-6 episodes in one sitting. I liked the comic book feel of the show along with how this show had some historical accuracy to it.
Another show I adored was Star Wars Rebels. I’d argue that I enjoyed Rebels more than Clone Wars which sounds like a controversial opinion to have. I liked the group of characters and the friendships they had with each other. Unlike Clone Wars, I felt with Rebels, Lothal was the home planet that centered the group and motivated them to fight The Empire. In the next year, I do want to continue watching the rest of the Star Wars shows. I have Bad Batch, The Mandalorian season #3, Ahsoka, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
Speaking of Star Wars, I wanted to end with a few thoughts on The Acolyte. I watched The Acolyte and didn’t think it was bad. There were a few moments from the show that shocked me including some of the lightsaber fights. I liked the angle the show took in showing the Jedi in a different light. With that said, The Acolyte was my least favorite show I watched this year. I’m glad I watched it and appreciate Star Wars creating content in a different period. The Acolyte did not deserve to be review bombed by fans and the cast did not deserve all the hatred they got.
Video Games I Played
Nancy Drew: & The Silent Spy
Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness
Jedi: Survivor
Zodicats
Hidden Through Time 2
Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery
Nancy Drew Midnight in Salem
I may have mentioned this somewhere, but I didn’t play a lot of video games this year. It took me six months to finish Jedi: Survivor. The game is good, but the difficulty was a bit much. Jedi: Survivor is great if you’re a fan of Dark Souls or Elden Ring, but that’s not the game I want to play. I don’t have time to grind through tough video games anymore. Halfway through Jedi: Survivor, I changed the difficulty and it was a much more enjoyable game.
If I had to choose my favorite game I played this year it would be Hidden Through Time 2. I played the first game during Covid and I love the art style. It’s a game I would play after work and the sequel was no different. I quickly played through the expansion they released shortly after finishing the second game.
Ixalan Pre-Release Decks – Pirates of the Caribbean – I won a game!!!! Ah.
Vampire: the Masquerade – One Shot at Badwolf Adventure Studios
Vampire: the Masquerade – Campaign Bi-Weekly Fridays
Kingdom Death
Candela Obscura – mini-campaign
Bloomburrow Pre-Release Decks
While I didn’t play as many video games, I had a strong gaming year. One memorable moment was opening Queen by Midnight the game I picked up at Gen Con last year. I bought it on a whim without knowing anything about the game. Our gaming group had a blast! I loved the accessories to the game including the 3D clocktower shown above. I have only played the game once, but I look forward to bringing it to future board game days.
As far as TTRPGs, I am in three campaigns. The weekly game I’m in is Dungeons & Dragons and that’s been ongoing for a year and a half. I picked up a bi-weekly Vampire: The Masquerade game which I love! I haven’t had a chance to play Vampire beyond one-shots. With each session, I feel I’m learning more about Olivia, my vampire, and how she’s navigating her clan and the political scene. The last campaign I’m in is a mini Candela Obscura campaign that one of the players in my Vampire: group is running. I was planning on writing more about this in a future post, so I won’t say much more now. I feel fortunate to be a part of so many groups as I struggled for a few years to find a group to play with.
Graphic Novels / Comics I Read This Year
Blade #1 & #2 Hill, Casagrande, Poggi, and Bellaire.
Captain Marvel #1 & #2 Wong, Bazaldua, and Valenza
Teen Titans #1, #2, #4, and #5 Taylor, Scott, and Kwok
This list isn’t too accurate because I ended up losing count of what comics and graphic novels I read this year. I didn’t take as many trips to my local comic book store and when I did go to conventions, I didn’t buy many comics like I usually do. In 2025, I plan on doing a huge cleanout of all the graphic novels I own. From there, I plan on keeping a note on my phone of all the series I want to own along with volumes I still need to purchase. This way when I’m at a convention, I know what I’m looking for.
I listen to podcasts primarily while I’m at work although I have been listening more while I drive and when I get ready in the morning. When I compiled this list, I was surprised at how many different podcasts I listened to this year. If there’s a pattern, you may notice that there are various Vampire: The Masquerade podcasts which should come as no surprise. Blood and Syrup and Canada By Night are produced by Dumb-Dumbs & Dice. It’s been challenging to find a Vampire: live play podcast that’s still making episodes, so Canada By Night is the exception. When I started my Vampire: campaign, I found the podcast Lore By Night to be helpful! Lore By Night is a podcast that delves into the lore behind all of the World of Darkness games. It’s helped me roleplay my character more effectively, but also understand more of the terminology within Vampire.
Besides Vampire: the Masquerade podcasts, I started listening to Call Her Daddy which is primarily a celebrity interview podcast. I listened to the Megan Fox episode which was really interesting. Another podcast I wanted to highlight is I Tried To Be Straight. The two hosts, Nate and Susie, grew up in the church and realized they weren’t straight. They will answer questions about their sexuality along with interviewing guests who talk about the relationship between their religion and sexuality. I like this podcast because it’s listening to something that’s not my lived experience. I never grew up religious and when I was in college, I met a few Christians who held the belief that if you weren’t straight, you were going to hell. With these experiences, it led me down a path to look at religion negatively. With Nate and Susie talking about their experiences, I feel it’s opened my eyes a bit to how religion can be comforting and how someone could balance both their faith and their sexuality.
Catchiest Song in 2024
HOT TO GO! wasn’t my most played song according to Spotify. With that said, I would blast HOT TO GO! while I was stuck in rush hour traffic and it instantly made me feel better.
Conventions I Attended in 2024
Planet Comic Con – March 8th, 2024
CONvergence – July 4th – July 7th 2024
Gen Con – Thursday, August 1st through Sunday, August 4th
MCBA Fallcon – October 13th
Twin Cities Con – November 8th through 10th
I went to five conventions in 2024 which seems to be my average. Planet Comic Con is one I attend most years and it usually kicks off the convention season. I didn’t attend C2E2 this year because it was right after my trip to New Mexico, so I wanted some time to be at home. CONvergence and Gen Con are two of my favorite conventions along with Twin Cities Con. I’m not sure if I will ever travel to any other conventions. I’d like to attend New York Comic Con or Dragon Con, but if I do, I probably wouldn’t attend Gen Con. The idea of missing Gen Con genuinely makes me sad, so I’m not sure if it’s worth it to not go. If I have time to attend other conventions next year, that would be great, but I’m not holding myself to it.
Bizarre Brunette 