My 2024 in 24 bullet points

Another unpredictable year

Yet another year has passed. I didn’t expect that 2024 had too many lowlights for me. But still, what a year to be grateful for. Here’s a glimpse of my 2024—in 24 bullet points:

My 2024 in 24 bullet points

• Celebrated the new year with fireworks and presents. I got a nice toaster as a result of being a loyal customer of a cafe near our house 🤣
• Saw my wife’s smile because it was the first grand fireworks she had seen up close. Really warms my heart.
• Got laid off for the first time in February. It was devastating but a huge wake-up call for me.
• I never got so active on LinkedIn, building my network and connecting with strangers only to get my name on their lists.
• I got quite a lot of job offers from headhunters and recruiters. Most of them ghosted after (almost) the last stage and sadly didn’t get viable explanations for it.
• March felt so bland. It was Ramadhan, and I spent a lot of time playing video games all day. It was fun until it was not.
• My wife and I still celebrated the anniversary of our becoming a couple 😅. We tried using an app to get a buy 1 get 1 free deal at a restaurant in Ritz, and it was worth every penny.
• May is a great month, I released a new single with my band called “The Poison I’m Willing to Take” on Spotify.
• Built a community of indie bands and performed at a famous rehearsal studio in Jakarta. Got some great demo tracks as well.
• I got another job at an agency based in Germany. Again, May is a good month for me.
• I’m super grateful for the chance to manage 9 amazing designers from all around the world. I managed 5 different timezones, and it was fun!
• Celebrated my birthday with my wife’s lasagna! I’m not sure how, but she still managed to surprise me.
• I got help from a close friend to surprise my wife on her birthday. We celebrated at a nice hotel with a nice breakfast.
• This deserves its own bullet point: I had a nice warm chat with my wife in the pool. I hope we get to have a great date every once in a while.
• Experienced a devastating loss with my wife. It was really sad and awakening. But our bond is stronger than ever.
• Celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We didn’t go out of town. Instead, the theme was “trying food we never tried before.” So we ate Papuan Ikan Kuah Kuning, Greek Kebabs and Steak, and Palubasa from Makassar. It was worth the hype, I swear to you.
• We tried to record a series of videos for our wedding food trip but never got to produce it. Maybe someday 📽️.
• Green Day announced that they’re going to Jakarta! My best friend Bobby and I set up a war plan to get the tickets 😅. Super stoked when we got the tickets, and we’ve been counting the days to February 15th.
• Released a second single in a year called “Warp Speed.” I’m glad that the band is doing great so far. Well, at least we’re having fun.
• Got two great teaching projects for government institutions. I’m really glad that government agencies are starting to become aware of the importance of design. But it was eye-opening to see so many silos, undocumented processes, and so much more problems. Hope I can contribute to fixing this in the future.
• Got laid off again 😣. It’s one thing to be laid off. But twice felt like a swift punch in the teeth.
• My bandmate organized a badminton tournament for close friends, and it was super fun. I got second place.
• My wife got into a terrible ankle accident during badminton practice, so she couldn’t participate. But it was very kind of our friends to keep her medal available.
• Closed the year with my extended family in Puncak. We ate good food and celebrated with fireworks again.

I closed 2024 with a sense of urgency and gratitude at the same time. The design industry is getting more daunting, especially with AI going around.

But I’m grateful to be surrounded by kind friends who help each other and talk deeply with each other. It’s nice to have some childhood friends mingle again during this adulthood.