mindholiday: december edit

here's to new beginnings!

Jan 08, 2025

HNY! Welcome back to the the monthly MindHoliday edit, the corner of the internet where I share my newest finds and current favorites, places I’m dying to visit, and travels I’ve booked.

I spent the last days of 2024 and the first days of 2025 in sunny Miami, enjoying some much needed beach time, seeing friends, setting personal and family goals with Mark, and dancing into the new year at Jungle’s waterfront NYE DJ set. It was insanely good. I fully fell in love with Miami after years of telling everyone I hated it. It’s the only city insane enough to give New York a run for its money in the crazy department. The people watching is top-notch, the beaches are easily accessible, and I had taken for granted how easy it is to get to from New York.

Yeah, most of the people in Miami are fake as hell, but I like pretending I’m an extra in a crazy movie. I did tons of eavesdropping in the women’s bathroom on NYE, and I genuinely think the conversations about cheating, lying, conniving men and all of busted plastic surgery would be great fodder for an A24 comedy horror film.

on new year’s aspirations / new beginnings

Just like I’m a sucker for a pretty new notebook filled with blank pages, I’m a sucker for the start of a new year. I love the feeling of choosing my own destiny and writing my own story, fresh from the beginning. I’ve set a lot of lofty goals this year (so I’ll spare you the details), but they all ladder up to one main idea: To enjoy my life, to fully be present, to prioritize my health, and to realize that I absolutely deserve to have fun. 2024 was a year of almost constant worry and self sabotage, and I’m over it. I’m ready to hold myself accountable to choosing happiness and ditching worry.

I also realized haven’t been honoring the need to create often, whether it’s writing, doing art projects, or collaging. When I allow myself the time to create, for no one but myself, my entire life feels lighter and easier.

I’ve started taking printmaking classes, I bought a set of travel watercolors, and I recently shared my new goal of scrapbook journaling my travels and adventures this year. I’ve had people reach out through text, substack messages, etc. saying that they were inspired to take up scrapbook journaling based on the post I wrote.

Scrapbook travel journaling is my newest obsession

Bella Darden

Jan 3

Scrapbook travel journaling is my newest obsession

One of the (many) New Year’s aspirations I’ve set for myself is finding at least one sustainable creative pursuit that I can carry forward, through 2025 and beyond. Sustainable meaning it’s something that I truly enjoy, and that it has low barriers to entry, meaning it doesn’t involve a ton of pointless supplies and expensive trips to Blick. I wanted a …

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With that said, there’s been interest in a monthly in-person NYC (ideally Brooklyn) scrapbook journaling club. If you’re reading this and want to be part of it, please let me know! Let’s hold each other accountable to create art while creating community and making new friends (another goal of mine).

where i’ve booked clients recently

Ritz Carlton in Montreal for a family getaway.
Esmeralda Resort in Saint Martin for a friend who is going with college friends! Looks like the perfect lowkey spot to unwind with besties.
Everyone is wanting to go to Miami right now, I swear! I’ve booked clients at the Ritz Carlton South Beach and the 1 Hotel in the past month. We stayed at The Edition when we went for NYE and loved it!
Currently working on a New Zealand itinerary for some friends! Can’t wait to share more, as it’s been a goal of mine to plan a trip there for clients.

where i’m off to next

Fingers crossed, I’m visiting my friend Jenna in LA for her birthday next week and we are going to do a quick trip to Ojai.

We are staying at The Capri in Ojai which looks super cute.
Super excited for some hikes + beach time + quality friend time!
Jenna is finally gonna give me a lil tour of the east side of LA (Silver Lake + Echo Park) because I’ve been dying to make it over there but I’ve never been.

Fingers crossed that the LA fires are put out ASAP — to all of my LA friends, family, and readers, I hope you’re staying safe and know I’m thinking of you. I’m heartbroken.

I donated to the California Fire Foundation this morning, and if you have a few dollars to spare, I urge you to do the same.

in flight entertainment

Here’s what I consumed on the tarmac and at 37,000 feet last month.

Reading

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli - A powerful Palestinian novella. The story explores how a "minor detail"— whether a memory, an unnoticed act, or a piece of information — can strike deeply, leading to unsafe and unpredictable actions. This was devastating and gave me full body chills.
Table for Two by Amor Towles - I loved Rules of Civility by Towles, so I had high standards for this one. The first half of the book is a short collection of fictional stories set in NYC (absolutely loved) and the second half of the book is a short “sequel” to Rules of Civility, which fell flat for me, personally.

Listening

The NYE playlist I made and this 46 hour playlist I made for when I’m in a MOOD and need to turn the day/several days around.

Watching

Music by John Williams - This doc explores the prolific career of John Williams, showcasing his profound impact on film through iconic scores like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter. He’s such a badass!!

travel news

The NYT 52 places to go in 2025 list dropped. I’m most excited about the Lofoten Islands in Norway, and I want to visit this summer to experience the midnight sun + some wild hikes.
The most powerful passports list for 2025 also dropped. The US is tied at #8 with Estonia. Singapore came out on top at #1.