Between a bustling holiday season, ringing in the New Year, and navigating the first snowstorm of the year, I have so much to share with you all! The holidays were a mix of fun, relaxation, and unexpected realizations, and I’m excited to recap the highlights.
Our holiday celebrations kicked off with a little twist this year. My wife and daughter left on Christmas Eve to spend the holiday with her mother in Connecticut, so we decided to celebrate Christmas a day early—on the eve of Christmas Eve! It turned out to be such a fun time. My daughter, of course, was the star of the show and got all the presents. Let’s just say she definitely maximized her holiday season haul! My wife gifted me some amazing colognes, which made me realize something—I don’t have a signature scent. That’s definitely going to change in 2025. Thanks, wifey, for the nudge!
With my family away, I spent Christmas solo, and honestly? It was peaceful and rejuvenating. For an entire week, I had the house to myself. Aside from a couple of workdays, I barely left the house. (Side note: I’m putting together a funny reel about my “home-alone” moments—stay tuned!) This downtime gave me the chance to focus on marketing my annual St. Lucia Carnival Summer Escape. (Shameless plug: It’s live now—secure your spot before it’s too late!) I also spent time meditating and reflecting on how blessed I am. As much as I love my family, that solo time gave me the clarity I didn’t even realize I needed.
By New Year’s Eve, the family was back, and we decided to end the year on a high note. We checked into the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in downtown D.C., near Capital One Arena, for a little staycation to ring in 2025. The hotel was beautifully decked out in holiday décor, and we learned it used to be an old post office building—super cool history! The spacious hallways and cozy room were perfect for us to unwind and reset.
To celebrate the New Year, I brought along a couple of champagne bottles and apple cider for the festivities. We watched the New Year’s Eve countdown on TV, but if I’m being honest… we barely stayed awake long enough to toast! It’s clear we’re not as young as we used to be, and that’s okay. We kept the rest of our stay simple—exploring local restaurants when we were hungry and spending most of our time lounging around. It was the perfect way to recharge and enter 2025 feeling refreshed and ready to tackle what’s ahead.
We checked out on January 2nd and stepped back into our “normal” world with a fresh perspective and renewed energy. It was a beautiful way to wrap up one year and step into the next.
I’ll save my adventures from the first snowstorm of the year for my next post—stay tuned for that update! Until then, let’s keep riding this wave of positivity and momentum into the new year.
Cheers to 2025!
– Social Dad DC
SOCIAL DAD DC 