I hope this finds you in a warm and peaceful place. Can you believe how quickly another year has passed?
There’s something about chaos that seems to stretch time. Minutes feel like hours when sticky hands and muddy paws all clamor for attention at once, all while someone in the background is asking the same question over, and over, and over again. In those instances, I long for calm—a season of life where I can finish something, anything, without being interrupted. And yet, when I’m able to sit still, I realize how the very things that drive me bananas are also the sources of my greatest joys. Time warps and my heart aches to revisit the days I might have wished away.
This year-in-review piece comes from my personal practice of hitting pause—scrolling through my calendar, photos, and text threads to laugh, cry, and savor the experiences I might have overlooked in the blur of life. It’s a grounding ritual, and it reminds me that even the hangriest parts of each day are laced with grace.
2024 overwhelmed me, but it also brought resilience, humor, and connection. For every challenge, there was growth, and for every bit of chaos, there was unexpected joy.
For you and me as investors, we started the year cautiously, only to watch it unfold with surprising opportunities. Resilience rewarded us, and we saw how things like a contentious election didn’t impact the markets as much as we feared. In reflecting on these events, I hope you’ll feel as uplifted as I did to remember them.
Without further ado, here is my year in review.
January
- Gypsy Rose Blanchard is released from prison after serving eight years for the second-degree murder of her mom, DeeDee Blanchard. If you know, you know. If not… well, good for you.
- Boeing’s year starts its “not our best year ever” as a plane door falls off mid-air. No one other than the company’s pride is hurt in this instance, though many casualties will be linked to Boeing airplanes throughout 2024.
- Memphis enjoys a rare snow week. Parents shift quickly from “Let’s go sledding and have hot chocolate” to “It’s Kraft singles for dinner, and you’re welcome.”
- LG unveils the world’s first wireless TV, and guys, the screen is invisible. After the presentation, George Jetson asked if he could have his living room back, please.
- Markets start the year on a down note as a few lofty expectations were missed. The Fed’s first rate cut is projected to be in March.
February
- “Taylor Swift’s boyfriend’s team” wins the Super Bowl in overtime. She and Travis Kelce share a $50 million kiss—roughly what an ad would have cost during that coveted airspace.
- My sweet Annie (9-year-old, firstborn) is the leading fouler for her 2nd-grade basketball team. She holds back during a game in another state because she doesn’t “know the state’s laws.”
- 21 Eastern Black rhinos are relocated within Kenya, a victory for conservation efforts against extinction. Also a victory for whoever was in charge of those logistics.
- King Charles III announces a cancer diagnosis, though details remain private.
- Inflation data is hotter than expected, further decreasing the odds of a March rate cut.
March
- Caitlin Clark becomes the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history, for men and women alike. I briefly pay attention to sports.
- The Pentagon denies UFOs exist. Sure, we believe you.
- The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses after a container ship collision. Quick-thinking responders halt traffic, averting greater tragedy.
- A questionable family photo sparks concerns for Kate Middleton. She later confirms she’s alive and reveals a private cancer diagnosis.
April
- A solar eclipse wows 10% of the U.S. population. The other 90% go back inside after two hours of being slightly disappointed and/or newly blind.
- CPI confirms what our waistlines have been trying to tell us for years—there’s a lot of inflationary pressure in a cheeseburger. Fast food prices—specifically McDonalds—have significantly outpaced inflation since 2014. The Hamburglar flees the scene yelling, “How’s that for a McDouble?”
- Audrey Acosta (6-year-old daughter) loses her first tooth, but the Tooth Fairy is a day late due to unforeseen illness. Thoughts and prayers for my poor, sweet, middle child are appreciated.
- 1st quarter market performance is strong. There are now 3 projected Fed rate cuts, down from 7; the yield curve is still inverted, but it’s improving.
May
- Thanks to solar flares and geomagnetic storms (doesn’t sound scary at all), people who live in non-Arctic climates get to see the Northern Lights. They’re beautiful.
- Donald Trump becomes the first former U.S. president convicted of a felony. Neutral tone courtesy of ChatGPT.
- The Dow closes above 40,000 for the first time, marking a milestone for U.S. markets.
- We teach Annie the art of “yo-momma” jokes, and it is hilarious. She questions whether we’re still the funniest people on earth, even though of course we are.
June
- The Surgeon General warns against the mental health risks of social media, especially for teenagers. For the first time all year, everyone agrees on something.
- The first Presidential Debate takes place, causing commentators from various perspectives to weigh in on President Biden’s overall vitality. Everyone for whom golf performance is an important ballot issue feels informed.
- ADP reports a spike in vocational college enrollment, reshaping the trade workforce and educational priorities.
- In a moment of postpartum weakness, I adopt a puppy. Her name is Raine, and she’s the snuggly chaos I didn’t know I needed. She has an affinity for Audrey’s headbands, and Andrew (2-year-old son) calls her “Wayne.”
July
- Joe Biden withdraws from the presidential race, and Kamala Harris picks up the Democratic nomination. Donald Trump narrowly escapes an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
- The most delightful study ever proves that hippos can fly. Well, sort of. The hippo-thesis set out to prove that they become airborne while running—which is a big deal for the second largest land animal on Earth. And also for yo momma (courtesy of Annie).
- A Crowdstrike IT outage highlights how much we rely on Cloud Stuff. Airplanes are grounded, and ½ the country can’t get any work done without access to the Microsoft Suite.
- Our family vacation to Gatlinburg includes two ER visits, a fever bug, and newfound fears of rollercoasters and heights. We have a great time.
August
- The Paris Olympics shine, with Simone Biles sticking her landing in a perfect mic drop moment. Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg becomes the unofficial mascot. Women represent 49% of the athletes, compared to just 4% 100 years ago.
- The U.S. and Russia complete a major prisoner swap, freeing journalist Evan Gershkovich and ex-Marine Paul Whelan. This is the largest exchange of its kind since the Cold War.
- Markets continue to hit all-time highs. Inflation is leveling out. Fed Chairman Powell seems upbeat.
- School resumes and Audrey is going to crush her second go at kindergarten. Kids everywhere struggle to fit into routines and shoes.
September
- Kmart announces the closure of its last full-size store in Bridgehampton, New York. My kids will never know the joy of blue light specials paired with the aroma of Little Caesar’s pizza.
- WHO vaccinates 560,000 children against polio during temporary ceasefires in the Middle East. Aside from differing views on global inoculations, the arrangement offers a glimmer of hope amid ongoing conflicts.
- The Princess of Wales finishes preventative chemotherapy, sharing her journey with grace and resilience.
- Hurricane Helene devastates Southern Appalachia with catastrophic flooding, claiming over 230 lives.
- The Federal Reserve cuts rates, for the first time since 2021, by 50 points, a move aimed at making the yield curve behave.
October
- SpaceX captures its Starship rocket mid-air using a giant mechanical bear hug. As someone who can’t back into a parking space, I find this impressive.
- Claudia Sheinbaum becomes Mexico’s first female and Jewish president.
- The EPA announced an aggressive goal to replace all lead pipes from drinking water within 10 years. While this is great news for our country’s health, “Colonel Mustard, in the library, with some PVC” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
- Audrey’s persistent cough turns out to be walking pneumonia. Annie celebrates her birthday at Discovery Park. Our older dog, Rue, lets Raine sit next to him on the couch for the first time.
November
- Donald Trump is elected 47th president of the U.S., making him the second to serve non-consecutive terms since Grover Cleveland in 1892.
- Beyonce becomes the most nominated artist in Grammy history with 99 nominations, breaking her tie with husband Jay-Z.
- North Korea sends troops to aid Russia against Ukraine, deepening global tensions.
- Justin Sun pays $6.2 million for a banana duct-taped to a wall. The artist, Maurizio Cattelan, bought the Dole banana for $0.35 at a fruit stand. I’m not comically lazy enough to reach for the jokes here—they’re all low-hanging fruit.
- The Fed cuts rates by another 0.25%, due to favorable economic data.
December
- Google’s quantum chip, Willow, solves problems that would take stupider computers 10 septillion years to do. I definitely didn’t have to ask one of those stupider computers “What is a quantum and a septillion?” to understand the headline.
- Jimmy Carter passes away at 100, remembered for his term as the 39th U.S. president and his post-presidency involvement in humanitarian work.
- CEO of United Healthcare Brian Thompson is murdered in broad daylight outside of a shareholder meeting in Manhattan. The shooter’s motive is still unclear, though the resulting outcry over healthcare and insurance underscores that violence is never an acceptable way to advocate for change.
- The Fed cuts rates by 0.25%, a smaller-than-expected move that tempers the year’s economic optimism.
- Taylor Swift ends her record-shattering Eras Tour with $2B in revenue and $10B in economic impact. Impressive, I guess—if you’re into having a tremendous world influence and stuff.
Thank you for inviting me and the rest of the Benchmark team on your journeys. We will continue to link arms with you in 2025, and I challenge us to look for the joy in whatever chaos 2025 may bring.
