Today, January 4, 2024, marks Pop.Bop.Shop.'s 15th birthday. My girl is almost old enough to drive! 

I started this blog on January 4, 2009 as a New Year's resolution. This was my very first post. Each year when I re-read that initial entry I am baffled that any of you kept reading! I cringe at the formatting and the painful absence of photos. 

Over the past 15 years, Pop.Bop.Shop. grew into one of my greatest sources of happiness. I always had my digital camera with me (pre-iPhone) and I felt a giddy electricity every time I entered somewhere new and started snapping pictures and taking notes. 

It's been a true joy to share so many different things with you - amazing small businesses, gorgeous hotels, new restaurants, addicting TV shows, memorable books, and more. 

Last year, when marking the 14th anniversary, I let you know that I would be significantly reducing the number of posts here on the blog. Give that post a read again if you'd like a refresher on the many factors that led to that decision. 

In 2023, I wrote 20 blog posts. That highly selective list included:

My new favorite place in Boston, Beacon Hill Books & Cafe.

My trip to Minneapolis to visit Pizzeria Lola, which I'd seen on Netflix's Chef's Table. I still dream about that soft serve with olive oil, and I still laugh every time I see our souvenir photo strip. I was laughing so hard that I almost fell out of the photo booth! 

My first-ever trip to Jackson, Wyoming where we stepped off the plane and drove straight to Picnic for sky-high breakfast sandwiches.

And where I fell in love with Persephone Bakery, particularly their chocolate-frosted banana bread. 

I shared our fantastic meal to celebrate my bestie's 40th birthday at Figs at the Hotel Jackson. 

And not one, but two (!) visits to Jackson Drug. 

Our epic lunch at Handfire Pizza, including the most perfect burrata salad and the hilariously named Truffle Shuffle pizza. 

Back in Boston, I chronicled my 39th birthday dinner at Josephine in Somerville, the newest addition to Chef Michael Scelfo's restaurant empire. I am still thinking about that Cacio-nara pizza. 

While there were less posts this past year, I was elated about everything I was sharing. 

2023 I also brought a new form of content creation - podcasting. On November 2, 2023, along with two of my best friends, I launched a podcast called Plans are Booked. You can listen on Apple, Spotify or anywhere else you enjoy podcasts. 

We love to read and we are constantly swapping books and making plans to watch the TV and film adaptations of our favorite reads, so it felt incredibly natural to share that enthusiasm with others. Today we released our 10th episode.

I'm really proud of us for taking on something completely new. Without a producer or any professional guidance, we have ordered equipment, learned to use recording and editing software, mastered how to "send" recordings to all the hosting platforms, and debuted and actively manage an Instagram account dedicated to the podcast and all things reading / books. You can follow us there, @plansarebooked. 

So what's in store for Pop.Bop.Shop. in 2024? You can expect to see more recaps from my travels. I already have trips to Miami and Charleston booked. There's a high likelihood I will start traveling abroad again this year. I'm really excited for that. I am also turning 40 this year (gulp) so whatever the celebration plans turn out to be - and I predict there will be many - I will share those moments with you too. 

Thank you for your ongoing support of me and Pop.Bop.Shop. for all these years. The best part of doing this has always been you, the readers. We've created such a vibrant and smart group of people who love to share recommendations, give advice, and help each other to enjoy life to the fullest. I'm especially proud of the way we've rallied to support small businesses, particularly since March of 2020 when the world turned upside down. 

I am wishing each of you a very happy new year. May 2024 bring health, happiness and adventure for all of us. 

*Cupcake photo via Unsplash. All other photography by Molly Galler.