looking back at 2024
January 1, 2025
And just like that, we've landed in 2025.
I had hoped to post this in 2024, but with how busy it was, it got postponed to today. 😉
2024 was a year full of challenges, roadblocks, deviations, rediscovery, and most importantly, construction. (re)Construction of a new home, new realities, projects, visions, and relationships.
Here are a few highlights from the past year:
🏠 Creating a Home: After 3.5 years of living as a nomad, I signed a lease for an apartment in the heart of Zürich early this year. At first, I convinced myself it was temporary—just one year before moving again. But life had other plans. With an upcoming surgery at the end of the year, I decided in the fall to transform the apartment into a home, no longer just a functional space. Now, it truly feels like home. I've arrived, and I've stopped putting a deadline on it. It will last as long as it must.
🩸unboxing cycles : What a journey this project has been! People came and went, and while things didn't go entirely as planned (do they ever?), there were countless learnings and beautiful moments: We launched a crowdfunding campaign and sent numerous emails and applications seeking funding and partnerships, with mixed results. Yet, we achieved a lot: a dedicated focus group that stayed throughout the year, inspiring discussions, and the photography process—portraying women in nature, representing phases of their menstrual cycles—has been a creative adventure. The support from individuals, companies, and organizations who believed in the mission has been humbling. Though some aspects had to be paused due to time and financial constraints, I see it as a successful first chapter. I'm excited about what 2025 will bring to unboxing cycles .
🧳 Hotel Nomad: The year began with the tough decision to pause this project due to other priorities. Ironically, I received a dream proposal for it—one I had been wishing for—but the timing wasn't right. Still, the year ended with new ideas for Hotel Nomad 2.0. Let's see where this goes. Stay tuned! (if you don't know my work as a Hotel Nomad yet: https://hotelnomad.life/)
A long-standing dream of collaborating with hotels to display my prints became a reality this year. Some images from my project "Protect Our Glaciers" are now hanging in the stunning CERVO Mountain Resort , in their Alpinists Rooms. Proceeds from sales (50%) are donated to Protect Our Winters Switzerland.
My partnership with the ART DECO HOTEL MONTANA in Luzern continued this year. I had the pleasure of documenting the stunning refurbishment of their restaurant and bar, designed by Ina Rinderknecht . Additionally, prints from their iconic Thursday Jam Sessions, which I captured in January 2024, now adorn the walls of the Louis Bar. If you’re in Luzern on a Thursday evening, don’t miss the live jams (and check out my prints hanging on the wall 😉) —it’s a truly unique experience!
Are you a Hotel, a restaurant or a space looking to integrate some unique art into your space? Reach out!
🖼️ Further on the topic of Prints: 2024 also marked another successful year of collaboration with ARTIMAGE in São Paulo, Brazil. New prints are available on my website (and if there's an image you've seen but can't find, just PM me): https://www.majajuzwiak.com/shop-fineart
📖 Book Launch: In May, after two years of work, Wisdom of Agile was published by BIS Publishers , co-created with Jérôme Grimm , Anton Podokschik , and Ladislav Szolik . The book is a great corporate gift or a source of daily inspiration. Jerome and Anton wrote the content, the design was co-created with Ladislav, and the images are all mine. Check it out: https://www.bispublishers.com/the-little-book-of-agile-wisdom.html (also available at Orell Füssli and Galaxus 😉)
👥 Courses & Community: This year, I participated in two STARTUP CAMPUS Switzerland courses—Business Concept and Social Entrepreneurship—and attended several events focused on women empowerment and entrepreneurship, such as the WOMEN'S HUB , Female Founders Initiative Switzerland and startup days I met inspiring individuals who became integral to my (re-)construction of a base in Zürich. ❤️
🏋️♂️ Employment: As this was a year of transition, securing some stability through employment was necessary. It was a pleasure working (even if briefly) with Patricia Kränzlin at her beautiful Pilates Stube GmbH and, later, starting a part-time position at Essento Food, where I am also currently still partly employed while continuing my other passions.
And there was, of course, also time for swimming, travelling, countless train rides, mountains, sunshines and moonshines, art and time with family and friends in between! 🫶
Reflections and Looking Ahead
2024 was a year of adaptation, change, and settling—a time of significant internal shifts necessary for personal and professional growth. Some changes came easier than others, but as with life, it's the bumps along the road that shape us. A trip to NY, Chicago and (a few) train rides to the mountains brought new perspectives to the whole.
This past week, I've reflected on the journey of 2024 and imagined what 2025 might bring. While I have plenty of ideas (as always!), I'm approaching this year with the motto:
"Stay curious, have fun."
With that in mind, I'll stay open to possibilities—exploring, trying, failing, succeeding, and learning to savour every moment of the journey. Even when the path feels hard, painful, or like a dead end at times, I remind myself that everything is temporary, and with intention, things can always turn around. After all, we choose the roads we decide to ride on.
With no further ado, I wish you an incredible 2025—filled with curiosity and joy as you embrace the opportunities ahead and explore what inspires you in the coming months!
Below are a few impressions of this year, some taken with the camera, some spontaneously not-edited with the phone:
