This Week in Raleigh: Ending the Year Gently + What’s Happening in Raleigh This Week

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I said to a friend yesterday that I haven’t finished this year the way I thought I would, and honestly, I feel wildly unprepared for 2026.

I haven’t had the space to properly plan or reset my systems, routines, and habits. The last few months have been a lot: a full house with guests, a hectic calendar, and my dad being in and out of hospital back in Australia (he’s okay ❤️). That’s never easy when you live on the other side of the planet. And on top of it all… I’m tired.

So yes—New Year’s Eve will be spent on my couch, possibly asleep by 9:20pm, and I am genuinely thrilled about that.

This week, I’m leaning into releasing the frustration that comes with feeling out of control. I’m choosing acceptance instead—accepting that I did the best I could, and that really is enough. Flexibility and adaptability are skills I’ve been training my whole life as a nomad, and they’re serving me well right now.

Because honestly—are we ever fully prepared? Probably not. We live in an uncertain world that can change in a heartbeat.

I did manage to create some space to reflect on 2025 with my travel newsletter community—sharing lessons, highlights (travel + life), and reflections. If you’d like to read that, you can find it here. And yes, I’m working on a Raleigh 2025 wrap for you too—it’s coming.

In the meantime, let’s keep things simple and joyful.

Here are some of the best things happening around Raleigh this week—perfect if you want to get out and soak up the city or just need a little inspiration to end the year gently.

My daughter and I saw Marty Supreme at the movies yesterday and can highly recommend it. We giggled the whole way through it, and I don’t think I’ve ever come across a character like it before. Timothée Chalamet dominated every scene - I hope he wins an Oscar for that performance as it was outstanding.

Caroline

P.S. We shared on Instagram, and there are less than 50 tickets left, so you may want to hurry. But there is a cool Coffee Crawl happening in Ralegh for the month of January. $20 for $45 worth of coffee at 9 Raleigh cafes ($5 credit at each one) What a great way to elevate a slightly dull month! A coffee scavenger hunt - I like it! Get your pass here.