The real cool girls' guide to 2025
Interviewing my mum, sister, and girlfriends about their new year's resolutions.
I always wanted to do this. Put a mic in front of my favourite people and do a little interview. Act as if they are famous (they should be!), and ask them all the silly questions: what their ideal day looks like, where they see themselves in 20 years, what is their favourite childhood memory, what is a moment they would like to relive? Tell me all of it. Be specific.
I wholeheartedly believe interviews aren’t reserved for celebrities only. So I interviewed my mum, sister, and girlfriends about their 2024 highlights, habits, and what they ultimately want more of and less of in the new year. And I’ll keep the above questions for some more interesting (and less public) domains.
I love these girls so much. They are magic. And we’re kicking it off with the queen of magic, my mum—a woman already known for her stellar tiramisu recipe finally makes her debut appearance on Cafe Léyo.
Olga (my mum), 57 living in Rijeka, Croatia. Elementary school teacher; creative, and meticulous; proud mother of two successful adult women: Leonarda and Klara (cute!!!)
Happiest moment(s) in 2024? It's hard to choose, but it would certainly be the moments spent together "just the three of us", girl-talking and traveling.
Habits to keep in 2025? Walks by the sea (in Rijeka we have a think called ‘lungomare’) are something that relaxes and recharges my batteries.
What do you want more of? I want more moments with my daughters who live abroad so I can't see them on a daily basis or "whenever I want to". I also want more socialising with positive, smiling people. More laughing, and yes, more time for myself.
Less of? Less nervousness and tension. Distancing myself from grumpy, frustrated, and sneaky people.
One thing you want to do in 2025? I want to continue being brave and determined in my decisions, no matter what anyone thinks about it. I want to help my elderly parents and make their "demanding" years easier, so they can still feel some of life's beauty.
One recommendation? Do one nice thing for yourself, and just for yourself, every day. Whatever it may be. Also, give a smile to someone who doesn't expect it at that moment; try to cheer up the people around you.
Marta, 30. Portuguese girl based in Amsterdam. Born and raised in Lisbon. Works in Marketing Consulting and loves cooking, reading, yoga, travel, Lisbon, and podcasts.
Happiest moment(s) in 2024? 2024 is the year I got married, so I think this is a pretty easy answer. But highly honourable mentions include: seeing my best friend getting married, a road trip in California, a holiday with my family (always the same place, same people, same house, same week), and my bachelorette with my 7 bridesmaids.
Habits to keep? Calling mum on Sunday and talking for a looong time, reading a lot (and even more), eating healthy during the week and not so much during the weekend haha, regular date nights, no alcohol from Sunday-Thursday, and all the classics: water, exercise, skincare, sleep.
What do you want more of? Call friends and family more (I am NOT good at this), FaceTime’s with my nephews and nieces, track my expenses properly, go for long walks, buy more second-hand, go to more concerts / theatre / stand-up comedy, host dinners with friends, shop local.
Less of? Endless scrolling, tight jeans, expensive grocery shopping just because it’s convenient, buying fast-fashion, stupid subscriptions (like Swapfiets for 3 years…), "could make this myself at home" restaurants, flying every month.
One thing you want to do in 2025? Big one here but… buy a house! And maybe less exciting, re-start Dutch lessons.
Anna, 28 in Berlin, currently working in an energy startup, and transitioning to a venture capital role—my task will be to connect people, which is something that I love, and that gives me a lot of energy.
Happiest moment(s) in 2024? Many moments by the sea: early morning swim in Ischia, cozy cloudy days in Cassis, a long dinner with friends in Palomino... Also, I got married this year, and all of my girlfriends came to Madrid to celebrate my bachelorette—it made me feel so proud and loved. Also, the moment Chris (my husband) and I left the parking lot after our wedding, we both started crying from happiness. I remember thinking: how did I deserve all of this? I honestly felt like a different person after this wedding weekend. Lastly, I had a health scare this year, so after some dark days of fear, I got the results that I am healthy. I put on this song, and was dancing with my husband (!) and mom in the kitchen, feeling so strong and grateful for my family and friends.
Habits to keep in 2025? Listening to my body (and mind): whether I feel like doing soft / hard or no sports, whether to sleep a lot, or not sleep at all…
What do you want more of? Read read read. Set priorities. Actively decide not to do some things.
Less of? Social media.
One thing you want to do in 2025? Volunteer somewhere in Berlin, maybe even do it with a group of friends.
Klara (my sister) 28 in London, working in tech sales. Very into sports and very into travel—mostly back to Paris to visit boyfriend and friends.
Happiest moment(s) in 2024? Too many to count: (1) Landing in Croatia in early June at 10pm, stepping off the plane, and inhaling that scent of Croatian summer—hot concrete, sea, and dry wild sage. Pure joy of homecoming. (2) Bruce Springsteen’s show at Wembley Arena, starting with Waiting on a Sunny Day, my favourite song of his. (3) Opening the doors of an Athens airbnb and seeing my 5 childhood friends. We had a week-long holiday in Greece, our first in years.
Habits to keep in 2025? Controlling my temper and confronting things directly instead of just brushing them aside. In Croatia, we tend to forgive and forget without talking things through, and that just leads to bottled-up emotions. I’m non-confrontational by nature, but I’ve realised it’s healthier to address things head-on.
What do you want more of? More me-time and routine. More reading, sports, more Croatia, and more home-cooked meals. I’d love to dive deeper into trading stocks and get smarter about my finances, instead of just letting my money sit in a savings account.
Less of? Less screen time, more in-person moments with the people I care about. This means social media, less FaceTime-ing with my boyfriend (which thankfully is ending now that he’s moving to London), and less time spent on my phone while traveling.
One thing you want to do in 2025? I want to figure out where I want to live—whether that’s building a life in London, moving back to Paris, or starting fresh in NYC. I just really want to invest in a city where I can see my future.
Mariana, 27, from Lisbon and living in Amsterdam. Loves a good party, a cozy day in bed, and 3 hours of yapping with the girlies—it’s all about balance.
Happiest moment(s) in 2024? I met my boyfriend this year! Haha, but also I went on an amazing surf camp to Morocco.
Habits to keep in 2025? Making friends and family a priority, discarding what/who no longer suits me, staying connected with long distance friends.
What do you want more of? Being fully present and intentional, saying no without guilt, making time for hobbies. I also want more dinner parties, trips, coffee dates, and time for myself.
Less of? Rushing around; people pleasing; rewatching the same series.
One thing you want to do in 2025? Start investing my money (!!!)
Denise, 25, living in Amsterdam. Currently working as a business controller at KLM, combining my love for analysis with my passion for travelling.
Happiest moment(s) in 2024? Celebrating my new job with friends and family, and traveling a lot. I went hiking in Patagonia this year and it was windy, and terrifying, and my legs were shaking but it was such an highlight. Also remembering some sunny days in Ischia with my girlfriends, relaxing at a beach club swimming in almost private sea, taking a taxi boat to lunch, and having limoncello spritz… Heart is full.
Habits to keep in 2025? Museums, yoga classes, texting friends saying I had a good time, short walks, and getting a "broodje" in Amsterdam (this makes me really happy).
What do you want more of? Doing things that scare me a bit ‘cause I always get the best feeling afterwards. Going out for dinner with friends and not only my boyfriend. Being more in nature and doing more vintage shopping.
Less of? Buying trends!
Rachel, 28. I’m the head of growth for a bespoke adventure travel brand, living in Estoril, Cascais by the beach. Hobbies including surfing at my local spot and lots of gorgeous trail runs in the Serra da Sintra.
Happiest moment(s) in 2024? (1) Family reunions in Australia, (2) meeting my cousins babies for the first time which was so gorgeous. (3) A friends reunion in the USA and Canada in April seeing some of my favorite people. I ran a marathon during this time which was bloody tough but also some of the most gorgeous views I’ve seen which totally made it worth it.
Habits to keep in 2025? Continuing to see my dearest and nearest with face to face reunions. Living abroad can be hard when all your best pals live in other locations, but I’ve already got reunions with my US buddies locked in and of course my favourite Croatian has a special birthday celebration in August! (that’s meee!)
What do you want more of? I’m a morning gal through and through—and there is nothing I enjoy more than my morning walks by the sea.
Less of? Long-haul flights. It feels like such a privileged thing to say as it was for leisure as well as work but it’s so taxing on your body and I really felt the impacts of exhaustion as a result of doing so.
One thing you want to do in 2025? I want to run another ultra marathon this year and maybe the Lisbon marathon as its long overdue.
Please please tell me about your 2025 in’s and out’s. Okay, I’ll go first.
Out: I’m quitting e-commerce in 2025. I can not do it anymore. I can not be picking packages, nor dropping the returns anymore. I can’t do it. In the words of Emily North and Angelina Hazzouri, I can not support Jeff Bezos’ online boutique anymore.
In: All points from my rules for life, part 1 and 2. I genuinely reread this once a month (is that embarrassing?).
That’s it pals. Have a cozy and warm Sunday. I loved having you here. Tell a friend about Cafe Léyo, and thank you endlessly or reading. Love, L.
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