Happy New Year!!! I hope some of you got to experience the Aurora from the G4 Storms that danced across the globe (and above the clouds), bringing nature’s fireworks to this exciting New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day!

The year of 2024 was so unexpected. It brought opportunities to do things and travel to places I’d always dreamed about, while realizing that I’ve become a central part of a community that helps others make their dreams come true. The Michigan Aurora Chasers. I feel so fortunate for every opportunity and honored by all the amazing people I’ve encountered on this wild journey!

Determined to bring the Northern Lights to more people, I led a total of five #LiveChase events in 2024, literally guiding hundreds of beginners to the most amazing Aurora displays of the year. Special thanks to Live Chase Nate, aka Nate Stovall, who took this selfie of the two of us when we led a Live Chase of the Aurora in Michigan on October 10-11, 2024.

January 2024

In January, I was invited to speak at the Detroit Observatory in Ann Arbor during a meeting of the University Lowbrow Astronomers Club. We had so much fun, it was such an honor, and I think it was the first time I saw my “name in lights.” What a beautiful observatory!

I owe so much of my success to the community I founded, the Michigan Aurora Chasers!

I was also interviewed by major news media in 2024, including a feature story for Thrillist that released in January, as well as USA Today, NPR: All Things Considered, iHeartRadio, and ClickOnDetroit. You’re welcome to explore my publications!

February 2024

In February, I celebrated Leap Day with an easy move I should’ve made years ago. Getting a current passport! Mine had long expired, after I took a few trips to Europe in college. I was so honored to travel internationally again and explore Iceland in November 2024, flying abroad for the first time in nearly 20 years. Renewing my passport might be the best thing I’ve done on my Leap List!

Then we packed the house! Whether I was invited to speak in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio or for national virtual conferences, I gave over 18 talks on Aurora Chasing this year, bringing the chase to beginners across the country and the world. These talks sharing our tips and adventures from the Michigan Aurora Chasers often draw over a hundred people, so I’ve been getting comfortable in front of the crowd.

March 2024

In March, I led an event with my team in the Michigan Aurora Chasers at Headlands International Dark Sky Park, making stops at the Mighty Mac to chase the Northern Lights. Our group has become such a tight-knit community and Aurora events — and all of the amazing people who attend — have become such a big part of my life.

April 2024

In April, I witnessed the Total Solar Eclipse for the first time. I had plans to witness it in the Path of Totality in 2017, but those plans were thwarted during “the lost decade.” Actually experiencing this was just unreal. I wish I had time to write an entire book about the trip!

May 2024

In May, I joined in the excitement of Aurora Chasers across the globe as we predicted and went on to catch the most powerful Geomagnetic Storm in over 21 years. The night of May 10, 2024 has gone down in history in the mainstream headlines, for our community, and even in my profession, as scientists unravel the mysteries behind that spectacular display. I had the foresight to lead a #LiveChase on that night, guiding over 75 new Aurora Chasers to witness the awe-inspiring show in Dexter, Michigan. I can still remember the moment the crowd burst into cheers in wonder!

The historic G5 Storm actually brought us three consecutive nights of strong Aurora activity in the mid-latitudes, so I took on the challenge of catching vibrant Aurora for three nights in a row near the 42nd Parallel, where I live. My timing was a bit off, as I invited friends and family to enjoy the spectacle, but I caught Aurora on the second night near Bay City, after witnessing a huge wave of Northern Lights pour into the southern sky from the highway.

On the third night of the historic Aurora, I caught Northern Lights near home with more of my family, getting to share the experience with my beloved sister and nieces. My heart was so full!

Read about the historic display in my invited article for Amateur Astronomy Magazine!

June 2024

In June, the Michigan Aurora Chasers group that I founded hit 100,000 members and kept climbing. With a closed group concentrated on one state that has only existed since 2021, we were blown away by our growth! So, we celebrated the achievement one month later, when several of our Admins and Group Experts held a Statewide #LiveChase, leading members to successfully catch the Aurora in every corner of Michigan on June 10, 2024.

Inspired by the excitement and joy of our community, I went on to lead a total of five Live Chases in 2024.

July 2024

In July, I held a launch party for the official release of the 2nd Edition of my Aurora Chasing guidebook. “Beyond the 45th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing Aurora in the Mid-Latitudes” features the work of two Michigan photographers on the cover in a proud collaboration. It’s been a hit, with a beautiful introduction on “Making the Dream A Reality!” The book will be presented in a Schuler’s Books event next spring and featured in a planetarium book club.

I also enjoyed a 7-hour paddle with new friends in July, which was a thrilling way to celebrate Independence Day!

August 2024

In August, I presented an Aurora Chasing event for the Longway Planetarium, a beautiful facility in Flint, Michigan. The First Fridays program and book signing was a huge success. And such a joy!

The planetarium program “Celebrating the Art, Culture, History and Science of the Aurora” showcased dozens of photographs from our Michigan community.

September 2024

In September, I excitedly got my hands on a new book “Magnificent Aurora: A comprehensive guide to nature’s greatest light show” written by one of my idols Bob King. On the pages inside, you’ll meet legends in the Aurora Chasing community who volunteer or devote their time to our night skies! To my surprise, my name appears among them.

In a chapter on the community, Bob King featured the Michigan Aurora Chasers, and interviewed me about our efforts to bring the Aurora to so many beginners. We polled our audience, and we have literally helped thousands of people view the Northern Lights for the first time!

A few of the photographers from our community had their photos featured on the pages of this wonderful book, and it was humbling to be featured alongside so many leaders from the Aurora Chasing world.

October 2024

In October, at the annual Aurora Summit, I had the opportunity to meet the creators of the Aurora forecasting app SpaceWeatherLive! Sander and Marcel were the kind of people who are driven by passion and excitement for what they love, and it was a thrill and an honor for us to meet them — and host them during their first appearance in the United States!

November 2024

In November, the year took such an adventurous turn! I was thrilled to be selected to lead a tour of Iceland and the Northern Lights for the University of Michigan Alumni Association as a Staff Expert, giving a lecture on Chasing Aurora during Solar Maximum and Beyond in the city of Akureyri, Iceland! We had two tour buses full of guests, and this photo is the Michigan half of our group!

Once they discovered I moonlight as an Aurora Chaser after work, the University of Michigan decided to write an article about me for the alumni magazine. Coming in February!

We had such a phenomenal trip in Iceland, seeing geysers, geothermal pools, volcanic rock, waterfalls, rainbows, rare clouds and so much stunning Aurora. I still can’t believe how beautiful it was. Iceland filled me with so much awe!

Just 10 days after we returned from Reykjavik, a volcano erupted on the ground where we stood.

December 2024

In December, it dawned on me that this adventure is only beginning! I’m excited to share that, through rare opportunities and rare generosity, I’ve made plans to chase the Aurora around the world in the coming year. Next, my travel plans will take me to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada, Norway, and then Finland, chasing the lights and living the dream…

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your encouragement, support, and friendship over the years. I feel so very fortunate, and I’m totally in awe of what a life embracing your passion can become. I’m even more amazed by what we can create together!

Embarking on New Adventures

I realize that I’m late getting this review up, but it was almost impossible to choose the most transformative highlights of the past year. For that, I’m filled with gratitude. While my book “Beyond the 45th Parallel” has taken off, I’m beyond thankful for the amazing friendships, opportunities and mind-blowing spectacles I enjoyed in 2024.

On top of my first trip abroad in nearly 20 years, last year also brought me invitations to travel to Yellowknife, Canada in March and Norway in October of 2025. Finland is also a distinct possibility in March 2026. It’s hard to believe I’ll get the chance to travel the world chasing the Northern Lights! Hopefully, I can find the time to share the experience with you, as well.

Let your heart be light! I wish all of you an inspiring, uplifting and enchanting year — with countless clear nights and dancing skies!