And just like that, another year has passed. A whole year filled with minifigures, minidolls, animals, plants, and all kinds of sets, big and small. I checked Brickset and saw there have been 927 sets released this year. Of course these include books, magazines, magazine gifts and promotional sets, but it’s still a big number.
This year was an interesting one for Buka Bricks. First, we had guest bloggers after a long time. Some wrote more, some wrote less, but thanks to them there were different points of view, different themes were discussed. Even though the blog started its life in November 2020, it celebrated its first anniversary in April 2024 – a whole year without breaks, with at least one article published every week. A decision was made in June, and animals became the main focus of the blog, resulting in the most extensive animal article archive you can find on the web. The blog became bilingual in August, able to reach a wider audience. While it made some things harder, we still managed. And finally, we had our second photography contest in November.
Meanwhile the founder of the blog (me :) ) kept herself busy, too. She had some LEGO-related activities in real life while keeping up with the blog. She met with other AFOLs, who led her to new opportunities, new friendships. There were some disappointments, too; I mean who would’ve thought the LEGO museum that opened with such a bang would close down in a few months? Still, she added that to her experience list and moved on. She had the chance to visit three different LEGO stores in one year; Kanyon (Istanbul), Kentpark (Ankara) and TerraCity (Antalya). Okay, fine, I regularly visit the last one, but it still counts as an achievement when you consider the previous years :)
Although he hasn’t been very active lately, I think Yiğit starting to write on the blog is a huge plus, too. Thanks to his articles and videos, not only had I the chance to “meet” various AFOLs, but I also had a chance to learn about a super-rare event like the LEGO Inside Tour (translations on the way). We had a great chat when he came to Antalya, and became friends. For someone who had little chance to share her hobby with others, this was a treasure to keep.
Just like Yiğit, Daniel (a.k.a. ifolbricks) brought a new point of view, too. We met through Sam the minifigure, and our relationship evolved into a nice friendship. Reading his set reviews, seeing his LEGO-themed projects, admiring his sincerity… and suddenly I was traveling the world with him.
I wouldn’t want to leave Berk out, either, an employee at the Antalya LEGO Store. He contributed with a great review of a set that, in my opinion, is one of the best first releases of 2024. I was hoping he’d be able to write more, but he’s working non-stop so he rarely finds the time. But who knows, maybe we’ll see him more in 2025.
And finally, I’d like to mention Yuki, the last guest blogger of 2024. They say expect the unexpected, and that’s the case here. A subject that started in our chat channel turned into a nice article written in the format of a discussion (translation on the way). I found myself facing an interesting point of view. Even though I’ve come across similar opinions before, it was my first time hearing them from someone his age. Our discussion forced me to think, and thanks to Yuki I was able to get away from the daily hassle and go back in time.
Long story short, 2024 has been a great year for both me and the blog. We have a saying in Turkish for those who travel, “Never mind what you ate & drank, but tell us about the places you saw.” Never mind about the sets, minifigures or the animals I purchased, but I just told you about the beautiful people I met. I know I look at life through rose-tinted glasses most of the time, maybe more than I should. But tell me, don’t we have enough worries, enough problems already? Aren’t all our lives filled with difficulties? Would it be wrong to forget about them and pretend they don’t exist, even for a short while, and let our inner kid roam? Life goes on either way, and stupidity will find us no matter where we are in the world. “I wish I could be a kid again, not a care in the world.” If you’re reading this, it means you managed to protect your inner child somehow. Try to look at life through his/her eyes more often. True, it’s not a solution for every problem, but it’s very useful for keeping your sanity. Believe me, I speak from experience :)
I wish you all a great, healthy and happy new year. See you in 2025!
Some girls play with Barbie dolls, while others create small worlds with LEGO minifigures and continue to do so when they grow up. You can probably guess which group I belong to :)
