December is always a good time to look back on the year. I find these recaps helpful for remembering the good bits, acknowledging the trickier ones, and making sure I don’t drag unhelpful habits into the next year.
Settling Into My 40s
I started 2025 at 40 (turned 41 in September), so this feels like my first proper year of being in my 40s. Things feel more settled, I understand myself better, and I’ve stopped saying yes to things I don’t actually want to do.
The main challenge is that my body occasionally needs me to slow down, even when my mind is still racing. This year, “less is more” became a useful reminder for most things – training, friendships, daily life.
Work brought more responsibilities, but I’m fortunate to work with smart, supportive people, which made a real difference.
Time With Family
I went home to celebrate Lunar New Year at the start of the year. Since I live and work abroad, I don’t often get back during this time, so it was lovely to spend proper time with family and friends and eat plenty of good food. Health and time with loved ones matter more to me than anything else, and I’m glad I made it happen.
I managed to go back and spend more time with my family again this summer. I also joined friends on a short trip to explore Kota Kinabalu, which reminded me just how beautiful Borneo is. It made me feel quite proud to be born there, and I’d definitely like to explore more of the island.
Solo Trips & Little Adventures
I took two solo trips this year – to Santiago de Compostela and Stuttgart. Walking around on my own, going for morning runs and trying out local gyms, exploring at my own pace, and experiencing local culture really helped me reset. It’s something I should do more often.
I also had quick stopovers in Shanghai and Shenzhen. If you’ve read my earlier post, you’ll know Shenzhen left quite an impression on me. Seeing how quickly the city’s grown and how much the tech scene has developed was genuinely inspiring.
During a trip to Taipei, I visited Kaohsiung and Cijin Island as well. Even though it was rainy season and a typhoon had just passed through, I still managed to see everything I’d planned.
Looking Ahead
I didn’t tick off many new countries this year, but the experiences I had were worthwhile. These days I prefer going to places where I know I’ll have a good time rather than worrying about the logistics. Every trip – big or small – taught me something new and reminded me to keep exploring when I can.
All in all, 2025 has been a really good year for me. There weren’t any particularly bad experiences, and I’ve been quite fortunate to have more enjoyable moments than before. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t worried about having a midlife crisis at this age, but it turns out my 40s are actually rather nice.
I know more challenges are coming next year – they always do – but I feel like I’ve got a decent foundation now to handle whatever comes my way. I’m hoping to keep living the life I want and feeling content with it. That feels like a reasonable goal.
Here’s to 2026.
