I try to get my reviews done at the beginning of the year. The last two weeks of December are a great time for me to reflect, and that culminates in written form before life picks back up again in January. I like keeping these records for numerous reasons:

  1. They're good for me to reference — I write them first for myself.
  2. I like to add in details for friends and family who haven't seen me in a while.
  3. Then I add in what I'm thinking. The challenges I'm having. These I write for anyone: you are not alone.

This past year was different for me. I wanted to check-in, but not for me. There was no need. This past year was loud and long, a march to a finish line that I couldn't see and didn't care to reach. I didn't need a recap, I was aware of every ache and pain, every high and low.

If 2025 were a hike, it'd be one part the view, one part the exercise, and a pebble in each shoe.

Out and About

As in recent years, I spent a fair bit of time in my least favorite city in the world: Wilmington, DE. Every time I travel for work I try to love it, but it always reminds me of Polaris, OH. That is to say, a big parking lot — but in this case it's the entire state.

I will admit that some recent travel abroad has made my view of American cities somewhat harsher. After missing our honeymoon during the pandemic, Danielle and I finally got around to a trip to the UK this past May, which was definitely a highlight of the year. I still miss the walkability of London and Edinburgh. Don't even get me started on the public transportation.

1 / 9
A flower stand in Covent Garden.
2 / 9
A cloudy day at St. Paul's Cathedral.
3 / 9
A nifty sign not far from our London hotel.
4 / 9
A view from our brief tour of Oxford.
5 / 9
A lovely cluster of buildings in Edinburgh.
6 / 9
A mix of old and new in Edinburgh.
7 / 9
The Three Sisters of Glencoe.
8 / 9
Some very sleepy cows.
9 / 9
The team and I at CodeMash 2026.

I also spent some time in New Jersey (but alas, only for work) and since my last update, two runs of CodeMash. If you're in the Great Lakes region and are looking for a technology conference nearby, I would certainly recommend it!

The Content Diet

TODO — I'll get to this someday soon. I promise. ;)

Beyond the Mind

As usual, a lot of my time outside was spent in the garden. I don't think Danielle and I will ever do well enough that the harvest is worth the monetary investment. It's hard to compete with a modern grocery store. But for an excuse to get under the sun and snack on food I grew myself, I'll put the effort in each and every year.

Tabletop gaming dominated free time, and continues to do so 6 weeks into 2026. We've been playing Draw Steel for our regular campaign, and I've returned to GMing a West Marches campaign called The Maelstrom March. We've also played a ton of board games — special shout out to Inis and Nemesis.

This has led to a lot of crafting, but mostly painting terrain. I still have a healthy pile of unpainted plastic, and a number of 3D models I aim to get printing. My main blocker is a good ventilation system in the basement, which I made progress on in 2025, but not to the level I need.

I find myself writing every now and again, but mostly for my tabletop campaigns. I struggle to balance the mental tax of my day job and the mental energy required to write, which is also why I rarely program outside of work. These old hobbies fading bothers me less and less as the years go by. I'd rather focus on a few things, and do them well.

The Seventh Level of Task-Tracking Hell

I came full circle on tracking tasks this year. In college I managed my day-to-day agenda with a piece of paper in my pocket and a detailed calendar. I kept my notes for all courses in a single notebook. My jobs were washing dishes and waiting tables, and I lived in the same house as all but one of my friends. I had very few hobbies and barely enough money to live, let alone try new things.

Now that I have the spare income to fund multiple projects, enough hobbies for five people, three times the friends and family, a mentally-taxing job, and a house full of maintenance to do, you'd think I'd need a more complicated system.

I don't need a more complicated system.

I replaced physical notebooks with Obsidian on my phone and computer. My paper task list has returned in digital form with TickTick. I still use Google Calendar after all these years, but I'm looking for something better. That's it. That's all I need. Everything else is theater.

Constraints and Counterweights

So why I have hesitated to write this past year's review? Well, here we are.

Last year was a lot.

Paying attention to the news often felt like reading a horror novel. That's gotten even worse since the start of 2026. I find I have to pace myself lately, catching up every two or three days, rather than risk getting overwhelmed. I've been disappointed in my nation lately, and in some of the people I share it with.

My professional life was similarly stressed. The rise of generative AI has many questioning the future of software engineering, and a significant portion of my friends and colleagues were laid off. 2025 felt like a year of "just business", in a way I haven't felt in my career so far.

This was also the year we had to say goodbye to Auri. When someone is a part of your life — a part of your family — for so long, it's impossible to fill to space they leave behind. I'm grateful for the time we had with her, and that she was able to go peacefully. But I still miss her every day.

In times like these, I think it's important to stay close to the people you care about. I spent a lot of time in 2025 socializing, which is unusual for me. But that's where the stress and the anxiety falls away. Fight for what you believe in. Do what you need to survive. Try to work a laugh in.

Find your counterweights, and love them with all of your heart.

Wrapping Up

If you've made it this far, thanks for your time, and for caring about little ol' me.

I hope all is well with you and yours, and I'll see you in the next one.