Reflections on 2025: What I Learned and Lost

Photo by Jingda Chen on Unsplash

Believe it or not, I’m typing this at the office. Yep, even on December 31st my workplace is still running. Guess that’s what adulthood feels like. Back when I was a kid, New Year’s Eve meant thinking about BBQs since the morning. It used to be all about grilling, hanging out with friends, and talking until sunrise. Now? Not really. Things have changed, friends have gone their own ways. I still have one or two who stick around, and I’m grateful for them.

Love Life

2025 marks two years of my relationship. Things are getting serious. I’ve started saving up for marriage and even met her family. Honestly, I was nervous at first, but it went well. Her family welcomed me warmly, and mine’s pretty chill about it.

This year taught me a lot about understanding my partner. I’m not perfect, but she says I’ve become more consistent and better overall. Sure, we’ve had ups and downs, even moments where breaking up crossed our minds, but I’m thankful we’re still together. 

Work

Work this year felt smooth. No big challenges, everything just flowed. And I’m grateful it wasn’t rough like my old job. Mostly I’ve been building landing pages, microsites, fixing leftover bugs, that kind of stuff. With AI, things feel way easier.

I do want to learn Go though, because right now I feel like I’m on autopilot. After my coworker moved to Bali, I got closer to one of my seniors. At first I thought he wouldn’t want to hang out, but turns out we clicked. He’s opening up bit by bit, though sometimes he still seems defensive. Maybe he’s just not fully comfortable sharing certain things yet.

Music

This year I explored a lot. I discovered blackgaze bands like Deafheaven. At first the thick wall of sound made me want to puke, but eventually I started enjoying it. I also went wider with Frank Sinatra and David Bowie.

The rest was me bouncing around genres I’ve already loved: shoegaze, Dream Theater, Buckethead, math rock, and so on.

Friendships

I lost quite a few friends this year. My old hangout group went quiet, barely meeting up anymore. At first I was shocked, even grieving, but I got used to it. A few friends still hang out with me, but I feel emotionally disconnected from the old crew.

I guess every era has its people, and every person has their era.

New Stuff

On the material side, I finally bought a bunch of things that used to just sit on my wishlist. Upgraded my laptop RAM, got new IEM, got a 27-inch monitor, speakers, basically built a mini-setup. Total game changer.

My dad even donated an AC. At first I was worried about electricity bills, but turns out it’s manageable. Makes me wonder why I didn’t do it earlier.

Closing

So yeah, that’s my 2025. A year of learning, losing, and growing. Hoping 2026 shines brighter and brings better things in every way.

Like Banda Neira said: “What’s broken will grow. What’s lost will be replaced.”

Goodbye 2025. It’s been nice having you.