2025 Reviewed
Hey it's a new year! We don't quite have seasons here which would have helped with marking time passed, but still a new year feels good, like an opportunity for a new start. I'm not expecting anyone other than my close friends to be reading this, so if you're new, thanks for coming! And reach out to me to say hello!
2025 is the first year in my adult life spent not working. I've had another sabbatical year years prior, but I ended up spending the year working for myself (and with friends), and being more stressed out than when I was a corporate worker ant. My team was dissolved in March, but it was something we could see a mile away. Incentive to maintain an engineering team in APAC was dwindling, and we were no longer working on products that leverage our geolocation.
Still I look back at the times with fondness. The organization had a knack for hiring smart and/but kind people, and good taste to run it. We were nudged to learn how to sell our work, and we had a running joke that we are training to be youtubers, not software engineers. But it seems like the rest of the world has caught up and now everyone is a content creator (although you might lament this change).
I spent 2025 how I have wanted a break to be, focusing on health and learning. I was asked often on how I was spending my time, I usually talk about picking up running and studying. But I also indulge myself with spending time that I couldn't have, pilates in the middle of the day, travelling an hour and half for a cup of coffee.
Still I had black hole months, there were months when I am fully locked in, strava streaks, Leetcode streaks and months where I had nothing to show for, and because I didn't journal I couldn't point out what happens to the black hole months (more on that later).
And of course I'm a software engineer, I build AI agents. I started November last year, and if you're feeling behind it couldn't be more true that you just need a week (or even a few days) to fully catch up with what's happening. But try and build something using the simplest of all tools (simple conversation API from one of the labs/providers) before trying out the frameworks/SDK.
On the hobbies front it was a great year. I averaged 2-3 in-person board game sessions a week, and now have 2 in-person board game groups also on BGA. I started taking classes on ceramics, couldn't be happier getting lost working with my hands on 3 hours stretches. I started a home based cafe sharing coffee that I like (it's always the fruity ones). Although I have yet to serve a non-friend customer, I actually don't mind that it continues this way, it's just an excuse to see friends that I haven't seen in a while. And possibly the year that I spent more days than ever travelling.
2026 new beginnings.
I want to spend this year writing more notes. I want an intelligent robot to analyse my life and give me pointers. And so it needs data.
I want to spend the year posting more. Do I want to be a content creator? No. Do I have to, because my secret goal in life is to have as many friends as possible? Yes. I just want to find my gang and they can't find me if I'm not telling them what I like.
I want to still have the time and space to learn. Having the luxury of time is great, but with good luck I might go back to full time work this year. So the strength to carve out time for what's important.