My heart overflowed with love and gratitude as the year ended.
December was busy, yes, but it wasn’t frantic. I enjoyed a much-appreciated break from work; I relished the company of family and friends; and I took some time to reflect on the year that was. All things considered, December was a fresh and plump cherry atop the delightful span that was 2025.
Money
| Savings Bucket | Savings Goals Met % |
| Long-Term | 133% |
| Travel | 100% |
| Gifts | 100% |
I ended the year right by completing all my deposits. For 2026, I have automated the transfers so I wouldn’t need to track them. Progress!
Fitness
| Exercise Days | 7 |
| Run | 5 |
| Walk | 1 |
| Climb | 1 |
I wish I was able to ramp up my workout days before December ran out, but alas, I chose the cozy path instead. Fingers crossed the glitter of the new year gets my butt moving again.
Reading
I read Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico. It’s a slim novel about a couple Anna and Tom who live a picture-perfect lifestyle. They migrate to a city they love, they work from home, they hang out with like-minded friends — fellow immigrants who are also into cooking and contemporary art — and they keep a cozy apartment where they listen to bands like LCD Soundsystem for fun.
Anna and Tom live a hip and Instagrammable life — yet, somehow, they still feel stuck and drenched in ennui.
The story has a traceable plot but it is mostly descriptions of Anna and Tom’s life presented in a manner that is vague enough to not truly discern the couple’s personalities, but broad enough to reflect onto them a portrayal of a certain ilk of people — a certain generation, perhaps?
I saw a past version of myself in the couple, and I was also reminded of people I know in real life. The novel carries within its pages the existential weight that pulls many (young) people down while it asks the same question that The Submarines ask in a song: here we are in the center of the first world / it’s laid out for us, who are we to break down?
Latronico doesn’t have an answer, and by god neither do I.
I also read Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller. It’s a biography of scientist David Starr Jordan, a memoir, and an exploration of cladistics all rolled into one.
I love how Miller juxtaposes her mental health struggles with the life and career trajectory of Jordan. That Jordan was a staunch advocate of eugenics turned me off, and although this fact was addressed in the book, the discussion strayed from racism, a tenet among lunatic purists like Jordan.
The part about “fish” as an inaccurate biological category was mind-blowing. Calling them “fish” is akin to calling all animals that live on a mountain the same thing, which we don’t do — so why call fish, fish?
The book explains it better, and I’m sure there are better books out there about this topic. To do in 2026 (or whenever I get to it): read Naming Nature by Carol Kaesuk Yoon.
Social
December featured an abundance of year-end gatherings.
A big highlight was when I played host and invited people over. I cooked all the dishes for Christmas dinner (see below for some of the stuff I made), then I just ordered platters for the other get-togethers.
L and I also hosted a White Elephant gift exchange. We supplied all the gifts and they were all useful unlike the traditional silly knick-knacks. I love spoiling the people I love, so I didn’t mind the expense (plus it helped that I had been saving for gifts throughout the year).
I am truly thankful for the relationships I’ve built and the families I have — they are my best-est blessings in 2025.
Firsts and Finds
One of my favorite music finds in 2025 is a song called Cause and Effect by Toledo. I discovered it using Gnoosic, a website that recommends an artist based on three musicians you like. Toledo came up after I entered Babygirl, Lorde, and HAIM.
(Disclaimer: Gnoosic is AI-powered, in case that matters to you.)
Fails and Flops
I’m sure I’ve had several minor fails in December but the New Year shimmer has dimmed them out. Hurrah!
Looking Ahead
I don’t have any grand plans for 2026. I just want to be able to stick to healthy habits; everything else, I will figure out along the way.
Thank you, dear reader, for dropping by my blog in 2025. See you again in 2026?
Happy new year!
sure. wait. what? 
Leave a comment