The 2025 Retrospective

2025 was the year of finding my rhythm. I experimented relentlessly - supplements, diet, sleep, clothing brands, tools - trying to be objective about what actually works for me.

Some highlights:

• Started the year in the US with family. The Waymo self-driving taxis genuinely blew my mind.
• Drove 700km in a convertible BMW through the French Riviera, then took a helicopter tour of Monaco.
• Discovered Mulu National Park in Malaysia. It’s now my favorite place in the world to unwind.
• Went kayaking in the Calanques near Marseille.
• No more Goa. The taxi mafia and overpriced hotels have earned my boycott.
• Built a DIY plane spotting system with a Raspberry Pi and YOLOv11. Hit the front page of HN.
• Claude Code has 10x’d my development velocity.
• Broke my 1500-day Duolingo streak. Switched from French to Japanese - aiming for N2 in 18 months. Currently studying 1.5-2 hours daily.
• Read 21 books. Devoured all 12 Cradle books in about 3 months, they’re sooo good.
• Wrote 7 blog posts.
• Great year for games. Expedition 33 was phenomenal. Playing Battlefield 6 regularly with friends is a blast.
• Saw Linkin Park live.
• Bought my first car! A Kia Carens for my parents.
• New daily watch: Seiko Cocktail Time Mojito (SRPE45).
• Bought a JetKVM. Tinkered a lot this year.

I’m incredibly grateful for my friends and family. Couldn’t ask for better.

Here’s to more consistency in 2026.