2025 Year in Review

When I reflect on 2025 it's hard to not focus on one thing: that I was pregnant (and still am as of this moment. Due in 2 weeks.) It is easy to just say that's what the year was full of and that's that. 4 months before I found out I was pregnant, I had written down my 2024 recap and what my hopes and dreams for 2025 were. They were as follows:

• Exploring more of the UK
• Get my UK license
• Establish a routine of barre & reformer pilates (in progress!)
• More frequent fancy spa days
• Create a community gathering (details coming soon)
• Sell more books
• Build out Design for Developers The Expanded Resource
• Continue to build out my YouTube (I'd love it if you'd subscribe)
• Continue to prioritize reading (I'm reading books 7, 8 and 9 already)
• Speak at a few events (get in touch)
• Redesign my personal site (lol) and this blog
• I am overdue for mountain biking
• Travel
• A never ending house project list
• More design projects

And upon reflecting, I didn't do so poorly when it came to checking things off the list despite being unable to function for a few months.

• Exploring more of the UK (Visited Manchester, Bath and Hunstanton)
• Get my UK license (completed in August)
• Establish a routine of barre & reformer pilates (Until the first trimester wiped me out)
• Prioritize reading (I beat my goal of 40 books and am on track to finish 47)
• Redesigned this blog
• Travel (A trip to San Francisco, two Seattle trips, a trip to Spain and Croatia)
• A never ending house project list (We finally got carpet in and re-did the front of the house)
• More design projects (Designed the Servo and Wolvic websites)

Some things fell off the list because they just weren't a priority with my energy levels. We did not travel as much as I would have liked to and that is largely due to pregnancy. I didn't have time to focus on building out my site for Design for Developers and you can forget trying to start a community gathering. I stopped vlogging for a little bit, again due to the pregnancy, and started back up again toward the end of summer.

I got really into bird watching and would have liked to visit a few specific spots but I became less mobile and less inclined to go for long walks after we did a 3 mile loop in my second trimester and I thought my hips and tailbone were going to crumble.

Surrendering to physical change #

I have not accepted the temporary descent into being less mobile and active well or silently. I am an active person and while it's not the run 5 miles sort of active, I like to be out and about and my inability to walk very far or go out without feeling anxious has been difficult. There have been multiple bouts of tears of frustration and pain. It's only in these last few weeks have I been okay with asking Jhey to bring me something from the other room so I don't have to get up. I'm stubborn and hyper-independent.

In place of being out and about, I've mostly been reading and learning how to knit. I have a sweater I need to put together, and I am knitting a baby blanket. I've also fallen back in love with cooking.

During the height of the pandemic, I leaned into cooking and cocktail making. Then from about late 2022 to this year, I struggled with making time for cooking. I tried meal delivery kits and quickly grew tired of the lack of takeaway options in Bedford. I started meal planning again and ordering groceries online. I find cooking a lovely escape from online and tech, and there is nothing more satisfying than taking a bite out of a flavorful dish you made. It's been nice to reclaim my time in the evening and put it toward cooking.

A change of life plans #

Another unexpected turn of events came about after I returned from Seattle in July. It's no secret I miss Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, but something clicked for Jhey too and we started toying with the idea of moving to the USA and back to Seattle. It is a much longer process to get him to the USA than to get me to the UK but we started the process.

There will be people who will think we are crazy for deciding to move back but life is too short to be unhappy where you're at. Those people are not Jhey and I. They don't have our dreams and hopes and plans. Our support network is much more vast in the USA. We're excited and that's all that matters.

Hopes and dreams for 2026 #

I am ending this year in a much softer and quiet place. I'm tired (for obvious reasons). I have a few hopes for 2026 but I am not putting a lot of pressure on myself.

My main goal: me and baby safely leave the hospital healthy and happy.

Everything else is secondary.

I'm looking forward to being able to walk more than a half mile without wanting to keel over. I miss taking long walks with my dog. I am antsy to get back to pilates and barre classes. I would like us to be able to travel much later in the year.

But realistically it's hard to plan anything for next year. I have no idea how I'm going to feel or how I'm going to adjust to our new life. I'm already in taking it day by day mode.

I think that's all I can do right now and that's okay.