I’ve drafted this post 2 days ahead of NYE; very unlike me. Historically, I’ve written it –
- in the first week
- a month later
- 2 months later
- that one time when I wrote it 6 months later
You can look them all up easily by searching my blog for the phrase happy new year.
Writing my yearly roundup has been a tradition here on my blog. I enjoy doing it ’cause it gives me an idea of how my year went by, forcing me to think about all the things I did over the year and to actually focus on and appreciate things that I didn’t, during the time. Typically, the way I gather this info is by going over the following –
- Photos app on my phone in the Month view
- My Instagram profile
- My blog
- My RoamResearch Achievement Log (this is relatively new to the list)
- Apple Health app
Health
I think I was doing well in terms of health until August. It’s pretty much been downhill since then. I had a severe episode of BPPV that lasted for about 1.5 months. I hated it and it really fucked with my head. It ended up being a very low time for me in terms of self-confidence. Physically and mentally, it was taxing. I can say that I’m over it now. I’ve gotten better and currently still going through rehab. I couldn’t have done it without the love and support of my wonderful wife. I’m extremely grateful for her presence in my life.
I lost some weight but that requires a separate blog post.
Sleep
I really messed up my sleep this year. When I fell sick, I was forced to get some rest and that in a way, put me back on the right track in terms of sleep. I got my average sleep time up, but it was still behind 2023.
Because my sleep was so bad, I had a sleep study done to see why I wasn’t able to sleep well.
As part of the study, I was put in a hotel room and hooked up with a bunch of sensors. It was a fascinating, awkward, and expensive (it’s not covered by insurance). Having someone watch you sleep is a very weird experience and trying to fall sleep knowing someone is watching you is very hard. Anyway, the results were clean. Turns out, I just needed to calm down and meditate.
Fitness
I was very good in terms of fitness this year — *drumroll* — till August. In spite of me exercising only till August, my numbers were still comparable and better in some scenarios compared to my previous year’s numbers.
I ran only one race this year. It was a 5K.
Career
At work, I got promoted to a Lead Software Engineer.
Travel
I traveled a bit this year.
- Arizona
- Miami, FL to watch the GOAT
- Montana
- New York, NY to watch Robert Downey Jr. in his theater debut, McNeal
- Houston, TX
- San Diego, CA
Others
- Got to see Rainn Wilson in-person
- Got to watch Megadeth perform live for the first time.
- Attended a pottery class and it was fun! Highly recommend as a couple activity.
- Hiked the Potato Chip Rock & Mt. Woodson Summit for our wedding anniversary.
- I wrote 17 blog posts. 30 fewer than 2023. Also, 2024 marked the 15th year of my blog’s existence.
I think 2025 will be an exciting year and I can’t wait to see how I evolve as an individual and take on what’s ahead. I’m excited and looking forward to it.
I wish you all a happy and healthy new year!