We're already a few days into 2026, and like a lot of people, I've been reflecting on the last 12 months and thinking about my goals for this year.
2025 was a year of a lot of big changes for me - mostly positive changes, but there were a lot of challenges along the way too.
I wrote last year about our plans to move to the London area, and in April, we finally made the move to the London commuter belt, renting a small flat in the centre of Reading. I moved from my company's Bristol office to the London office, and not long afterwards, Claudio started his first job in the UK. So, things were really looking up for us!
However, at the same time, I was increasingly struggling at work, trying to do the job of at least two people (for a salary far lower than I deserved), while also searching for a new job that would suit me better. I got plenty of interviews and even reached a couple of final stages, but unfortunately received no offers. Months of this, along with continuing in a stressful job I didn't enjoy, really took its toll on me. As my notice period was very long (two months), I eventually came to the decision that I would have to quit with nothing else lined up. I hoped that I would get an offer before the end of the notice period, but that didn't happen.
However, things haven't worked out too badly. I finished my job two months ago, and though I haven't had any offers yet, it's done me good to have some time away from the corporate grind. Plus, I passed assessments to work as an independent contractor on an online platform training AI models - work that I find interesting and that has good hourly rates. I'm still searching for a permanent role, but it makes a big difference to have a flexible income coming in to support my search.
I turned 30 in October, and I'd hoped to be able to write here about landing a great role before reaching that milestone. Of course, life isn't that straightforward, and the job market is pretty horrible at the moment. Still, I feel much better for having made the decision to leave an environment that was having a negative effect on me. I feel motivated in this new year to increase my earnings on the online platform and to find a permanent role that properly utilises my skills in a company that values me. That will allow Claudio and I to achieve the goals we have for 2026, such as moving to a bigger place in a more peaceful area and getting a car. I also really, really hope that this will be the year that we'll finally be able to adopt a cat!
Travel
Outside of everything else that was going on with our lives and careers, 2025 was a pretty exciting year where we travelled quite a lot.
Since moving to Reading, we've spent plenty of weekends exploring London and other nearby places. We've also had short breaks away to Dover, London, Nottingham and Bath.
Best of all, we had two fantastic trips abroad.
In February/March, we went on our honeymoon to Thailand. It was our first trip to Asia and one of the most amazing holidays we've ever had. We had a great few days in Bangkok, exploring temples, parks and different neighbourhoods, and taking a day trip to the historic city of Ayutthaya. After that, we flew south for a weekend of glamping in the jungle! This was quite a unique travel experience unlike anything we'd done before - we got to meet elephants, take a long-tail boat to a camp in the middle of a lake, and go trekking through the rainforest. The final part of our holiday was a relaxing week at a beach resort in Khao Lak, where we managed to fit in a couple of day trips: visiting the famous "James Bond Island" and other nearby sights, and going snorkelling in the Surin Islands. An unforgettable couple of weeks!
Then in October, we spent a few days in Barcelona to celebrate my 30th birthday. Even though Claudio's phone got stolen, we had a great time seeing the beautiful sights of the city and spending time at the beach and by the pool.
No travel plans for 2026 yet, but I'm sure we'll go somewhere exciting at some point this year!
I'll be writing here again soon! Happy New Year and happy travels everyone 馃榾
My 2025 highlights from left to right, starting from top left: Our hotel in Bangkok, meeting elephants in Khao Sok National Park, James Bond Island (all in Thailand), Reading, our UK marriage blessing and celebration, and Barcelona
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