The year, 2025

Wow, another year is already coming to a close. It seems like just last week I was trying to get used to writing a 5 at the end of the date on my notes, and now here I am, a week away from jotting down 2026. It flew by, but in some ways, it also crawled and some moments came (and went) slow. Many things happened, a few places were visited, and a handful of cool people were met. This was a great year.

The year started off normal as always. Returning to work (I work as a software engineer) and trying to find the motivation to get things done after the holidays. Nothing too crazy or memorable happened in the first few months. It was mainly work, family, and trying to stay warm the rest of winter.

After a bit of time passed, I got the privilege of getting to take my sister to the ER for a nose bleed. Not just any normal nose bleed though, no. A mega one. A week before, she had a sinus surgery... not sure why she thought that was a good idea after the trauma we endured after sinus surgeries earlier in our childhood... Then she started back up on blood thinners she needs to well... not die. That's when the issues started. She called me one day asking if I could driver her to the ER to get checked out. Being the amazing brother I am, I dropped work stuff and headed to get her. We spent the rest of the day waiting for her nose to stop bleeding, until it just wouldn't stop and the surgeon needed to be called to go back in and cauterize everything. She is now perfectly fine, and it is nothing but a memory for everyone. Well and a great picture that would probably result in my death if I shared it here.

Winter left and spring came which meant allergies, pretty trees, and a few friends visiting me. I had some ducks come hang out some while I worked, the frog family moved back into my pond in the backyard, and the bunny who lives under my shed came out to play and say hello a few times. The evenings were loud with croaks of the frogs, and it was peaceful as the weather started to turn for the better here in Oklahoma.

Easter was right around the corner, which meant spending a lot of time with family and hanging out with everyone around here. Just a bit after, I ended up getting a bike for myself. I got it for an early 28th birthday gift to myself. My Cannondale Topstone 4 opened up a whole new world of health and fitness to me. I loved getting back onto a bike for the first time since growing up, and the sense of freedom and exploration it seemed to bring with it. Before I knew it, I was riding almost every day of the week, and building up to my first few 100+ mile weeks. I rode consistently, exploring some of the trails around the Oklahoma City metro area, and then decided (cause when I get into something, I GET INTO IT) to buy yet another bike... I have since sold my first to a coworker, and am absolutely loving my Canyon Grizl. In total, between late May and the end of the year, I have ridden a total of 1,379 miles with an elevation gain of over two times the height of Everest!

The summer brought more of the same. Bike rides and work dominated the theme of the season, but there a few fun other moments as well. I got to go on a short trip down to Dallas with some friends from college for a Rangers game, and I was also pulled back into the game of golf by coworkers! Up until this summer, I had played about 3 rounds of golf in the last 4/5 years. Some coworkers however helped get me back into the game, and I have now about 15 rounds under my belt this year alone. For the first time in my life, I have obtained an official USGA handicap. Nothing too amazing, but currently it is sitting at an 8.4 with the lowest of the season hitting a 7.2. There were some good rounds with cool people, and some... interesting conversations had out on the various courses this year, and I am thankful for the ones who got me back into the game which I loved so dearly not too long ago.

After a slow summer of work and golf, the adventure of my year kicked off. Starting on September 17th, I embarked on my biggest trip yet. Not just this year, but ever. After work, I flew to Seattle, WA where I spent the night. The next morning I boarded a cruise ship, the Carnival Luminosa, to embark on a trans Pacific cruise to Sydney, NSW. The trip would end up taking a total of 22 days, over which I visited some very cool places and met some very interesting people that I would end up calling friends. The first stop had us still in the US, stopping over in Honolulu for one night. While I was there, I got to see a Japanese temple on the north shore of O'ahu and also visited the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

As we traveled east, the times I was working shifted earlier and earlier so that I could keep scheduled with US central time and be available during 'normal' hours. One morning at around 4:00 AM, at the table pictured above, a man approached me and asked what I was doing on my laptop. I had a bit of a conversation with him, telling him that I was working and keeping up with Oklahoma time while traveling across the Pacific. We talked for a bit longer and I learned some about my new friend Steve. He left to go run some laps around the top deck while I finished up working for the day. This pattern continued the next few mornings. Work and coffee, talk with Steve, work and more coffee until the work day was done. After a few days of this, we docked in Papeete, Tahiti for our second stop! At this point I was ready to get off the ship and see some things other than just the ocean. I had a short tour scheduled that took around 3 hours in the morning, and then the rest of the day I had free. I got to wander around Papeete, seeing some things I wouldn't have by myself on the tour, and then finding a market on my own. On my way back to the ship, I ran into Steve who was finishing a trail run and going to grab lunch on board before exploring some more. I ended up joining him for lunch, and after we continued chatting over a drink on a street patio outside a restaurant down some random street in Tahiti. It was nice.

The next stop was just a short hop away in Moorea, where we were the very next day. I went on another small tour and got to experience a pineapple farming operation and see an amazing viewpoint of the island. I worked in the early morning, and will say this is probably the #1 prettiest place I've ever pushed code out to production from. After this short stopover, we had another week on the ship before reaching Noumea, New Caledonia. Here I explored on my own and with some friends I met onboard (Steve, Rob, and Janette) via a hop on hop off bus and my two feet. Neither Moorea, nor New Caledonia, was anything super special or amazing, but it was still awesome getting to see and explore places I likely will never end up going again.

Just a couple days after Noumea, the journey came to a close when the Luminosa docked in Sydney. I was officially 'down under'. Since I traveled with only a carry on size backpack, I chose the option to debark carrying all of my luggage. I got off the ship around 7:15 and by 7:25 am I was through customs and officially in Australia! The hotel I booked was only a short (30 minute) walk away through the Royal Botanical Gardens, so I embarked on my new journey to drop off my bag before exploring further. The city was super easy to get around, and to my surprise, seemed incredibly relaxed for a city of the size.

I ended up staying for just under a week in Sydney. The first night, I met up with a handful of friends from the ship, it ended up being exactly 5, for dinner and drinks at the oldest pub in Sydney, the Fortune of War. I had only a couple of things scheduled during my time in the city, and ended up gaining additional plans at dinner the first night at dinner, where I was invited to a lady's house for dinner because she thought I would be a good fit for her daughter. Ha, couldn't make something like that up if I tried. Steve and I were both invited a few nights out for dinner and conversation with her, her daughter, and some of their close friends in the city. The next few days leading up that, I was able to visit and take a tour of the Opera House and go on a wonderful bike tour of the city! I also ended up averaging around 28,000 steps a day, just meandering around trying to find some cool things. Fairly unlike my normal self, I ended up following through and going to dinner with Steve at our new friend's house. Her daughter did not show, so I ended up having dinner with a group of 4, all around my parent's age. What an experience.

Sydney was an good time, but it was quickly time for the next leg of my adventure! I flew out from Australia to meet my parents (who also were on a long trip) in Barcelona, Spain. I had two flights to get there from Sydney, which ended up being around a total of 24 hours total, with close to 21 of them in the air. I arrived early morning and easily got a taxi to the hotel where I'd be staying, and where my parents already were staying. Walking up to the hotel, I was greeted by my dad, which was nice after traveling for 4 weeks by myself! I only had one day in Barcelona, but it was nice. My parents spent some time taking me to eat and showing me all the cool things I needed to try to see in a single day.

The next day, we hopped on ANOTHER ship, this time to cross the Atlantic coming back home. The stops on this ship were pretty opposite of the last I was just on, coming almost entirely at the beginning of the voyage. We had one day at sea before having what felt like 3 ports in a row. I was able to explore Cádiz, Málaga, and Tenerife in these stops! No excursions planned or booked for any of the stops on this leg of the trip, so I was able to just get off the ship with my parents and explore. I ended up getting to see some really cool things like Alcazaba in Málaga and the cathedral in Cádiz. It was nice and relaxing just exploring at our own pace and enjoying the nice food that Spain had to offer.

We slowly trekked across the ocean and arrived back in Orlando after what seemed like a long long time. We flew back home the same day of getting back to the US, and I was able to conclude my trip which began Sept. 17th, on Oct. 30th. Back just in time for Halloween and fall!

This fall and winter thus far have been slow. It has been a good slow. It has been filled with walks at the park with my dad, enjoying the leaves changing, good food with family, and harvesting two whole apples from my honey crisp tree in my backyard! Since being back, I have gotten back into riding my bike again, and even signed up for 4 big events next year. I was lucky enough to get into SBT GRVL and Unbound for 2026, so the remainder of this year will be filled with holidays (of course) and training so I can be ready for those events!

The year of 2025 was a great one. It had moments of slow, and it had moments of go. Plenty of exploring, but also plenty of rest. There was good and bad, but the good things always seem to outweigh. I, just like everyone, have no idea what the next year will truly bring, but I do hope that it is just as good as the one that just was, if not better.