This year has been a year of a lot of challenges, change, and quite honestly pain. I’m happy to see it come to an end and looking forward to what the future holds. I know I haven’t left all the struggles of this year behind me, but I’m hopeful that 2026 will be a better year.

2025 started off with a terrible admin taking power in the US which has been trying for everyone. We’ve seen a massive erosion of rights and freedoms and it’s been heartbreaking to watch. I’ve been trying to stay engaged politically and do what I can to help fight back against the worst of it, but it’s exhausting work.

In March my cat was diagnosed with splenic lymphoma and we decided to go through with chemotherapy. It’s been a long road with many ups and downs, but I wanted to give him as much time as possible. He wasn’t responding well to the first round of chemo so we switched to a different protocol. He seems to be doing better now, but it’s still a matter of waiting and seeing how long we can keep the cancer at bay. He also most recently had a stroke which left him with some mobility issues, but he’s improving each day. So, for now I’m just cherishing each moment with him.

On the work front not only did I move teams a few times in 2025, but I also changed companies. After a lot of thought I decided to leave my role at GitHub and join Launchdarkly as an engineering manager. It’s been a big change, but I’m enjoying the new challenges and opportunities. It was a tough decision to leave GitHub, but I felt like it was no longer the right fit for me.

My health was rough from both the work stress, personal stress, and the getting over long covid. I had a ton of fatigue and struggled with words for a long time. I’m finally starting to feel like myself again, but it’s been a long road. I’ve also been trying to be more active and take better care of myself.

There were other personal challenges that are too personal to share here, but suffice it to say 2025 has been a year of growth and learning. It’s been a year of a lot of pain, but also a year of resilience. I genuinely am really proud of myself for choosing the hard path of growth and change even when it would have been easier to stay stagnant.

However, through all of that I found myself trying to find the light in the darkness. The little sparks of joy. Snuggling with my cat and reading books. Taking some time to learn a new hobby and getting back into art. I learned how to pin bugs this year. I got more tattoos. I spent some more time on my roof with the telescope just looking at the stars, planets, galaxies, and nebulae. I spent time just sitting in my yard listening to the birds. The crows recognize me now and will come sit with me when I’m outside.

Nothing this year was gained easily. Everything felt like an uphill battle. But, I’m glad to say I’m still here. I’m still fighting. Looking to the stars helps remind me how small my problems really are. Butterflies and moths have always been symbols of metamorphosis and change, which feels fitting for this year. I’m looking forward to better and I feel like I’ve said this every year since 2016, but I really do hope 2026 is a better year for all of us. 🖤

Omega Nebula taken with my telescope from my roof

The first butterfly I pinned