Thank You 2025, Next

Twenty-twenty-five was the year of the Wood Snake. It’s said to bring transformation, resilience and renewal through shedding skin. Leave some endings in a closed chapter to enter a new beginning. I couldn’t fully grasp the strength it would have taken me to survive the last 12 months. Every month brought a distressing event chained after one another; it was a long journey with so many turns. I felt I was constantly catching my breath. I juggled between a shifting industry in my career, stepping into the chapter of new home owners and renovations, testing my existential crisis, and new explorations. There was never a dull moment between excitement, courage, fatigue, and heartbreak. As I look back, the past challenges led me to finding patience and strength within myself while peeling layers of trauma.

Here’s a stroll into memory lane and brave thoughts for the coming year of 2026.

Best Restaurant Discovery

To kick off my year retrospective on an exciting note, I have to talk about my favourite topic of all time: restaurants! My boyfriend and I discovered Primo & Secondo, an Italian staple in Montreal since its opening in 2001. We’re 24 years late to the party, but I’m glad that the restaurant is still alive and can showcase its Authentic meals. They remind me of the great days I spent in Italy, discovering its culinary scene. Every sip and bite that evening was divine: I love a Limoncello spritz and fresh pasta. You cannot go wrong with those.

Fun fact: đẹp trai and I used to go to our treasured restaurant called Chez Sophie, before they closed down in 2023, whose chef, Sophie Tabet, started her career at Primo & Secondo. It all makes sense in how we connect so much with both restaurants.

Vacation Highlight

While our travels were mainly short stays this year, I still get obsessed with every single trip. We really create the best times for ourselves. Our vacation highlight of the year is New Orleans, Louisiana. While the city has its unique character with its French Creole, Spanish, African and Caribbean influences, its fleur-de-lis (⚜) symbol made us feel a little closer to our Montreal home in Quebec. I’m sure you can guess it by now; we had so much fun on our self-organized food excursion. We love Creole and Cajun food and spices. Their beignets (powdered sugar doughnuts) are simply perfect. I don’t need additional glaze or cream; just a good, deep-fried dough with a sprinkle of sweetness on top to go with a nice cup of black coffee. We appreciate the “Southern hospitality” and musical talent of the locals. We felt very welcomed and enchanted by their live jazz shows.

Gratifying Milestone

We’re very proud to become homeowners for the first time. Not only was it a proud achievement this year, but it was also one of the most significant milestones as a couple. We chose a home located in our favourite neighbourhood. It’s lively, and the food scene here is rich, shaped by flavors from around the world. Everything is nearby and within walking distance; we have access to ethnic supermarkets, specialty shops and large-surface hardware stores. Living close to a farmers' market is a game-changer in our daily routine. I spend my happy days roaming around fresh local produce and admiring a whole aisle of 20+ brands and types of extra virgin olive oils or tomato sauces. Yep, I’m definitely at that stage of my life where I find joy in little things like that.

Our house is a blank canvas to design the home that we desire. It’s an exciting process, and I’m daydreaming about how beautiful our space will look once the renovations are complete. I find pleasure in putting together a mood board with my selection of porcelain tiles, faucets, paint colours, and even pre-selected furniture and appliances. It’s so lit to be able to focus on the creativity aspect because I’m leaving the budget management part to my partner, who actually enjoys it. Go team work!

Blind Spot

While we had a lot to celebrate, we had one more reason to honour our year by welcoming our child. Unfortunately, at my first ultrasound appointment, we were devastated to learn that our baby didn’t have a heartbeat. That moment left me with no words. It felt like a slow death; I eventually stopped hearing what the doctor was saying, and everything just started to play in slow motion in front of my eyes while my heart was sinking. It was a pain I’ve never dealt with before. I never thought I’d become a parent in a million years, but the day I learned I was pregnant, I started thinking differently. I felt an unrecognizable bold energy and had so much love to give, but all of that happiness went away so suddenly. I felt such a profound sadness and mourned in silence. I kept moving forward even if it was intolerable; I continued showing up at work and kept my regular habits without sharing the news with my family or friends. I was so focused on moving forward, even if it meant I had to carry this agony wherever I went, rather than stopping everything.

I’ve been grieving while putting on my brave face to continue in life. There’s not a single day that I forget about our loss. I will always remember the day of July 31st, 2025.

Manifestation For 2026

There’s been consistently a pattern in my life where all the hardships I’ve come across in the past have led me to a better continuation. However, this year felt more like a lingering culmination, perhaps due to residual hurt and fatigue. As the Wood Snake sheds its skin to grow and to heal, I would also like to take a step forward into the unknown coming in 2026, the year of the Fire Horse. It’s a chapter of transformation and bold actions. I’m manifesting a new era of exciting travels that has already begun with our last-minute call to Stockholm, redefining the sense of home in our new residence, and excellent health to encourage me to keep up with anything mentally or physically. Additionally, I will keep prioritizing my well-being. I will work on nurturing my relationship with đẹp trai so that we both remember how lucky we are to have each other.

I’m looking forward to writing this new chapter with more memories. Cheers and here’s to being human.