I always find this to be a strange time of year. I never seem to know what day it is, yet Christmas feels like it was a month ago. It’s a weirdly disorienting, timeless week where no one seems to know what’s going on—and then the new year arrives, and suddenly everything is back to routine. Back to normal.
Every year, I see this meme on Facebook.
Meme widely shared online; original creator unknown.
And every year, I think how true it is… except maybe the cheese part. But I guess that depends on the year.
(And now I’m wondering—have I eaten a lot of cheese since Christmas? Hmmm.)
Anyway… back on track.
I can’t believe the year is almost over. Where the heck did 2025 go?
New Year’s Eve always makes me think of my Aunt Polly. Years ago, she was determined that she was going to stay up to ring in the New Year. And she did. Well… almost.
She made it to 11:58 p.m., then fell asleep for a few minutes—and woke up at 12:01.
The ball in Times Square had dropped. The old year had ended. The new one had begun. And she had missed it… all because of a three-minute nap.
And boy, was she mad. But she got over it, and it became a funny story to tell—and a wonderful memory.
My mum and I talk about it every year, and every year we laugh. And I sincerely believe that my Aunt Polly is laughing with us.
Since 2020, I feel like I’ve fallen into the mindset of this year sucked, but next year will be better. So, in an effort to step away from that way of thinking, I decided to do something different this year.
I’m going to list the top 10 things I did in 2025.
Well. I’m hoping for 10. It’s entirely possible I’ll only come up with eight—but who knows. Let’s get started.
1. I turned 50.
I know that might not sound exciting to most people, but I am honestly thrilled to be 50. When my mum turned 50, she told me she was going to say anything and everything she wanted. I keep thinking I should do that too—but then I realize I’ve basically been doing that since I was 21-ish, so it might be less exciting for me.
Not only did I turn 50, but several of my friends did too, and I had the pleasure of celebrating this milestone with them—which made it even more special.
2. I started a blog.
This one feels pretty obvious. Because if you didn’t know I started a blog, you wouldn’t be here reading this. And you’d probably be pretty bored.
3. I visited Normandy.
I had the honor of taking a Normandy beach tour and paying my respects to the American soldiers at the Normandy American Cemetery. It was an incredibly moving experience, and I’m grateful I had the opportunity.
4. I visited London.
I had never been to England before, so I was pretty excited about this one. We saw the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Parliament, and so many other sights. It was great.
You might notice that Buckingham Palace isn’t on that list—and that’s because, other than a quick glimpse, we didn’t actually see it. I’m fairly certain we’re the only people who have ever visited London and not seen the palace. I guess we’re just going to have to go back.
5. I took the Eurostar (the Channel Tunnel) from London to Paris.
I was a teenager when construction on the Channel Tunnel began, and I remember the opening being broadcast on the news here in the U.S. It was a pretty cool thing to finally experience in person.
6. We decided to expand our family.
After the first of the year, we’ll be starting the process to adopt Andrew. We already consider him part of our family, but we’re planning on making it official.
7. I visited Disneyland Paris.
Kris and I rode some rides, ate delicious popcorn, drank yummy slushies, and made some really great memories. I’ve only been to Disney World once, so it was especially exciting to experience Disney in a different country.
8. I traveled through Europe.
We visited Rotterdam, Netherlands; Dover, England; Edinburgh, Inverness, and the Shetland Islands in Scotland; and Belfast, Cork, and Dublin in Ireland. Some of these places I had visited before, but not all.
We saw the Titanic Museum, the Royal Mile, St. Giles’ Cathedral, Blarney Castle, and Blarney Woollen Mills. It was a fantastic two-week cruise—and a wonderful way to celebrate turning 50.
9. I put myself out there—and found my voice.
I gained confidence in my writing and learned that I actually have things to say. For many years, I thought about starting a blog or writing a book, but I always talked myself out of it. I figured someone had probably already said the things I wanted to say—so why bother?
Over the past few months, I’ve realized how wrong that was. I’ve found my voice. I have things to say that seem to resonate with people all over the world—and that has been an incredible boost to my confidence as a writer.
LOOK! I made it to 10!!
I’d like to say I saved this one for last because it happened after everything else I’ve written about—but if I’m being honest, I really saved it for last because it’s just that brilliant.
And without further ado…
10. I won the crown for best Christmas Eve swap gift.
And not just best… best ever.
Sadly, there is no actual crown.
I ordered a pair of socks with my brother’s face on them. What made it even better? His girlfriend opened them. She loved them and immediately announced she was not giving them up. Honestly, it was fantastic.
Now I have to start thinking about how I’m going to top it next year—because my mum keeps asking.
I hope all of you have a chance to look back and find some of the great moments you’ve had this past year. I know that with all the crazy things going on in the world, it’s easy to look back and only see the bad.
This is my final post of the year, and I want to send out a heartfelt thank you to my readers and subscribers. Whether you’re a first-time reader, an occasional visitor, or someone who shows up here twice a week, please know how much I appreciate you.
Wherever you are and however this year treated you, I hope the new one brings steadier days, moments worth remembering, unexpected joy, and reasons to laugh—sometimes at yourself, sometimes with the people you love.
And I hope you stay awake long enough to enjoy the ball drop in Times Square—or whatever the tradition is wherever you’re reading from.
Whether you’ve been here before—or this is your first time—thank you for reading. ⭐ Like, follow, or subscribe if you’d like to stay awhile.
Brain Fog & Brilliance 
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