Year in Review 2025

There was no Twelfth Night at Disneyland this year. 

But that's ok. 

It's getting really crowded and I just don't feel the magic as much as I used too. Though I did drag Sam there a few times this year, I'm hesitating renewing my season pass. (I'm still probably gonna renew it though.)

I tried to start a New Years resolution last January and pretend like I was European and walk everywhere. I also included biking places because I thought that it would make me skinny. (It did not.) I bought myself a women's bike off marketplace and then promptly found one that was so much cooler, so I made Sam drive the women's bike around. 

Helmets for Safety

We abandoned the bikes pretty early because one of my brakes went out and it's a pretty hilly in the neighborhood. Who knew after the bikes sat abandoned for half the year it was a 5 minute fix by my dad but we still haven't returned to them.

And I just started driving. The walking everywhere fantasy didn’t survive real life.   

I got engaged... (we biked to the ring store many times early in the year.) And we did spend a lot of time scouring the internet for rings and I really wanted one that was completely different from any ring my friends had, or the ones I saw plastered on influencers hands. And I think we did pretty well. I've never seen a ring like mine.

I even bought a wedding dress.

I knew the experience of going to a shop and trying them on was going to be painful and humiliating. Really stemming from childhood trauma trying to find jeans with my mom when I was a tall curvy 5th grader who just wanted to shop at the Limited Too, but was more sized for the women's section of JCPenny. 

Plus another terrible experience modeling prom dresses at Youth Night where they forced me to wear and to parade, in front of our parents, in a too big modest-light-pink-many-feet-too-long monstrosity because nothing else fit in the selection they provided...ugh, I still feel embarrassed and cringe from that memory.

I wish I had refused to put it on. So I'm taking back my power, and refusing to try on and model wedding dresses for anyone.

I bought a dress off Etsy. Once it arrived from the Ukraine, I tried it on once by myself. It's not really my dream dress and the sleeves are a bit too poufy...It is properly medieval of course, but I do get a little jealous when I see sparkly glamorous dresses from friends and my sister. But I think I'm resigned to it. And tell myself - I'll just play up the hair...

I went on many trips with Sam but have not been on a trip since the first week of September and feel it in my soul that I need a little trip. 

I took him to Disneyland at least 4 times, also to include Star Wars night, the beach, and to my BFF's Wedding in California. He said the trips to Cali are a long ride but on one trip we stayed at a casita in San Clemente which was probably the best Airbnb I've ever experienced. So many loops of fun. 

I also had many breakfast feasts on my overnights. 

On one of our assignments we went to IHOP (after the wait for the fancy brunch place was too long.) Then on our way back to the hotel, we passed a street fair and of course we had to partake. I used my van tip money to buy street food to share. 

Breakfast Sponsored by Novo Nordisk

We made plans to hit up Auntie Ann's pretzels before our late transcon so we would have a little snack. I was invited to dinner too, but I declined - "I'm too full."

I watched the Captain eat a large Jersey Mike's plus the pretzels enroute. The next morning we hit up another brunch place, but what the captain really wanted was the cheese enchilada's from Leo's Mexican Grill, which we would walk past back to the hotel. 

So what did we do?

We went directly from brunch to lunch at Leo's. (And we had to order chips and salsa to go with enchiladas plate.)

I had to practically waddle back to the hotel.

I politely declined when asked if I wanted to go to dinner. But we still ate the whole redeye back and I was so bloated. 

In August, an Instgram Astrologer said it was going to be the best month of my life. Let me tell you...

It was not. 

I woke up everyday expecting it to be amazing and every day seemed to be worse and worse. The stress was all consuming and I kept wondering, if this was the most amazing? What was regular August or even a bad August supposed to look like? 

After a particularly bad day, and the most egregious vector, and salvaged approach into Miami, I told the captain I needed an "Emotional Support Empanada." We sat chewing in silence at the gate. 

October I completely abandoned my original costume plans for some social media hype...I feel like Sam and I's Dracula and Mina Halloween costumes didn't hit the mark. Sam's costume was amazing, but it's hard to find a blue silk Parisian hat from the late1800's. 

I redid the hat so many times and felt ridiculous. Wasted a whole halloween. (I was obsessed with the Dracula Caribbean Blue videos - I've watched the movie in 87 parts on Youtube but can't wait to see the real thing when it comes out in Feburary 2026.)

November turned in my favor and I binged the rainy Harry Potter Hogsmede Halloween ambiance for pretty much for a week straight and tried to embrace reading more. BTW I did read quite a bit more this year. I started reading The Expanse series and have a puesdo goal to finish all the books. More so I can feel superior by finishing so many thick books.

December was marked with unexpected loss and the ending of some astrological cycle I can't remember the name of. A bright point though was Christmas Eve. Probably the best one I've had since I was a little kid - to include paper crowns - and as a person who does not like games - very fun games - and delicious food. And New Years Eve, my birthday was very pleasant too.