A Year to Remember

Today is the last day of 2025😮😮😮

As I sit down to write this piece, I can hardly believe how quickly another year has passed.

I started this blog on June 13, 2020, five years have passed since day one and I am still enjoying writing it from time to time, this article marks entry number 848, a small but meaningful milestone in my writing journey — one that continues to document the little moments, big lessons, and everything in between 🎉🎉🎉

Below are a few memorable highlights from the past years (Click on each title to revisit the full post.)

1. Dec. 31, 2021: A Summary/Un Bilan

2. Jan. 1, 2023: New Year's Resolutions

3. Dec. 18, 2023: My Friends = My Blessings!

4. Dec. 31, 2023: A Few Hats I Wear

5. Dec. 27, 2024: My 2024 - A Summary

6. Dec. 1, 2025: An Alphabet of Gratitude

7. Dec. 31, 2025: A Year to Remember (this one)

Reading these is like refreshing my memory of the past and recharging my energies for the future. It signifies the quiet moment to look back and see how far I’ve come 😇😇😇

And really, what could be more fitting than using my own blog entries written in those very months to capture the essence and beauty of 2025 🤔🤔🤔

That is exactly what I plan to do for this post: to use the pieces I’ve published throughout the year to capture that — month by month, except for this month 🎬🎬🎬

Each article reflects a moment, a feeling, or a discovery that defined that time. Some are short, some are thoughtful, and a few are simply spontaneous — but together, they tell the story of a year that was both ordinary and extraordinary in its own way✍️✍️✍️

🌅January:

• I joined the winter badminton session — a refreshing start to the year, especially with The Perfect Game Night

• I had A Nice Visit from my son, and some sweet moments were captured

💕February:

• I started my first Lego creation, and it was described well in My First Flower Project

• On Valentine’s Day, I didn’t receive a gift, but a statement that confirmed the connection of a relationship — a quiet milestone after two months of dating

🌷March:

• I took my first-ever river cruise and became a first-time visitor to Paris — an unforgettable trip from March 20 to April 1

• I didn’t write an article about it for some reason, but I have plenty of photos waiting on my phone — little snapshots of joy I revisit from time to time

🌸April:

• My daughter's birthday falls on April 20: Happy Birthday Wendy

• A Special Weekend with a lot of action words starting with the letter S

🌞May:

• Started a new job documented in this: A New Chapter

• Some of the fun activities included: date nights, playing cards, and biking rides - simple joys that made the month feel alive

• Went up to Mont Royal to enjoy the view and fresh air, celebrated Linda's birthday with a dinner and cake, and also benefited the season with a lobster meal at a friend's lovely home

🏖️June:

• A special post with special mention of my son's birthday is published in this article titled Summer Plans

🍉July:

• Hard to believe that I didn't write anything on my blog this month, but my calendar was full of life: fireworks, biking, playing cards in Jin's garden and dancing by the river

  
  

🌻August:

• August Chalet Plans...or Not

🍁September:

• Nothing on my blog either, yet life stayed pleasantly full: I enjoyed dinner with friends after a Jam Jazz session, weekly cards games, and monthly dim sum with some colleagues

• Spent a few sunny afternoons playing outdoor Ping-Pong with Chris — lighthearted and full of laughter, the best part? I won most of the times 😆😆😆

🎃October:

• A pleasant trip to Orford with Chris just before and for my birthday — surrounded by peaceful nature and a great companion

• Spent my birthday week in Paris with my kids, a dreamlike celebration filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable moments

🌨️November:

• One month after my birthday, I finally published my article about the Paris trip: Travel Talk: Double Celebration in Paris

🎇December: Party, party and more parties 🎉🎉🎉

• Dec. 18 — Party chez Lanzi: food, singing, and games filled the day with joy

• Dec. 21 — Party chez moi: thirteen friends at my home for my fourth annual potluck gathering. A day of laughter and joyful gift exchange moments — a few all-timers and a few newbies. Some even stayed for a few hours of cards games

• Dec. 25 — Party chez Linda: small, intimate, and delicious food as always

• Dec. 26 — Party chez Yannie: food prepared by an amazing cook who prepared so much, and they could feed an army, and hearts just as full

• Dec. 29 — Party chez Yamin: amazing view of her condo on the 20th floor, a fun fashion show inside on a cold, icy, rainy, and windy day, followed by card games that carried into the evening, and we moved our "battlefield" to another friend's condo which overlooked the festive Old Port

• Dec. 30 — Ended the month with a second video call with my kids, hearing about their upcoming sibling trip to L.A. in February — a Tattoo adventure that made me quiet

As 2025 comes to an end, I’m grateful for all the moments — the quiet and the vibrant, the planned and the spontaneous. Reading through my past entries and reliving these experiences reminds me how beautifully ordinary days can become extraordinary in memory.

And I am grateful for everyone who has been part of those moments.

Here’s to carrying this gratitude, warmth, and curiosity into 2026 — and to more stories yet to be written.

Cheers 🥂🥂🥂