Birthdays seem to come by much quicker than before. Three nine. Another year closer to the next milestone birthday. I wondered if I would still be as excited about birthdays, and I’m happy to report that the excitement continues.

While looking for last year’s post on the blog, I didn’t have to scroll far—it’s clear I haven’t been writing much this year. I always question why I don’t write here more, knowing that I enjoy the entire process.

Sitting down to write always brings a huge smile to my face. It gives me the chance to go through my calendar and reflect on everything I’ve been up to this year. When I read this post next year, I’ll get to relive these moments all over again.

A few years ago, I decided to stop creating long to-do lists for the year and instead focus on themes. The idea was to do more of the things I enjoy. I’m happy to say that this year, I managed to stick to all the themes I set out for myself.

Create

This year, I built and launched two new applications, and I’m happy with the work I’ve done. There are two more applications in progress, and I hope to share more about them soon. Overall, I’m pleased with how the “create” theme shaped up this year.

I spent time relearning Ruby on Rails, Swift, and SwiftUI. On top of that, I improved my skills in React Native, Node.js, and debugging software.

Travel

A few days after my birthday last year, I went to New Zealand. As I write this, I’ve booked another trip to visit on January 3rd. I can’t get enough of that beautiful country. As much as I love Australia, New Zealand has a special place in my heart.

Here’s where I traveled to this year:

  • New Zealand
  • Thailand
  • Uluru
  • Gold Coast
  • Melbourne
  • India
  • Poland
  • Berlin
  • The Hague, Netherlands

It was wonderful catching up with friends and family, some of whom I hadn’t seen in nine years. On the way back, I promised myself to visit more places where friends have moved.

Fitness

December, January, and the first half of February were amazing for my fitness—I was the fittest I’ve ever been. I even posted a picture of myself from a trip on Instagram, and it’s now one of my favorites. Whenever someone asks if I’ve ever had abs, I proudly show them that picture.

However, I also experienced my most unfit period this year. After returning from my trip, I stopped working out for a few months and gained a lot of weight. The see-saw of weight gain and loss is something I’ve come to terms with.

On a positive note, I’ve been back on track for the past three months, and I’m now as fit as I was in the early part of the year. With my cousin’s wedding in December next year, I’ve told her I’ll try to be as ripped as possible for the event. I’ve got one year to stay consistent and aim for that goal.

This year reminded me that fitness is a journey, not a destination, and I’m proud of my progress.

Love

Another unsuccessful year in this department. A heartbreak aside, there’s nothing significant to report.

Here’s to seeing what 2025 has in store for this chapter of my life.

Overall

2024 has been a really good year. My finances are back on track, I’m enjoying the work I’m doing, I love where I’m living, and I feel quite optimistic about the future. I can’t wait to share more about the software I’ve been working on over the last three months.

Themes for 2025

  • Travel: I’ve booked a few tickets.
  • Fitness: Prepare for my cousin’s wedding in December.
  • Love: Let’s see how this goes.
  • Launch/Enhance: After spending 2024 creating, it’s time to launch, listen to customer feedback, and enhance.