25 Years Old

From 23rd June 2023 to 23rd June 2024.

The year I went to Asia.

I start off the year in “summer” mode, relaxed at work and enjoying time with my (now retired) parents, family and friends, I’m on back to back holidays for almost a month!

I then set off on one of my most fun challenges to date: the “mini sabbatical”, I spend almost a third of the year living in Singapore where I am visited by Zak, Konrad and my parents (on their own cruise trip), meet some wonderful colleagues, catch back up with Tim, and watch formula one for the first time! I also get to meet Feiyang’s family on a month long tour of China, then embark on a 3 week solo trip around south east Asia as I race to catch my flight back to London from Singapore.

I come back to London for winter, and I seemingly forget how to socialise, I construe “drink less alcohol” with “hang out less”, I hope to change this. On the other hand, I’ve picked up running, reading and now writing as a hobby, all of which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and made good progress with.

I planned to make 2024 the year I bought my first property, but 4 months into the search and I have struggled. I believe the market is overvalued by about 30% but the market ignores my mumbles of frustration and continues to climb further out of reach.

I became a “senior” software engineer at the company I continue to learn something new from every day. I recall the confusion I had when people told me to go out and celebrate this milestone, 20% of the way through my career. I rename this “senior slave”, as I have not yet figured out a way to diversify my income.

I go to Ireland to dabble with saunas+sea swimming, I go to Seattle to “hike”, and before you know it I’m back in China enjoying hot pot with Feiyang’s parents.

As I enter this next quarter of a century, I’m finding my own priorities, but leaving room for the occasional bit of adventure. I hope more fun challenges await!