2025, A Recap

I often start these recaps by saying the year was a roller coaster. 2025 was more like a construction project with an unexpected twist at the end. It was at times loud and dramatic, but ultimately resulted in a strong foundation even when the world outside felt beyond chaotic. We focused intensely on friendships, relationships, and building a solid community this year.

As is tradition, let me show you the highlights.

January 2025

The year started with a bang, bringing exciting travel and important reunions. We headed to Houston to meet up with my Pilot’s siblings and one of their childhood friends who was undergoing cancer treatment for colon cancer. This trip also provided me the opportunity to catch up with a college friend who is now working at NASA! He was able to give us a behind the scenes private tour. Right after our Houston trip, my Pilot and I celebrated a late Christmas with my family. This was a much-needed chance to relax and reconnect. I even got to spend some quality time with Michelle before she started her adventuring out of Texas.

February 2025

February was marked by the ongoing battle to secure critical medication. I finally regained access to the life-changing drug, but it came at a price. I had to cash pay, and the pharmacy could only ship it to Texas. This led to an intense day trip to Texas, where my parents graciously met me at DFW airport to facilitate the pickup. On the home front, we faced a major scare with Glitch. The Glitch, who typically weighs around 14 lbs, dropped to a shocking 6.7 lbs in a short period. After a nervous few weeks, we finally determined he was having a severe reaction to his food. Thankfully, we found the cause, and he’s now well on his way back to being the chunky “fat boy” we know and love (14.4 lbs!).

March 2025

March kicked off with some more exciting travel opportunities, starting with the Pilot having a layover in Phoenix that I could tag along for. This allowed me to spend quality time with one of my closest friends from high school. Shortly after, I invited myself on another friend’s work trip to Las Vegas. This was a perfect chance to meet up with Michelle, who was working out in the vast and beautiful Mojave National Park.

April 2025

April brought a mix of laughter and exciting prospects. Early in the month, I enjoyed a night out with a friend, attending a comedy show for a much-needed dose of lighthearted fun. Later, the Pilot and I headed off on his annual family vacation to Puerto Rico! It was a beautiful trip filled with sun, sand, and great family time. Sandwiched between the fun, I had a significant job interview for a really cool opportunity. I knew the right thing would come along at the proper time, especially after the harsh layoff I experienced last August.

May 2025

May was a massive, milestone-filled month. I started by getting back into my creative side, participating in an art show. Family time included my parents visiting, a quick getaway to my Aunt and Uncle’s cabin in Tennessee, and meeting up with my cousin and her boys. The biggest news was professional. I landed another engineering job. While my chronic disease is far better managed now, it is never truly cured. A sudden flare required an ER visit just two days before my start date. But recognizing the symptoms early and seeking immediate treatment drastically reduced the severity. The intervention worked, and I was fine for my first day of work.

June 2025

June brought a fantastic combination of outdoor exploration and professional certification. We took a beautiful trip to Pilot Mountain. I also passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot License for the FAA! This certification was essential because that new engineering job involved working with drones. It’s a huge step, and it officially means we now have two pilots in the house (even if the real pilot just rolls his eyes when I refer to myself as a “Remote Pilot,” hehe).

July 2025

In July, I leaned into my creative side by teaching a fun Paint and Sip art class. Professionally, I officially closed a chapter by resigning from AoTG to focus fully on the new engineering role. The rest of the month was dominated by travel and perks of pilot life, where I truly experienced flying in all forms. We took a trip to the Outer Banks, and the Pilot took me up for a personal flight in a tiny Cessna. Later that same month, I got to hop on one of his commercial flights for a super quick, under-24-hour trip to Hartford, Connecticut traveling on the 737. The glamour of the quick trip quickly faded with the 4:30 AM alarm necessary to get back to the airport.

August 2025

August was anchored by a Kesha concert. Her song “Praying” was a crucial anthem for me when I was navigating and escaping my own abusive situation years ago, and seeing her perform it live with the Pilot right beside me was incredible. We also traveled to Seattle for an aviation themed wedding of one of the Pilot’s flying buddies. I had yet another ER trip triggered by an outing of Go Karts after a full day of work. This set me on a quest to try to avoid the ER. After losing access to home health care for regular IV saline, I found a way to cash pay for IV fluids to be administered at home, ideally reducing the reliance on emergency medical.

September 2025

September was packed with personal connection and important health management steps, starting with my Dad visiting at the beginning of the month. The Pilot and I also enjoyed a night out to see the Wicked traveling Broadway show. The biggest moment came mid-month when a cortisol pump site went bad at work, requiring an immediate emergency injection. Thankfully, the Pilot wasn’t flying that day and he was able to deliver the critical medication. This incident spurred a major proactive change: I worked with HR to not only train my coworkers on how to administer the emergency injection, but also successfully secured official ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) protection, adding a crucial layer of long-term safety and security to my workday. The Pilot and I closed the month by celebrating a wonderful relationship milestone of three years together.

October 2025

October was an emotionally complex month. The Pilot and I started with a quick trip to my aunt and uncle’s cabin in Tennessee, making a necessary pit stop to see one of my favorite people in Marshall on the way back. Next was a joyful trip to Texas for my niece’s 5th birthday. Then I flew alone to Florida for my beloved Aunt’s funeral. She lived an incredible 61 years with Downs Syndrome and it was an honor to speak at her service. My Pilot was unable to travel with me due to needing to attend his own friend’s funeral. Remember the individual we met up with in January? He passed from his colon cancer. This was a stark contrast: my Aunt’s life defied all expectations, while Joe’s was tragically cut short due to aggressive cancer.

November 2025

November was focused on creative endeavors and gratitude. I took a big step forward with my art by participating in my first independent holiday craft show table, which was a really exciting milestone for Clearly Alive Art. Then, thanks to the Pilot’s schedule, I got a whirlwind, under-24-hour trip to Austin, Texas, where we managed to catch a spectacular view of the famous bats! The month concluded with a major highlight: celebrating Thanksgiving with friends who have truly become family. It was a sweet rare reminder of stability, as this year marked the sixth consecutive year of eating that turkey. That Thanksgiving is officially the longest Thanksgiving tradition I’ve ever had.

December 2025

December ended the year on a shocking and difficult note. I experienced one of the worst adrenal crises I have ever had at work, requiring paramedics to be called as I was quickly becoming unresponsive. It was a terrifying episode that underscored how far this “dream job” was from reality. A trained coworker administered the necessary intramuscular injection before paramedics arrived and before the Pilot could reach me. That event confirmed the job was unsustainable. As a result, I am no longer working for that company. Thankfully, this month concluded on a note of pure joy. I was thrilled to host that dear friend from high school for the holidays. We spent the trip baking, celebrating over 20 years of friendship, and bringing comfort to a tumultuous end of the year. Onward to good things!

Final Thoughts

2025 taught me that the only true path to surviving chaos is to maintain strong communities, friendships, and relationships. Build up your network (in person or virtual), look after each other, and remember that when you formalize your support, you make yourself stronger.

May we remain Clearly Alive.

Here are my recaps for 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

Oh also a DECADE of recaps.