2025 in Review: Why the Blog Went Quiet

2025 felt like three years compressed into one. Things moved really fast, and honestly, a lot changed, which explains why this blog went quiet and I only managed to travel to Thailand this year.

The year started with Kwang moving to Singapore for a new job. First time living in another country for her, and it was a big transition for both of us. In just 2 months later, we found out she was pregnant! A happy surprise since we'd only just started trying.

In between, we adopted a German Shepherd called Yankee who came with some health and behavioral issues. The first few weeks were rough, but he's much better now. We also redid our yards, which turned into a multi-week project.

I spent a good chunk of the year looking for a new job, then finally started as a venture architect in August. It's in the venture space I've always wanted to be in, working with startups and building new things. Still learning the ropes, but it feels right.

In September, we took one last trip to Hua Hin before the baby came. Stayed at the Dusit Thani, sort of a babymoon. Just me and Kwang, knowing our lives were about to change completely.

October, we bought our first condo. It happened super fast. We only viewed a couple of resale condos, but then got a good ballot number at a new launch our friend recommended, and the stars just aligned. Good location, good development, within budget.

November, our baby was born. Biggest milestone aside from getting married. Life since then has been... a lot. We're still figuring it out.

So that's why the blog slowed down. Between Kwang's probation and mine (back to back), plus everything else happening, we couldn't really travel. Usually we'd be in multiple countries by now, but this year it was just Thailand.

Some other things fell off too, like my trading consistency, my Japanese learning, exercise routine. When life moves this fast, some things just have to take a backseat. I think what I've learned is that you can't do everything at once. You have to prioritize, and sometimes that means letting go of things temporarily. The hard part is making sure "temporarily" doesn't become "permanently."

Looking ahead

For 2026, I want to get back to travelling more and writing more. There are places in Thailand I still want to explore and share here - smaller towns, regional destinations, places that don't show up on typical itineraries. I want to revenge travel a bit, honestly, after a year of staying put. Though it'll be different now, we're actually in Bangkok and Nonthaburi right now with our 2.5-month-old, and the logistics are definitely tougher. But I think that'll be part of what I share here too, like what it's actually like travelling with a baby, the adjustments you have to make, what still works and what doesn't.

I'm also thinking about starting a side business with Kwang, something we can build together. It's really just about taking the leap and finding the time.

Mostly though, I just want to find a better rhythm. Better at my current job, better at being there for family, better at continuing the things I already started instead of always looking for something new. 2025 was a year of change. 2026 is for settling into it, improving on what we have, and actually following through.

Thanks for sticking around even when the blog went quiet. More Thailand content coming soon.