i've never really been one to make goals for the year... i feel like, in previous years, i've always gotten a little depressed around this time? feeling like i haven't really changed or improved in an entire year, or worse, that i wasted that year, is, expectedly, kind of a bummer!
...but, looking back on 2025, it feels like... i have progressed? huh?? how'd that happen???
- i've become less afraid of talking to people i look up to - i've had the fortune of meeting several of my favorite artists last year, and i think it's finally sinking in that we're all just... people? (...or not! ΘΔ)
- i've started appreciating physical media more - i've been reading a lot more after hacking my childhood kindle paperwhite, and i've been listening to music off an mp3 player that i've loaded up with songs i've bought off of bandcamp or ripped from CDs!
- i've become more attentive of my adult responsibilities - i resumed taking HRT after a long period of being off it due to executive dysfunction, i've been keeping up with scheduling appointments, and i've overall gotten better at maintaining a daily routine!
- i've figured out more about myself - our system has evolved and split into a few more parts, and i've learned that i'm not actually aromantic or asexual like i thought i was...
- ...and i learned that because i'm in a relationship now!! i have an incredibly amazing partner who i love dearly and we've been able to support each other through a lot of our individual issues.
knowing that change is possible has completely reinvigorated me... so here's a list of things i intend to do this upcoming year!
- the obvious one - i want to keep updating this website! i have so much to write and talk about, and i have a space where i can do that as much as i want - i don't take advantage of that nearly as much as i should!
- i want to reevaluate my relationship with social media - since the shutdown of cohost, i've almost exclusively used bluesky, and i don't think i'll be deleting my account; there are tons of incredibly talented artists there i want to keep up with! but i do think i'd like to use it less (or at least more intentionally?) and maybe get back to using forums; i'm currently eyeing the melonland forum, the 32-bit cafe discourse, and the fourth place forum! (it's nice to be able to browse these without an account - remember when social sites used to let you do that?)
- i want to continue reading more! i hope to finish at least one book a month, and i'm on pace to finish my first before the end of january!
- i want to learn a language - i'd like to practice portuguese (spoken by a few relatives of mine who i'd love to become closer to), toki pona (spoken by a bunch of cool people in my life, including my partner), and/or ASL (useful for brief spells of mutism i occasionally experience); if i come out of this year confident in my ability to use at least one of these three, i'll be happy!
- i want to do more in-person! i want to go out to events or have dinner with friends more often, and visit more cool landmarks and hiking trails!
- i want to create something impactful. this one is kind of vague, because i'm not really sure what i want to create - art, music, writing, games - but i want to put something into the world that makes people happy.
...and i've actually already done a bunch of cool things in the first few weeks of 2026!!
- i renewed my library card for the first time since i was a kid! i forgot how awesome libraries are! did you know you can even check out shows/movies/games/puzzles depending on the library?? go check out your library!! find something cool!!!
- i learned about gameboy modding! i disassembled and shell swapped my childhood gameboy color - it now has the pokémon silver special edition pikachu and pichu shell! i'm still looking to swap out the screen for an LED one (ideally, one that doesn't require any soldering... that still scares me)
- i drove to pennsylvania to meet up with some internet friends from all over the country! the whole experience was surreal - late into the night, while we were all in an open field under the full moon, i broke down crying, and everyone hugged, and it was just a wonderfully fulfilling experience... :'''3
- i attended my first ever furry convention, anthro new england! i went alone, for only one day, and i was incredibly overstimulated (i'm still reeling from it while writing this...) but it was an overall really fun experience and i'd love to attend more going forward!!
so yeah!!! 2025 was awesome, 2026 has been awesome, and it's only going to get better!!
see you again soon! :3