2025 In Review
Normally my years in review have gone month-by-month and described the significant events of each one. However, that has ended up being rather long and laborious. This year, I've decided to just pick out the big events of the year to cover.
As with previous years, I'd like to add the disclaimer that I'm writing this article purely for myself. If you're not me you won't find this interesting to read.
Porcupine Mountains
In January, I spent a few nights with a friend at a rustic cabin in the Upper Peninsula. We've been doing a trip like this for the past four years, and I always look forward to it.
The cabin we stayed at was situated about 3 miles from the nearest parking, which we covered easily. I struggled a lot less with this hike than last year when I started with a bad knee. However, while my legs were fine I basically only had one functional arm because of a fall the week before. I need to stop injuring myself before these trips!
As usual, we spent most of our time there hiking, eating good food, smoking cigars, and talking about our last year. What more could you want?
Road Trip with my Brother
My brother had a big chunk of time off work during February, and he wanted to spend some of it on a road trip. Last year, we had tried the same thing only to get waylaid by car troubles. Thankfully, we were spared from any of that this year.
Our only plan going into it was to get to the East Coast, which we did accomplish. Because of our spontaneity we didn't spend our time very efficiently, but it was a fun trip. For me, the highlight was the two WW2-era ships we toured, the USS Yorktown (aircraft carrier), and the USS North Carolina (battleship).
Most of all, it was just nice to get time with my brother, especially now that I live in another state.
Amtrak Rail Pass
Just a few weeks later a friend and I used the Amtrak Rail Pass to explore the East Coast. The pass covers ten train tickets which we used to hit 6 major cities. I had never been to the northern half of the East Coast, so this trip was super fun for me.
We started by going to Niagara Falls. I recall the journey there feeling rather magical because we woke up to a lovely winter landscape outside the train. This was my first time at Niagara Falls, and seeing it in winter was very beautiful.
The next stop was New York City. We had less than a full day there, so we basically just ran around the city looking at the big landmarks (Central Park, The One World Trade Center, The Statue of Liberty, etc...). That night we boarded the train to Boston. There we decided to walk the entire Freedom Trail which covers many important landmarks of the Revolutionary War. One of the stops was the Park Street Church, and it was really cool to go to an actual service there the next day.
Following Boston, we made our way to Philadelphia. We worked both days we were there, but still found time to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. During the second day, we took off the morning to tour the USS New Jersey. Seeing an Iowa-class battleship in person was amazing!
Our fifth city, Charleston, SC, was a chill, uneventful stop. The main motivation for visiting was our company's office there. Finally, we boarded the train for Washington DC, our last city. As expected, I really like it there. The metro system is superb, it's beautiful, and there's an endless supply of museums. Since we only had a day and a half we only made it through the Air and Space Museum and the Holocaust Museum. Both were extremely high quality.
After two crazy weeks it was time to head home. Our final long-distance train took us overnight into Chicago, and we made it to Milwaukee that same day. This was such a unique and fun way to see the East Coast. I'd probably never do it again, but I'm so glad that we did it!
Norway & Denmark
In June, I went to Norway and Denmark with a few friends. We started the trip in Bergen where we rented a car and explored the Hardangerfjord area. It was absolutely amazing out there.
Driving around ended up being one of the highlights for me. It was always scenic, and the narrow winding roads were quite a bit of fun. It brought back a bunch of great memories from Scotland. I also just couldn't believe the tunnels they have there. There were parts where the tunnels would wind around on top of themselves, and even whole roundabouts underground. At one point we drove through the 6.5 mile-long Folgefonna Tunnel, which is a whole 4 miles longer than the longest tunnel in North America!
Another peak moment was seeing the Vøringsfossen waterfalls. Easily one of the most intensely beautiful things I've ever seen. The sheer scale of it was beyond comprehension. I could go on for paragraphs about those first few days, but I will content myself in only otherwise mentioning that our hotel breakfasts were wonderful.
We ended our tour at the house of a Norwegian family that one of my friends knew. They treated us incredibly well, and we had many fascinating conversations about politics and our beliefs. Before we departed, they took us to an authentic Sauna experience. The building was situated right on the local fjord so that you could jump into the ice-cold water once you were hot. It was wonderful!
From there we headed back to Bergen and proceeded with the rest of our trip. We originally planned to take the scenic train to Oslo, but our trains were cancelled and replaced with a bus service. Sitting for 8 hours didn't sound fun, so we booked a short flight instead.
Oslo was cool, but definitely less beautiful. Our main experiences there were just taking in the city. On our last day we made it up to the Ski Jump, which was actually really neat to see in person. From there we took a boat down to Copenhagen. I had visited there last year, but we still did several things that I hadn't gotten around to. It's a city that I just enjoy the vibe of, so it was nice staying there.
And then it was time to go home. We all enjoyed the holiday, and I thought it was a really nice mixture of different experiences. However, I wish I had had more time in the wilderness of Norway. I'll definitely be going back there!
Singapore
My other international trip this year was to Singapore. A couple of my very good friends were doing a tour through several countries in Asia, and I rendezvoused with them on their stop there. It took a full 24 hours of travel to get there, and in the process I got to fly UA 1 which is considered their flagship flight.
Singapore has a special place in my heart because of the special place it occupied in my friend's heart. He studied abroad there for a semester so it was cool to re-experience a lot of things with him.
We divided our time between visiting places my friend liked, the touristy things, and spending time with people my friend knew. Like in Norway, it was really special to properly meet people from the country I was visiting. Normally, you just don't have enough time to do that during a short trip.
Before leaving, I stayed at a 5-star hotel for the first time in my life (thanks to a credit card benefit) which was a nice experience. This was after my friends departed for their next country, so I didn't have to share the king bed. I loved Singapore, but due to the constant heat I was ready to get back to Milwaukee. After another 24-hour travel day I made it home and literally crashed in my bed. No joke! I have never fallen asleep so quickly in my life.
Flying
Every year I seem to find myself amidst some sort of big project. Last year it was the homemade computer and this year it was learning to fly airplanes. I've been considering pursuing a Private Pilot's License for several years, and one day this last Spring I realized that if I just keep putting it off it will never happen.
I didn't complete my training this year, but I made it past some huge milestones. In October, I flew solo (which literally means I was the only person in the airplane) for the first time, and in November I flew my first solo "cross-country" (which doesn't mean I traversed the USA, just that I flew a distance across the country from one airport to a different one). I'm hoping to do my checkride sometime early in 2026.
Dad
After many years of brave and humble endurance my father passed away. We are thankfully comforted by the faith he had in our savior, Jesus Christ, and are certain that he is rejoicing with Him now.
But I am still here, and I miss him a lot. As do so many others.
Half Marathon
A couple of my Milwaukee friends were training for a half-marathon this fall, and that finally gave me the kickstart to pick up running myself. Despite always thinking that I hated running, I immediately started enjoying it. I ended up running the same half-marathon as my friends. They both killed it, and I managed to cross the finish line too! For the next week I could barely walk, but I didn't regret it.
Running has become a big part of my life now, and I'm hoping to train (properly this time) for a marathon within the next year or two.
Zion
The last big event of the year was a trip with some friends to Zion National Park. This originally started as a plan to do the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike. Unfortunately, a few days after booking flights we learned that wildfires had made that impossible. My friends pivoted to Zion instead, and I joined them.
I ended up being really impressed by this park. The two big hikes we did were Angel's Landing and The Narrows, and both of them ended up being amazing. The former was extremely beautiful, and the latter was just a unique experience. All in all, it was a really nice mini-trip with people I enjoy spending time with!
Final Thoughts
One downside of this format is that it gives me even less space to fit in the little things. I'm talking about the game nights, the family reunions, the days working at coffee shops with friends, and so many other things. These aren't less important than others that I listed here, but I just don't have enough time or space to say them all.
It has been a year of many highs. I thank God for all the ways he has blessed my life. But it's also been a year of large lows. Likewise, I thank God for how He has been with me through those moments too. I pray that in the coming year I will grow even closer to Him than I am already.
