Lessons & Life in 2025

Warning: this is a very long and maybe a little sappy post, so if photos are more your thing, you can find my favorites from the year here: https://adobe.ly/4pxuzwx

A little over 15 years ago, writing was a near-daily habit. Sure, it was mostly typing up interviews with bands and adding commentary about yet another concert, but it was always fun to make sense of my internal monologue and share it with others.

This year has been one of immense personal and professional growth, and yet I feel like I could say that every year. Maybe that’s what your late 20s and early 30s are all about… or maybe that’s just life.

So, life lessons. They’re weird. They show up in the quiet moments on a flight home, in conversations with friends when you suddenly listen to what you’re actually saying, or more bluntly when the consequences of your actions arrive with enthusiasm. Here are a few that stuck with me this year:

Food is communal, but community can be found with strangers. Sometimes the “sharing” is between the chef and the diner, conversation through the plate. You get to try something being workshopped, notice the care behind each dish, and let the food be the star. Sharing those meals with friends, colleagues, or total strangers is wonderful too, but don’t be afraid of dining “alone”.

Go to the show, even if you only know one song. Not everyone loves concerts, so let’s apply this more broadly. Some of my favorite memories came from walking into places where I knew almost nothing and no one. Having an open mind, following a spark of interest, and letting curiosity lead almost always pays off.

There’s magic in the unplanned. On a trip or just in your day-to-day, leaving room for spontaneity invites beautiful moments. It was walking tours that led to unexpected lunches, getting stuck driving in Portugal, and not having this year fully mapped out from the start. So here’s the challenge for 2026: pick one day and wander. Stay close to home if you want, but ditch the plans. Ask a barista where they eat lunch and try it out. Wander a park. See what finds you.

If this year taught me anything, it’s that joy lives in the little detours, the meals that surprise you, the concerts that hit harder than expected, the cities that feel ripped from a novel, and the mishaps that become stories you’ll tell for years.

Keep reading for a few favorites from the year.

Eat

Soxiante — A pre-Dermot Kennedy lunch and a ChatGPT recommendation that turned into pure magic. Chef Jakub “Kuba” Błogowski and team have created the most charming space, the kind where the food feels like a warm hug and the bread alone deserves awards. I’m already plotting my return.

Emotivo — An Instagram discovery and one of the most creative dining experiences I’ve had. Chef Sara Verde builds a monthly menu inspired by a different region of Portugal. When we visited, the theme was Douro. With only a handful of tables, rotating décor clues, a notecard explaining the theme, and a menu that felt deeply personal, the whole evening became something special.

Hear

Went to 16 nights of music & saw 42 bands across 9 cities and 4 countries. Picked 3 that had some very special memories associated, but could easily swap in any other show from the year. The highlight reel for all of them lives here: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18179155156326188/

Oasis — Worth every second spent battling Ticketmaster queues & waiting 20+ years.

Dermot Kennedy — His stripped-back A Promised Return tour proved that less production can mean more magic. Seeing him at Antwerp’s OLT Rivierenhof, one of the most beautiful amphitheaters I’ve ever been to, didn’t hurt either.

Dreamy Draw Festival — Technically this includes The Lumineers, Vampire Weekend, Ashe, Saint Motel, Marcus King Band, Local Natives, and the Good Neighbours show the next night even though it wasn’t formally part of the festival. You really can’t beat beautiful weather and the right kind of folky music that just makes you want to smile.

Visit

Ghent, Belgium stands out. It’s a city made for wandering & eating: gorgeous architecture, canals, chocolate everywhere, and slightly less crowded than nearby Bruges. Add a walking tour followed by lunch with the wonderful women I met on the tour, a river cruise punctuated by surprise opera from our guide, and a memorable dinner at Jus—and Ghent became an instant favorite.

The Cotswolds also very quickly became a favorite. Rain made everything feel like a movie set. The perfect private tour (thank you, Caroline for finding it) and a guide who doubled as a photographer didn’t hurt either. Could’ve easily spent a week tucked in a cottage with a book.

Bake

This Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookie was a personal and crowd favorite. The secret is using a high-quality chocolate bar instead of chips. Nut-free version: skip the pistachios, omit the olive oil, and swap in 60g of sunflower butter or tahini.

Ingredients 

For the dough: 

• 90g roasted salted pistachios, shelled 
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil 
• 7 tbsp (100g) unsalted butter, softened 
• ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar 
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar 
• 1 large egg yolk 
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract 
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
•  ¼ teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup plus 1 tbsp (150g) all-purpose flour 
• 50g sourdough discard (100% hydration) 
• 1 cup (142g) dark chocolate, chopped into chunks 

For topping: 

• 2 tbsp ground pistachios 
• Flaky sea salt (optional) 

Instructions 

1. Make pistachio paste:
   1. Grind pistachios in a food processor until fine. 
   2. Reserve ~30g for topping. 
   3. Add olive oil to the remaining ~60g and blend into a thick paste. 
2. Cream butter and sugars: Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. 
3. Add wet ingredients: Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, almond extract, and pistachio paste until smooth. 
4. Add sourdough discard: Mix in the 50g discard until fully incorporated. 
5. Add dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. • Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. 
6. Fold in chocolate: Gently mix in the chopped chocolate chunks. 
7. Chill dough: Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best texture. 
8. Bake:
   1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). 
   2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 
   3. Scoop 1.35 oz (about 2 tbsp) of dough per cookie and place 3 inches apart. 
   4. Sprinkle tops with reserved ground pistachios. 
9. Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden at the edges and just set in the center.
   1. Cool on pan for 1–2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. 
   2. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if using. 

And if you read all of this: thank you. Here’s to more wandering, more meals that feel like hugs, and more moments we don’t see coming—but end up loving anyway.