Going into 2026...

Ah, December once again. The time of year where white guys all across the state of Florida put on shorts to wear to their family's Christmas gatherings.

It's also the time of year when I do my annual retrospective, which is now going on my fifth year as of this post. Half a decade! This is one of the longest-running bits I've done across any of my platforms, which is pretty cool. It certainly helps that this post only takes about a day's worth of work every year, but I digress.

This year was better than the last, that's for certain. It had a lot of corrections for mistakes made last year, a lot of time spent with family and friends, and even a stroke of luck!

I started my year depressed, broke, and pessimistic. A poor housing decision drained my partner and I's savings, work wasn't looking good, a bleak political outlook loomed over the country, and general bad vibes brought our spirits to an all-time low. A reset was needed, desperately.

In March, I took a sabbatical and hiked through Portugal and Spain with my partner and family. When I was growing up, my parents were big fans of Rick Steves and his European expeditions, so when they got the opportunity towards the end of 2024 to walk the Way of St. James for cheap, they hopped on it and invited us.

Over the course of seven days, our little motley crew would walk 128 kilometers (or about 80 freedom units) from the coastal town of Baiona all the way up to Santiago de Compostela. This week-long hike was a well-needed disconnect to help me appreciate the things I did have, enjoy the Iberian culture, and to refocus for the rest of the year. I'm super grateful for the opportunity, and it's definitely a trip I'll look back on fondly for the rest of my life.

In mid-May, I would receive a fateful phone call. A friend of a friend who worked at a local tech company was in a bind and needed a sysadmin ASAP. One of his new hires bailed on him after receiving an offer from his existing company to stay, and he needed someone quick. I sent in my resume, had my initial phone call with him, and I was told that I... Did not meet the criteria for the position. But, he still wanted to meet with me.

I went to his office a few days later to have lunch with him and their head of Support. I must've left an impression on them, or they must have been really desperate, because they decided to take a gamble on me. I was hired in as the sole person on their IT team, effectively given the keys to build a whole new department from the ground up.

Over the past 7 months, I've been busting ass to do a good job there. So far, I've done a bit of everything. From evidence gathering for audits, to assisting with acquisitions, project management, incident responses, procedural changes, onboardings, offbordings, interviews, trainings, and more. They've treated me well, and I'm quickly working my way into the full sysadmin position with the support of my entire team.

I definitely bit off more than I could chew at the start, but as I've always said: I learn best in the deep end of the pool. These past few months have been extremely stressful and tiring, but also some of the most rewarding. I'm super grateful to everyone involved for making this possible.

Financial security is also extremely rewarding. I'm no longer having to beg for bartending jobs to make rent every month. (Now I just do 'em for the love of the game.) I've been able to rebound from last year's overpriced lease, and I've begun the process of replacing my increasingly-costly Hyundai Elantra, hopefully by late next month.

This is not a position that I would have thought was possible just twelve short months ago. I'm extremely grateful to be where I am.

I think gratitude is the theme for this year. I'm grateful for my family and for the gift of travel. I'm grateful for old friends for encouraging me along to this point, and for new friends guiding me through this new chapter of life. I'm grateful for work, my new coworkers, and for the opportunity to keep learning. Thank you all.

And now, for my grade. During each of these posts, I publish a statement of what my goals for the next 365 days are, then follow up in the next year's post. Let's see how good I held up to 2025's goals.

This year is my rebuild year. I will double down on certifications and carve a path forward for myself, whatever that may be.

Well, I landed my first full-time job! The future is once again promising, and I'm looking forward to learning and growing as time moves on. Thanks again to Michael, Shawn, Derick, and the entire crew for giving me a chance.

I will continue to be there for my family and community, and ensure that no harm will come their way.

No year is without its challenges, but I rest easy knowing that I was there for every major event that happened this year. Family comes first, always.

I will continue to advocate for others, regardless of race or creed, and I will continue to do no harm and take no shit. We will make this world a better place.

Ever uncompromising, even now. Especially with the increasing number of attacks on the trans community, being an ally and a decent person is as important as possible. I stand by that. Always have, always will.

I think we did good this year. As for the guide for the next set of 52 weeks:

Going into 2026, I will continue to develop myself professionally and personally. I will continuously try to push myself out of my creative comfort zone, focusing on new experiences and creating new memories. I want to support my family and my friends, and continue to foster relationships with all of them. Lastly, I want to be more present for my partner, helping her as she's helped me.

Oh, dear reader. If you haven't considered doing an annual journal like this yet, I'd consider it. To quote myself from several years ago:

"[Set] out a few goals for you to meet this year. I’m talking about a few tangible long-term goals that you can write down somewhere, like in a notebook— or in my case, a blog— and check back at year’s end to see how you did. Having these goals may not seem like a lot, but it’s good to look back upon as the year goes on." -Me, 2023

It's been very rewarding to look back each year and see how I grew as a person. I encourage you to do something similar.

Thanks again for reading. Here's to the new year!

- Andrew