Julian and I just got back to Singapore from our two week year end holiday, where we spent Christmas with his family in Germany and Austria. There is something about being in cold weather during the holidays that slows everything down. Sitting by the fire oven, listening to dry firewood crackle, wrapped in a soft sweater, drinking something warm under dim lights, and picking up a book has quietly become one of my favourite ways to rest. The only thing missing was hotpot. Some things are simply too good to leave behind.
Coming home took more out of us than expected. The long flights, jet lag, and sudden shift from minus ten to thirty degrees weighed on our bodies. I have been awake in the early hours and only falling asleep just before the sky starts to brighten. Starting 2026 with a body that still feels like it is stuck in 2025 was not part of the plan.
And yet, being home helps. Eating familiar food, being around family, and hearing English all around felt like a quiet relief.
This month is going to be a full one. Relocation arrangements, our Chinese wedding tea ceremony in two weeks, and the goodbyes that come with closing one chapter and opening another. It has been emotionally heavy at times, especially with a growing to do list that occasionally sits uncomfortably in my stomach. I am really looking forward to settling down and finding my way back into a routine.
2025 has been an amazing year. Full, generous, and life changing in ways I am still unpacking. As 2026 begins, I am trying to stay grounded. Excited, yes, but also present. One step at a time feels like the right way forward.
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