Fireworks had been echoing in the air since earlier tonight, growing louder right after the five-second countdown broke the silence.
I did not go anywhere this year, just like the years before. I stayed in my room, taking the night to quietly look back on the journey I went through in 2025.
There were many good things along the way, and this time I want to count them with a deeper sense of gratitude. This year offered me a gentle space to heal and to slowly find myself again. There was no rushing and no pressure to meet expectations. Everything moved as it needed to, and I allowed myself to move with it.
This year also opened doors of trust. Alhamdulillah, I was entrusted with a BIMA PKM grant and support for international publication. I also found my way back to a few friendships that had once grown distant, mostly because I had been too afraid to share my own stories. What sustained me throughout the year was love. I was surrounded by family and by friends who reminded me that I was not alone.
I am deeply grateful, and I want to thank myself for having the courage to stay with all my emotions. Sadness, joy, anxiety, fear, bravery, anger, and desire all came and went, and I chose to listen to them. I have learned that imperfection carries its own quiet beauty. Living through these different phases is what makes me feel whole.
So once again, thank you, 2025, for the journey and the lessons.
Well, 2026, bring it on.
RS
