2025 年度回顧｜Year in Review
🎧 Opening Song: Not That Guy Anymore
Here’s a song that carried me through some of my tougher moments this year. Feel free to play it as you read along—I hope it helps you feel what I felt, and maybe even inspires a little gentleness toward yourself.
Table of Contents
- Rediscovering Me — A year of slowly coming back to myself
- Work & Growth — Graduation, a first job, and learning as I go
- Life & Flow — Friendships, routines, and moments from everyday life
- Accepting My Journey — Making peace with where I am
- Continuing Forward — Thoughts I want to carry into the next year
- Thank You — For reading, and for being part of this year in one way or another
Rediscovering Me
This year didn’t start easy, but it became one of the most meaningful chapters of my life. I spent the first half of the year slowly finding my way back to myself—not through dramatic breakthroughs, but through small, honest steps.
I walked into a counseling room for the first time. Not because I had answers, but because I was tired of believing that I needed to be “fixed.” In that space, I learned to sit with my emotions instead of pushing them away. I came to understand that longing doesn’t make me weak, and that healing doesn’t have to follow a fixed timeline. For me, growth wasn’t about erasing the past—it was about learning how to stay with myself, gently, even when the feelings were still present.
I tried to put myself first, even when it felt unfamiliar. I began to see love, boundaries, and self-worth more clearly. Most importantly, I started to accept that I’m a work in progress—and that I don’t need to rush becoming someone “better.”
There were still days when sadness arrived without warning. Old memories would resurface, and sometimes I found myself in tears. But instead of turning that into self-blame, I chose to meet those moments with honesty. That relationship was part of my life, and carrying it with me at times doesn’t take away from how far I’ve come. I know I’ve been moving forward—slowly but surely.
Work & Growth
This year marked a major transition: I officially graduated from NCCU and stepped into my first full-time job. Becoming a “working adult” felt unreal at first, but I’m grateful that my first team turned out to be such a good one.
I was lucky to join a group of supportive colleagues, with an amazing mentor and a boss who gave me space to learn and grow. The team atmosphere is wonderfully free and trusting, and being part of it reminded me how much a supportive environment matters.
There were moments of imposter syndrome—times when I wondered if I was only here because of someone I once relied on. But instead of letting that hold me back, I tried new things, made mistakes, and learned from them. One concrete moment was taking responsibility for a small but complete feature, from API design to database changes. At first, I felt anxious and moved slowly, unsure of the project and my place in it. Instead of pulling back, I chose to read more and ask questions—especially about the business logic. Over time, my pace picked up, and my understanding deepened. I took part in design reviews, testing discussions, and cross-team collaboration that I hadn’t had as much of before. That experience showed me something important: growth doesn’t always feel confident. Sometimes, it’s simply staying engaged long enough to realize that you’re actually capable.
Through these experiences, and the feedback I received from teammates, I started to see that I am the one doing the work. Even though I still have a lot to strengthen—like deepening my technical fundamentals and not relying too heavily on AI tools—I’m proud of the direction I’m heading.
Here’s some of the feedback my teammates shared with me:
One thing I’m especially grateful for is having the chance to return to Trend Micro. I love the company culture—the constant stream of activities, hobby clubs, fun events, sports days, and even the occasional surprise afternoon tea. There’s something very warm and human about it all.
Life & Flow
Friendships
I’m deeply thankful for everyone who invited me out or said yes when I asked—whether it was for a weekend trip around Taiwan (for my own record: Hualien, Yilan, Taichung, Changhua, and Tainan), catching a movie, singing karaoke, visiting an exhibition, or picking up the phone and listening when I needed to talk. This year, even a short message like “How have you been?” touched me more than people realized. Those small gestures carried me through many quiet, lonely nights.
In the first half of the year, I shared with a few friends that I was afraid of disappointing them, worried about how they’d view me moving slowly through life. Each friend replied in their own way, reassuring me that they just wanted me to be happy, to enjoy my life, to like the present version of myself—and that they believed my other friends felt the same. Through these conversations, I learned to receive care more openly, to allow myself to lean on others, and to trust that being seen doesn’t mean being judged.
Finally Books
Gradually, I started to return to myself. I read nine books this year. For many people, that number might seem small, but for me, it felt like an accomplishment. Much of what I read leaned toward psychology and self-reflection. Most of the reading happened in the first half of the year; once work began, the habit slipped. Next year, I hope to explore a wider range of genres and see where that curiosity takes me.
Moving my body again
I finally started Pilates—something I’d wanted to try for a long time—and also returned to weight training. Moving my body helped me reconnect with myself, especially during the emotionally heavier times. It made me feel grounded and capable.
Creating & Being Seen
I kept writing blog posts from time to time, but something else surprised me: the IELTS Study Planner I uploaded to Notion a year ago gained traction. It reached #13 in Assignment Tracker rankings, with a 4.9 rating (90 reviews) and 4K+ downloads. Knowing that something I made actually helped people was incredibly encouraging.
Jeju Island Drive
One highlight was a trip to Jeju Island with college roommates. It was the first time I drove abroad, and navigating the island by myself felt empowering—choosing routes, stopping for snacks, laughing over directions, and soaking in the views. That drive made me feel unexpectedly independent and proud of what I could do on my own.
A Big sparkle: Super Show 10
I went to my second Super Show this year, and it made me truly happy. Joining the arena for Super Junior’s 20th anniversary felt special—and seeing all members on stage together was such a precious moment for me.
Accepting My Journey
If 2024 was about seeing the world, then 2025 was about learning to see myself—clearly, gently, and without rushing.
This year taught me that growth doesn’t always look like confidence or breakthroughs. Sometimes it’s feeling lost and showing up anyway. Sometimes it’s crying and still choosing to move forward. Sometimes it’s being proud of yourself even when you’re not perfect.
This year, I also met many different people—thoughtful, warm, grounded, and caring in their own ways. I’m deeply grateful for their presence. Through our conversations and shared moments, I often found myself seeing things differently, thinking a little more openly, and understanding myself a little better.
I’m not exactly who I used to be. I’m not quite who I will become. But I like the direction I’m heading—quiet, steady, hopeful.
Continuing Forward
Going forward, I want to approach things with a bit more care.
I’m learning to let go of the old belief that everything has to be right or wrong, win or lose. Life isn’t built on perfect binaries, and holding myself to that kind of standard only made things heavier than they needed to be. I’m trying to slow down my judgments and be more patient with myself.
This year, I heard something in a podcast that stayed with me: you don’t need a grand dream to live meaningfully. For a long time, I envied people who seemed so certain about their direction. But maybe it’s okay not to have one big answer. Maybe focusing on doing things with care—right here, right now—can be its own kind of purpose.
One thing I’m returning to is reading—something that grounded me so much in the first half of 2025. I miss that quiet focus, that small ritual of slowing down. I’ve been trying to pick up different kinds of books and see what new stories or ideas catch my attention.
I’m also getting back into the habit of writing down three things I want to do each day. Planning like this at the end of the day helps me focus and actually get more done the next day.
I also want to be more intentional about how I grow at work. Instead of relying too quickly on AI-generated answers, I’m choosing to read more carefully, write things out on my own, and spend more time thinking through problems myself. I want to understand why things work, not just how to make them work.
I don’t expect myself to have everything figured out. I just want to keep showing up, keep learning, and keep choosing what feels true to me.
Thank You
Finally, a big thank you to anyone who made it all the way to the end of this post.
If you have a moment, I’d love it if you could say to me:
Joanne, you’re doing great.
Your support truly means a lot. 💛
🎧 Ending Song: Somebody New
As you finish reading, here’s a song that feels like a gentle reminder to celebrate the journey, appreciate yourself, and cherish life’s moments, no matter how small. Feel free to play it and take a moment to reflect alongside me.
