Review of my 2025

2025 was truly an exciting and thrilling year. Today, I’d like to take you through my last 12 months.

January

I spent the new year in Germany for the first time in a long while. With my entire family in Altenburg.
Apart from that, not much exciting happened, except that I was preparing for my trip.

February

In February, I began to feel quite burnt out and realized that I really needed the break that was approaching so soon. But between packing boxes to clear my shared room and the final travel preparations, I was also on a really nice vacation. Two of my best friends here got married, and we went to Scotland for that. I took advantage of that and spent a few days in Ayr to visit friends there as well.

The wedding took place in a Scottish castle near Edinburgh, and with really exemplary weather, we experienced a lovely weekend and a truly beautiful celebration.

March to June

From March until the end of June, I was on my long-awaited Interrail trip. Four months just me and my backpack. But you can read more about that and in much greater detail in my last 55 posts.

July

In July, I returned to the normal routine. After such a long trip, I was quite nervous about it, but as it turned out, it was very good. I had an easy start with only two weeks at first. During those few days, I continued my yearly summer tradition with the kids. Since my first summer, I have been tie-dying T-shirts with the children. I did this for many years during summer camps, and it continues to be very popular here. The T-shirts are worn throughout the year and often passed down to younger siblings, so I still sometimes see shirts from three or four years ago.

Then I took another week off for vacation since I still had a few vacation days left. I used this time to visit my brother and sister-in-law on the Isle of Wight. The island is located in the south off the coast of Britain and is a very popular holiday destination for the British, which has been on my travel list for ages.

And we truly enjoyed ourselves. Of course, we spent every day at and in the sea, enjoying delicious food and exploring and hiking around the island.

Then the BBC Proms Festival finally began. This is the biggest classical music festival in the world, running from mid-July to early September with at least one concert per day. I often try to get a standing ticket for £8, but sometimes I also sit in the upper tier.

Then my choir and I went on a concert tour. A weekend in Norwich, featuring two Evensongs and a service in the cathedral, and a concert in a nearby village.

August

August was an eventful month with many wonderful experiences. It started with a visit from my cousin who came to me during his 100-day study plan for medical school. During the day, we would study and go to a musical in the evenings. Over the course of eight days, we saw six musicals together.

Besides working, we also made two day trips. On the first day, we went to the coastal city of Brighton.

There, I experienced something typical for the UK for the first time, as we were in an amusement arcade. Especially on the coast, there are often small amusement parks and/or arcades on a pier, where one can find small gaming machines, carousels, or even the occasional roller coaster.

Back in London, we watched the next musical, a very impressive modern version of Evita.

Our second day trip went to Richmond, a district in southwest London. Here, there is the huge park 'Kew Gardens' which is especially known for its large greenhouses and is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world.

After another musical, we were privileged to attend a special BBC Proms concert. This time was especially noteworthy because I could finally see Anna Lapwood live. She is a very well-known organist. And it soon became clear that it would be an unusual concert.

So we headed to the Royal Albert Hall in the evening.

It turned out to be a very special concert. An eight-hour concert from 11 PM to 7 AM. It was certainly an experience I likely would not have had if I had read the description closely.

So it happened that I entered the Royal Albert Hall in the dark and came out in daylight in the early morning. But that’s the beauty of these concerts; you always experience something new!

Overall, August somehow turned out to be the month of concerts and celebrations. I baked some cakes and spent lovely evenings with my friends.

Then I went with my roommate and two other friends to Hastings, another town on the south coast of England.

Beautiful summer weather. We went swimming a lot, enjoyed the sea, and took a day hiking along the coast.

September

In September, I attended a final BBC Proms concert and then the ABBA show. That was quite interesting. The holograms of the ABBA band looked so real at times. They were accompanied by a live band.

Then I rediscovered a hobby: cycling. Well, cycling isn’t new to me, but I now use my bike for almost all trips around London. It’s simply the easiest, quickest, and of course the cheapest way to get from A to B in London.

Since late summer, I have been regularly participating in critical mass rides and other cycling tours, through which I’ve found good friends. Hence, cycling is again more in focus, and not just as a means of transportation for regular everyday routes.

And then came the end of September, specifically the 27th. I have now been in London for five years. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.

October

In October, we had the last warmer evenings and our final sunflowers in the garden.

And then I had a family weekend in Germany. In Oberlausitz in Oybin, the birthplace of my grandmother.

November

What hasn’t been mentioned much yet is that 2025 was also the year of doctors’ appointments. Unfortunately, my body has several health issues. Of course, I’m glad that things are finally moving along and being treated, but it’s also a bit exhausting when you go to one appointment, and two new ones arise.

So November was marked by dental appointments. Many appointments with my dentist and one root canal later, my mouth looks a bit healthier again.

I also explored London a bit more. I keep finding places I’ve never been to. That will always be the case. So it never gets boring here.

And then at the end of November, I finally applied for my settled status and received it shortly thereafter. This was a significant milestone, and it was extremely important to do this now, as the regulations will change next April. Then, instead of five years, it will be ten years that one needs to prove they have lived in the UK for that long.

December

December started with a long-awaited concert. A year ago, I had bought the concert tickets for Hans Zimmer live. Hans Zimmer is a world-famous film composer, known for soundtracks such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Interstellar, The Lion King, and many others. In the sold-out O2 Arena in Greenwich, we listened to his music along with 20,000 other people.

Then, a few days later, two wisdom teeth were pulled, and I was laid up for a while. The following week, I had to take care of some stomach issues from the daycare, and I was again laid up for a bit. So, during the first two weeks, I was home more than at work.

Despite that, I was able to partake in some of the Christmas festivities.

Baking cookies, attending Christmas parties, a Christmas bike tour, and of course, singing in church.

The year is coming to an end now. I have experienced a lot; it was probably one of the most exciting years ever. A journey that was long overdue, taught me a lot, and one that I will always fondly remember. And then the last six months with many concerts, meeting friends, and making new ones. A little traveling and continuing to discover the UK and London.

I am curious about the new year and wish everyone a Happy New Year!