2025 felt like a year that kept moving fast while quietly inviting reflection. The world stayed complex and unsettled, but life at home felt slower and more grounded.

Turning 40 in July marked that shift. I celebrated in a Kreuzberg beer garden with friends I don’t see often enough, and the evening carried a calm sense of gratitude. In November, our daughter turned five. Watching her grow continues to reshape how I think about time, work, and space. Our apartment feels smaller now, and having a dedicated office no longer feels optional.

Travel brought some of the year’s brightest moments. In April we went to Turkey to celebrate a friend’s 40th, with early summer weather and a small hotel gem overlooking the sea. A short family trip to the Baltic Sea followed in May. Despite the rain, it felt like a welcome pause. In September, we spent time on Kos, enjoying beaches, simple food, and an easy rhythm to end the summer.

Work stayed varied and engaging. I redesigned the website for Satellite Offices, designed and built the new site for NLND in Neukölln, worked on interaction design for Egger, and helped shape a touch interface concept for a new presentation space at Coca-Cola’s Berlin HQ.

Music was a highlight. Jamie XX in March felt more like a club night than a concert, while Blood Orange later in the year was quiet, emotional, and immersive. Evenings slowed down with Alien Earth, which surprised me despite its flaws, and with the final season of Stranger Things, which closed an era gracefully.

Looking ahead, I want to sharpen my positioning and focus my offer. Not bigger, just clearer. AI will change how I work, even if it doesn’t replace it, and that pace of change remains both fascinating and unsettling.

Overall, 2025 left me appreciating simple gatherings, meaningful projects, and the realization that change rarely arrives all at once. It builds quietly, until you notice you’ve crossed a line.