What I learned in 2025

It's been months since I last posted here, and honestly, life got in the way—in the best possible way. Between finishing engineering school, moving to a new country, and navigating what comes after the diploma, sitting down to write took a backseat. But now we're back, and I want to share what 2025 taught me.

Freedom is scary (and that's okay)

For as long as I can remember, my life had clear milestones. Graduate high school, get into university, finish your engineering degree. Every step was mapped out with a timeline.

Then I graduated, and the structure disappeared.

No more exams. No professors telling me what's next. Just complete freedom to choose—which also means freedom to fail. And honestly? That's terrifying. (And if you want to get started on the whole "finding your other half" thing—that's a whole different level of no roadmap xD)

But here's the thing: when there's no syllabus, you write your own. The scary part isn't the freedom—it's learning to trust yourself with it.

The world is bigger than your bubble

I grew up in a relatively homogeneous environment where most people around me shared similar beliefs and rituals. It wasn't limiting—it was just my normal, the only perspective I'd really known.

Moving to France changed that completely. Suddenly I was meeting people from all over the world—different nationalities, beliefs, ways of living. At first it was overwhelming, then it became the best part.

The world felt bigger because I realized how much I didn't know, and smaller because despite our differences, we still connected over the same things—shared goals, similar struggles and the universal experience of figuring life out.

Watching your people win feels good

This year I watched my friends and peers:

• Get married
• Move to new cities for their dream jobs
• Start their own companies
• Chase what they really wanted

And it felt amazing. No jealousy, no comparison. Just genuine happiness seeing people I studied with, stressed with, laughed with, now thriving in their own ways. Every wedding invitation, every job announcement, every social media post celebrating a win—it reminded me that we're all on different timelines, chasing different goals.

We're scattered across different cities now, living different lives, but still connected. And watching them achieve their goals, get married, move forward—it's one of the best feelings of growing up together.

Just start (the camera won't bite)

I used to think I wasn't a "camera person." The idea of recording myself felt awkward and uncomfortable, so I avoided it.

This year I just started anyway:

• Recorded a YouTube video with Merouane (aka Kaito)
• Posted content on Instagram
• Launched a 30-day DevOps newsletter

Turns out, it was smooth. People liked it. The fear I built up in my head was ten times worse than the reality. The hardest part wasn't being on camera or writing the newsletter. The hardest part was pressing record and hitting publish.

You're capable of more than you think

I didn't plan to move to France. But when the opportunity came, I packed my life into a bag and went. Once I was there, I stopped overthinking and started doing. I locked in, worked, and delivered things I never thought I could—international connections, consistent content, responsibilities I would've doubted myself on before.

You don't discover your potential by thinking about it. You discover it by committing and executing.

Moving forward

I don't regret a single choice from 2025. Every risk I took, every uncomfortable moment, every late night working on something I wasn't sure would pan out—it was all worth it.

2025 taught me that freedom is scary but necessary. That the world is bigger than I imagined but smaller than I feared. That watching your friends win is a gift. That starting is harder than continuing. And that I'm capable of more than I give myself credit for.

Here's to 2026 and whatever comes next.

Thank you to my family, my friends, my mentors, and everyone who supported me through this journey. You know who you are, and I wouldn't be here without you.

Let's keep moving forward.