2025 Year in Review
I am going to start by saying this: I am glad 2025 is over. Even though it had plenty of ups and plenty of new things, it was a tough year in a lot of cases. Even with that, I think it’s important to look back at the good things as I look forward to 2026.
I took some major steps in how I Eat and view Food
There were many things in my life that needed to change and something finally clicked. Finally, I said ‘enough’. I started with my diet, as it has been a negative spot in my life for years, really decades. I began meeting with a registered dietician to improve my food intake to focus on what is healthy, and to prepare myself for a major weight change. It might be the most important thing I’ve done in my life, as I am down almost 40 pounds from September, and I have more energy than I have had in a long time. I was very skeptical of GLP-1s but after a few months, I am finally starting to see the results I want and to have the changes I want to see.
It wasn’t without it’s challenges though…
One of the most unexpected challenges I faced in 2025 was the impact this journey had on my mental health. Food noise has been a constant presence in my life for as long as I can remember, and for years I relied on emotional eating and overeating as a way to cope. When that coping mechanism suddenly disappeared, it created an emotional void I wasn’t prepared for. For someone who feels deeply, the loss of that outlet can trigger anxiety, rumination, and emotional overwhelm. There were moments when sadness lingered, negative thought patterns intensified, and stress hormones like cortisol seemed to take control.
This mental health shift wasn’t something I anticipated, nor something I had the tools to manage right away. If you’re considering a GLP-1, I think it’s more important for your mental health than your physical health, especially at the beginning! Honest self-reflection and a strong support system made all the difference for me. I’m deeply grateful for the people who walked with me through those moments, and I continue to grow with greater resilience and compassion for myself, which I have never done for myself before.
There was a lot of loss in 2025….
2025 took. And took. And took some more.
I ordered more flowers for funerals this year than I ever remember having to send—and more than I ever want to again. I was there when one of my close friends passed away at a work convention, just hours after we had spent the previous night together. Another dear friend and mentor suffered a heart aneurysm that led to a quadruple bypass, suffering it on a conference call while at work.
In rapid succession, three of the kindest people I know in the insurance industry lost their husbands. Three coworkers lost their parents. Another lost their dog—because let’s be honest, that’s family too. The sheer volume of grief compressed into such a short period of time weighed heavily on me, and on all of us.. It strained friendships, tested work relationships, and forced us to confront pain we weren’t prepared to carry all at once.
But, if there is a silver lining in 2025, it’s the reminder of how fragile and precious life truly is. Many of us have been forced to reevaluate what really matters. That realization is beginning to take root—changing how we treat one another, softening our edges, and extending more grace than we might have before.
My job changed completely….
2025 decided to keep the changes coming, and this time it was my territory. I’m still handling Texas and Oklahoma like always, but after three years working the West Coast, I’ve officially shifted over to the Southeast. Honestly, it feels like a great fit. Being a Southern boy, this move just makes sense, and I’m already seeing some really positive signs from it. On top of that, 2025 also brought a familiar face back into the mix — one of my longtime insurance buddies joined me at my new company, and I couldn’t be happier to have him here.
We got a 3D printer!
I think this might be one of the most fun things we’ve done in 2025. Carson and I somehow convinced his mom to let us get a 3D printer, and once that box showed up, it was game on. We picked up a Bambu X1 Carbon and immediately got to work making all kinds of cool stuff. What started as a fun project quickly turned into something bigger — we even launched a little company together called PrintlesTX, and you’ll be seeing some of our products very soon.
I had some good times with my boys!
From trips to the range, a visit to the National WWII Museum (plus Mardi Gras… whoops!), to a family trip through Pennsylvania filled with antiquing, chocolate making, and some classic Liberty Bell sightseeing — 2025 has been a pretty great year for our family. And that’s not even counting all the little moments in between that made it special.
I went to a lot of places
I traveled almost more than I ever have in 2025, all around the country! From San Francisco to New York, I got to see a lot, got to do a lot, and experience new things and new people everywhere I went!
I don’t know if you can tell, but I’ve always been a Southwest Airlines guy… though 2025 might be shaking that up a bit. After flying Delta Air Lines a few times out of DFW, I think I may be officially hooked. More on that in 2026!
2025 also had me covering some serious ground. The Golden Gate Trail in San Francisco was walked, I soaked in the beauty of Salt Lake City, and saw some of the coolest planes ever — including the F-22 and the SR-71. I sipped wine on Madison Avenue, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, spent time in Atlanta, and met a whole lot of new people along the way.
I began to write…and filled up a field notes!
One thing 2025 quietly brought back into my life was writing. Somewhere along the way, I dropped it — forgot about it, avoided it, whatever you want to call it. But I’ve always had a love for the written word, for the way I speak, and for how words can carry meaning. Writing has always been part of that for me.
As part of my mental health journey in 2025, and with some help from a few YouTubers and other content creators, I picked up a Field Notes notebook and started journaling again. I began tracking habits, dumping thoughts onto paper, and giving my mind a place to breathe. Perfection is still a ways off, and I haven’t been consistent every day — but just coming back to writing has felt grounding in a way I didn’t expect.
I’m glad 2025 is over! I’m looking forward to writing about what will happen in 2026!
