2025 was an absolutely incredible year.
Standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking the frozen lakes of Band-e Amir National Park, I felt an unexpected sense of freedom. The lakes were all frozen over, the air was mild, and the only warmth came from the pot of traditional Afghan stew cooking beside me and the obligatory Afghan tea in hand. The stew was made with the famous potatoes of the Bamiyan region, suggested by my local guide. I was amazed at how untouched everything felt compared to back home. There were no railings, no benches, no crowds and no gift shops. Just pure, raw landscape. In that moment, I realised how interesting it was that I felt more free there than I often do in the UK.
This year also marked my first time living completely alone. Having a larger place all to myself brought a sense of independence I had never experienced before. It wasn’t just about the extra space, it was the quiet and the ability to do exactly what I wanted, when I wanted. It finally feels like a place that is entirely my own.
I also spent a short while in Dubai this year. It’s a city I enjoyed, but it never felt completely authentic to me. I spent a lot more money than I intended to (the gold Souks, wagyu, cigars, champagne and limousines will do it), but I lived those days in complete luxury and just embraced the experience before heading on to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan itself was an exercise in extreme adventure. Every person I met was incredibly kind and welcoming, even (perhaps especially) the Taliban, who took me out for lunch AK-47s in tow and paid for my meals on multiple occasions. In fact the Afghan hospitality showed itself before I’d even entered the country when I met a guy at the embassy in Dubai who insisted on paying for my visa. There were a handful of sketchy moments along the way (including at Birmingham International Airport on my return), but those are stories for another time and something I was 100% expecting before embarking on this adventure. From visiting fortresses ransacked by Genghis Khan and his army (Shahr-e Zuhak and Shahr-e-Gholghola) to the hustle and bustle of the Ka Faroshi Bird Market in Kabul, every day felt like stepping into the unknown. It was a mix of awe and discovery that I won’t forget. I definitely plan to return at some point.
On the professional side, my six-month secondment was another major highlight. I loved the team and the work itself. Leveling up my GraphQL and Apollo skills while diving into AI tooling like Amazon Q Developer, Kiro, and NotebookLM made it incredibly engaging. It was both challenging and rewarding to see how these tools are changing the way we build.
The AWS Summit was interesting as always and a great chance to meet colleagues in person, though by the end I was starting to feel a bit of AI fatigue and slipped off to the pub. I was also involved in the Amazon Q pilot at RS which was a big highlight for me. We had a Hack Day at the Amazon offices in London where we spent a full day developing proof of concept solutions for our real-world problems. It was hands-on and fast-paced, and it made me appreciate the actual potential behind some of this new tech.
This year I also decided to really put effort into songwriting and music production for the first time. I had a lot of fun exploring how creative it can be, experimenting with sounds, textures, and riffs in a way I haven’t before. It reminded me why I have always found music to be such an important outlet.
A major milestone at work was the go-live of the Article API being consumed by the product page via our product subgraph. The backing API had been live for a while, but this year our main consumer finally started using it in production. Having worked on many previous versions and attempts, seeing this finally succeed felt like a big moment in my career. Monitoring and tweaking it post-launch has been something I’ve found incredibly motivating.
I was also promoted to Senior Software Engineer this year, something I had been working towards for quite some time. I had a feeling it was coming, but that didn’t make the moment any less satisfying. It felt like a natural step forward and a nice acknowledgment of the work I have put in over the years.
Outside of work, the year was full of social nights out in Chesterfield. It wasn’t about anything fancy, just the sense of freedom and fun that comes from spending time with good friends, laughing, and drinking too much. Those nights reminded me how important it is to make space for that kind of joy.
Musically, I discovered a lot of new bands that really stuck with me. Indian Summer captured that raw emo intensity, Baelfyr brought a punchy blackened death metal edge, and The Paradox added some infectious pop-punk energy (industry plant allegations aside). Those that know me won’t be surprised that the latest Behemoth album was also a firm favourite.
I also ended up at more gigs and festivals than any year previous, which I didn’t think was possible. Slam Dunk, Download, Bloodstock & Leeds were all great fun as usual, but the standout single show was definitely Slayer at Finsbury Park, sharing the stage with Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed, and Neckbreakker. The energy of the crowd and the intensity of the performances reminded me why there is nothing quite like a great metal show.
All in all, it has been a year of freedom, adventure, and growth, both personally and professionally. It’s definitely one I’ll be looking back on for years to come.
Roll on 2026!