Happy New Year! This is my very favorite holiday and time of year. It feels like a clean slate, all fresh and new. There is a sense of hope, celebration, and possibility in the air.
In this new year, I am continuing with my yearly list tradition. The theme this year for my 25 in 2025 list in Nest & Rest.
THE INSPIRATION: MY RECENT HISTORY
It was a whirlwind moving to a new school... in a new city... in a new country. And this was after a whirlwind few years of navigating the pandemic and the job changes that came with along it. I absolutely LOVE it here in my new home and am the happiest I have ever been in my adult life. I am so grateful to be here and to be this happy.
When I was designing my 2025 list, I had to think about what goals might help me continue in my quest for happiness. The "Nest" portion of the theme has a few different meanings for me. First, the obvious: Building a Nest in the traditional sense - settling into my physical home. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I went fast and furious when I first moved into my flat. I quickly got about 85% "done" - and that's where it mostly stayed until now.
Finishing projects (especially personal ones!) is an area of growth for me. I am a workhorse and will absolutely meet deadlines given to me by others but have never been great at taking care of myself or addressing my own needs. This is my attempt at changing that trend.
Another meaning of "Nest" is nesting in my not-so-new-to-me-anymore city. I absolutely love Dubai; it feels like I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now. I want to continue exploring and learning about the city/country that I now call home.
The final meaning of "Nest" (for now!) is the nest egg I'm laying for my future. This has been an area of obsession for awhile now, so I figured it makes sense to incorporate it into my annual theme too. Several of my list items this year are meant to help foster that growth.
The second half of my theme "Rest" was inspired by an experience I had during my yoga retreat in Greece (#19 on my 24 in 2024 list!). I had a moment of realization during one of my yoga classes that I had not really stopped in years.
The more I thought about it the more I craved rest. I decided that this year I will be more intentional creating space for rest.
RESEARCH IS "ME"-SEARCH
Depending on which website or blog you read, there is somewhere between 4 and 11 types of rest. The one I settled on is fairly common: The 7 types of rest I am seeking this year includes physical, mental, sensory, emotional, social, creative, and spiritual rest. All of these are woven into my goals for this year.
My 25 in 2025 list!
1. Be a tourist in my own city.
CATEGORY IS: NEST I have a friend that I met at a previous school that worked in Dubai for five years. I distinctly remember when she told me that she never made it to all of the emirates here (there are seven of them). It reminded me of my time living in New York City. I learned that a lot of locals at the time had never been to the Statue of Liberty, which is fairly iconic and was one of the very first tourist places that I visited on my first trip to the city as a tourist.
I currently have a running list of things I would like to do/explore in Dubai as well as the other emirates. The UAE is pretty small compared to where I grew up - I can drive to the opposite coast in about two hours (and regularly do this for hikes when it's nice out!). I think it's pretty easy to settle into daily life and forget to explore, so this list item is meant to encourage me to do just that.
Initially I was going to add "every month" to the end of the phrase, but last year I found that to be a bit stressful - particularly during my busy seasons at school. This may end up being totally freeing OR entirely derailing. Here's hoping for the former.
2. Finish organizing my apartment.
CATEGORY IS: NEST I made quite a bit of progress over Winter Break and hope that I can continue that momentum. I have started a bullet journal (more about thi later) and am writing down a target of one room/space each month. I also designed a page that describes what "done" looks like so that I have concrete, tangible steps to accomplish. Luckily, nesting is something I love to do, but sometimes when I get tired and/or stressed, I forget about that.
3. Find a running route near the beach.
CATEGORY IS: NEST I have always had a running route by the water in every city I have lived in my adult life. The exception is my time in Myanmar, and that was only because I didn't live anywhere close to the water, and it was too chaotic to get there for a run anyway.
My favorite places to run in New York City were Riverside Park or by the Reservoir in Central Park; in Chicago I ran on the lakefront; in Oman I ran at the beach. There is not a lot in this world that makes me happier than being by the water.
Now that I have rekindled my love for running and am in a new city I need to find a route by the beach.
The biggest hurdle for me is doing something the first time. I always struggle with this initial step. For me, that specifically means knowing the best route to drive and what parking is like. Once I do it one time, then I am usually good to go.
4. Invest $🤫🤫🤫 for retirement.
CATEGORY IS: NEST I always write down the number for myself but never share it publicly.
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, saving for retirement as an international teacher is different from when I taught in the USA. I have very aggressive goals, so writing down a specific number is good motivation to help keep me on track.
5. Figure out how to use my egg maker.
CATEGORY IS: NEST Much like my soda water maker last year, I bought this amazing machine that is supposed to do something very cool, and then it sat in the box for several weeks until I unpacked it. Now it sits in a basket on a shelf in a kitchen cabinet. It has a place and is organized, but I haven't figured out how to use it. YET.
I don't remember the actual name of the machine, but it makes eggs in various ways. I can use it to make soft-boiled eggs as part of my breakfast every morning, but the main reason I bought this egg maker is that it can poach eggs.
A very good friend of mine cooked savory oatmeal for me when I visited her once, and I've been obsessed with wanting to try it sometime on my own ever since. The thing that's stopping me: Poaching an egg.
I tried watching some youtube videos, but the reality is that I have no desire to learn how to poach an egg. I love eating home-cooked meals because they are healthy, not because I enjoy the process of making them. Same issue here: I loved the savory oatmeal and want to try it on my own, but I lack the desire to learn how to poach an egg. I've tried other styles of egg in the savory oatmeal, but it doesn't compare. That's where this machine comes in!
The problem with something that can be done at any time often gets done at no time, at least for me. But now it's on The List, so I have a deadline. That will (hopefully) motivate me to take the 10-ish minutes I need to figure out how to use it.
6. Do Frugal February and/or No-Spend September.
CATEGORY IS: NEST I have several financial goals this year, and doing a no-spend month will help me achieve those goals faster! I've never attempted one of these before and am actually excited to gamify the challenge.
7. Do an inversion everyday.
CATEGORY IS: PHYSICAL REST Technically, an inversion is any position where your head is below your heart. I will probably mostly do legs up the wall or a similar yoga pose, and maybe get back into headstands if I decide that interests me at some point this year.
There are many benefits to doing an inversion daily. The two main benefits that interest me at the moment are improved circulation to help boost my energy levels and regulation of the nervous system to help me be a calmer, more patient, better person/teacher/friend/cat mom.
8. Update my budget.
CATEGORY IS: NEST I haven't updated my budget in years, which is rather useless since I make a different salary now. I also live in a different city, which comes with different expenses. If I want to reach my big savings goals this year, I'll need to set some clearer guidelines.
9. Replenish my emergency savings.
CATEGORY IS: NEST Speaking of savings!
My cat, Violetta, passed away the week of Thanksgiving 2023. Before she died, I had the vet run every test imaginable to find out what was wrong with her. In the end it turned out she was born with kidneys too small for her little body.
I dipped into my emergency savings when this happened (which is exactly what it was there for), and I would absolutely do it all over again if given the chance.
The thing about savings is that it goes away a lot faster than it is replenished. I found myself doing a lot of, "Oh, I'll start next month," ad nauseam until I finally decided to turn 'one day' into 'day one.' I've been slowly chipping away at my goal for a few months already, but I'm hoping to hit it (and then some?) by the end of the year.
Rest in peace, baby girl 💜
10. Run a race.
CATEGORY IS: EMOTIONAL REST One of my happiest achievements of 2024 was re-discovering my love for running - that "there she is" moment last month almost made me cry, as I was overwhelmed with joy.
I have always loved running races. I have never been particularly fast or competitive for my age group, but some of my very best memories from my New York City days were running races with my friends. We called ourselves The Monstersquad, and we always met to the right after the bagels at the finish line. It was so fun cheering each other on and celebrating big and small moments together. I still miss that group of people to this day!
I haven't run a race since before the pandemic (in case you are wondering, that was a 5-mile race in Hot Yai, Thailand for my birthday in 2019, which happens to be one of my very favorite memories of my time in Southeast Asia!).
I was registered for a half marathon in Oman in February 2022, but it was canceled due to one of the Covid variants wrecking havoc on the city. I ran the distance on my own, which is its own accomplishment, but there is nothing like the magic of race day.
11. Make time for creative projects.
CATEGORY IS: CREATIVE REST Initially I had a number attached to this (10, as 2X5=10). It makes me a bit nervous taking a specific goal away, but I decided the purpose of having this on the list is to enjoy the process and not necessarily on the products. Plus, having an assignment feels a lot less like rest, and if the goal is to cultivate creative rest, then I need to create that space/opportunity without the pressure or obligation.
12. Plan a restful summer.
CATEGORY IS: PHYSICAL/MENTAL/EMOTIONAL REST I can't speak for all teachers, but summer is a very crucial time to rest and recharge for most teachers I know.
Last summer was a very busy time for me. I went so many places and saw so many people. I missed just as many people, if not more. It never feels like enough.
If you include connecting flights, I took something like 14 flights last summer - and that's not an exaggeration. The physical act of unpacking and repacking so many times was exhausting. I did carve out time for myself to walk the last 100km of the Camino de Santiago. I felt sort of guilty going into it but I am incredibly grateful that I took that time for myself.
When I got back to school in August, I was craving rest. I was finally able to take some much-needed downtime over Winter Break these past few weeks. It has been glorious.
I've decided that I need to do more of this, so I will plan a restful summer. I still love y'all, but I've decided to take some time for myself. That feels really selfish to admit, so one goal is to change that thought into something more positive by the end of the year. After all, I do know it is important to take care of yourself. Or so I've heard.
I am not entirely sure what that a restful summer will actually look like. I am in the research and planning stage now.
13. Teach Rigoletto to "sit" and "shake."
CATEGORY IS: NEST Rigoletto (or "Rigo" for short) is the newest fur baby in my collection. I agreed to foster him last January while he was recovering from surgery after getting hit by a car. I fell in love with him and ended up failing as a foster, as he is in now in his forever home (with me, along with Cyndi and Amadeus).
Amadeus is definitely the face of the house.
Cyndi is the muscle, my very protective bodyguard.
Rigo is an Arabian Mau and is VERY smart. He has figured out how to open drawers (I had to move their treats) and screen doors (hence, the need for a catio on the balcony). He also loves solving puzzles, so I think he would like the challenge.
Next Steps: It takes cats longer than a typical dog to learn tricks, but it is realistic and doable. I need to watch a few more videos to figure out how to actually do the training.
14. Go on shorter, nearby adventures.
CATEGORY IS: PHYSICAL/MENTAL/EMOTIONAL REST This school year I have been fortunate enough to India in October and Egypt in November, which are both only a few hours away.
Living in Dubai, I can get to many places in the world on a nonstop flight. This year I want to continue exploring places that are nearby. So far on the calendar, I have plans to go to Uzbekistan over Spring Break and am meeting a friend in Azerbaijan for a long weekend in May. Both of these flights are super short, and both countries look like they are going to be VERY cool adventures.
I am forever grateful for this adventurous life I get to live and also to have the means to fund it. Exploring nearby countries will cut down on the recovery time from jet lag while still allowing me the time to reset, as travel is a really big one for me. Going on shorter adventures will also be more budget-friendly, which will satisfy a lot of my "nesting" goals this year, too.
15. Create an Album of Now.
CATEGORY IS: NEST I also got this idea from Gretchen Rubin (she's the podcaster/author who inspired this whole Yearly List project in the first place).
An Album of Now is exactly what it sounds like: A photo album of things in my life at this current moment in time. I decided to add this to my list last year when I was at a friend's house, and she showed me a physical photo album of her family's house and school when they lived in New Zealand. I realized that I don't have a physical or digital album of any of the places where I have lived. I do have photos of random activities, outings, and travels. I may even have a photo or two of various apartments, but nothing that was formal or intentional.
In my Album of Now, I want to include photos of my current apartment as I finish organizing it. I will also put pictures of my neighborhood, which I often take when I am out running. I will add other photos of very ordinary things, like coffee spots and grocery stores and anything else that will help me capture what it is like to live here at this time.
16. Spend 1000 hours outside.
CATEGORY IS: SENSORY REST I am reminded of my time in Chicago, when we treated every nice day like it was our last. Only now, it's the opposite season.
We are currently in the most beautiful time of the year. This lasts from approximately late October until March if we are lucky, with the very best weather lasting from December through mid- to late February. The rest of the year, we have to stay inside in the AC. The heat gets really intense, and it is not fun (or safe) to be outside during the summer months - especially May through August and into September.
Last year I did a good job of going on hikes during the nice season, but that's about all I remember doing. I want to intentionally spend time outside enjoying the beautiful weather, though not necessarily in direct sun.
I may very well find that I already do this, but the point of this practice is to be mindful and present and to NOTICE the time I spend outside.
17. Connect with long-distance friends.
CATEGORY IS: SOCIAL REST One the items on my 23 in 2023 list was to video chat with at least one long-distance friend each month. I did a really good job with this in 2023 and even had long-distance friends reach out to make this happen - some that I hadn't talked to in YEARS! It was such a special project.
In 2024, I combined that with in-person dates too. What ended up happening is that I did a very good job of making time for my friends here in Dubai but was not very consistent with long-distance friends. I love all of my people, but staying in touch is not my area of strength.
I'll work on this on my end, but friends who live far away, please feel free each out too. This year, I'm hoping to connect with more texts or calls or visits (I have a guest bedroom!).
18. Get a physical.
CATEGORY IS: PHYSICAL REST Last year I caught up on doctors' appointments and am feeling like a better version of me because of it. I spent time addressing pre-existing conditions and/or health issues that were concerning and am now on a maintenance schedule for those doctors as needed.
I am feeling healthier and stronger now, but I realized when I was doing my recap of 2024 that I didn't ever get a general physical. In fact, my last physical was probably in 2021 or 2022 at the latest, so it's time to take care of my body and make sure everything is still working properly.
I am very grateful to have the access and the insurance to make this happen.
19. Replace scrolling with colouring and/or journaling.
CATEGORY IS: SENSORY REST I don't spend a lot of time on social media until I am stressed or tired or both. Then I lay on the couch and scroll and scroll and scroll, which usually makes me more stressed and tired.
I've had a colouring book for years (a fantastic Christmas gift from a fellow cat lady a few years ago). I sort of always forget about it, so now it has a more visible location.
I also recently bought a bullet journal for the first time in my life and am ridiculously excited about it. I figure it will be a good place to pour some of my newfound creative energy, and this will be way more fun (and way healthier) than looking at my phone for hours every night. I also have some habit-tracking pages, so hopefully it'll help me stay on track with my goals, too.
20. Read books by female authors.
CATEGORY IS: MENTAL & SOMETIMES SENSORY REST Reading has always been a place of rest for me. When I have time to read, that means I have taken time to slow down.
I absolutely love physical books, so some of my reading this year will be sensory rest and a break from a screen. I do, however, also consume ebooks and audiobooks (yes, I count that as reading). I always have a different focus each year, and this year I will support female authors. That does not mean I exclusively read books by female authors, but it will be the majority of what I read this year.
21. Intentionally plan 25 days of rest.
CATEGORY IS: PHYSICAL/MENTAL/SENSORY/EMOTIONAL/SOCIAL REST I was writing a planned day of rest in my January calendar when I suddenly realized that I don't know what that means to me. I turned to the internet for help.
Incidentally, if you ask Google, "What does a day of rest look like?" you get a whole bunch of information about the Bible but not a whole lot about self care. I did rephrase my wording and also asked AI and Pinterest for advice too, and I got some very helpful answers.
Basically, it's up to you. I set to work designing what a restful day might mean in my life (in my bullet journal!), but I also had to be careful not to make it too rigid because that might defeat the purpose.
22. Practice breathwork and meditation everyday.
CATEGORY IS: MENTAL/SPIRITUAL REST This was another 23 in 2023 list item. I was very successful with it. The reason I removed it in 2024 is that I built a really consistent routine and thought I didn't need it on The List anymore. Unsurprisingly, I fell away from the habit when things got busy (which is probably when I need the breathwork and meditation the most!).
I'm working to re-implement the routine in the morning right after I wake up. It sets me up for a calmer, happier day. I am starting with only a few minutes to keep it attainable as I transition back to school next week and am also tracking my progress in my bullet journal.
23. Attend a full moon yoga or sound bath class.
CATEGORY IS: SPIRITUAL REST I do yoga almost every Friday at my local studio, but there is something special about a full moon class. I'm looking forward to doing one again this year, preferably outside, but since our time outdoors is so limited here I want to keep my options open. Indoors will work, too, especially if I love the space.
24. Build a routine for when I get home from work.
CATEGORY IS: MENTAL REST I'm very big on routines. It took me until February of last year (about five months of living here) to establish a really solid morning routine. I love my morning routine because it makes me feel grounded, particularly on busy days. I also have a bedtime routine that supports good sleep habits as a way to keep my insomnia under control.
I would like to spend time this year building a routine for when I get home from work. I have no idea what that will look like yet, but I'll ask Google/AI/Pinterest for help again. (Feel free to share ideas and suggestions if you have any!)
For awhile, my routine after work was solving NYT puzzles, but that often devolves into scrolling - especially during my busy/stressful times of year. I have a really busy job that I LOVE, which means I pour a lot of myself into it. I'm also an introvert working in an extroverted career and have a less-than-desirable driving commute home, so I need some time to decompress in the evenings when I get home from work.
My schedule varies from day to day and season to season, as I have different before and after school commitments throughout the year. However, if I can make a consistent routine for when I get home from work, I think it will help me rest and rejuvenate more effectively during the week, rather than crashing so hard on the weekends.
25. Free space.
CATEGORY IS: TBD I have an idea for this, but it takes planning and coordination with others and I'm not sure if it will pan out. I'm keeping my options open so that I can come up with an alternative if my original idea doesn't come to fruition. Stay tuned...
I think it's going to be another great year 🙏
