Another new year is upon us. As the calendar turns from 2025 to 2026, events and moments of years past seem like only yesterday. The new year is both a fresh start and a constant reminder of what came before. And as each year comes, it has different meanings to each person. Some will tell you it was a good year. Others will say it was awful. Each year brings different swings of life, but ultimately, if you're still breathing as January 1st arrives, that in itself is enough to be grateful. Without further ado, here's a look back on my journey through 2025.
January wasn't going to be outdone by the gifts of Christmas and decided to bring me a second nephew. Tim and Kay had another boy and he's been a cute bundle of joy. Some friends from our sister church in Australia paid us a visit and we took them to a Cavaliers game. It was ironic because exactly nine years prior, we took another group of Aussies to a Cavs game as well. And before January bowed out, Carlf and I drove down to Columbus to see a Blue Jackets hockey game and visit some friends in the area.
February wasn't too exciting, but I was living on cloud 9 as my favorite NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles, beat the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. Not every fan gets to witness their favorite team win it all, so when it happens, I soak in every moment. March was also quiet for me in terms of life adventures, but I did stay up until 1:30am to see a lunar eclipse and captured the moment on my phone. I also hit the 10 year milestone of when I started geocaching. It's crazy to believe that I've been doing this hobby for 10 years now.
June brought my next big adventure as I went to visit Keith and Coyee in Denver, CO. I had never been to Colorado before, so this was new state #3 on the year. Keith took me out exploring and I experienced a mountain river that remains ice cold year round, even in the sweltering heat. We explored Red Rocks Amphitheater and the beauty of it was breath-taking. I have to see a concert there some day. We also explored more of Colorado's natural beauty and hiked a trail were dinosaur footprints were discovered. And I got to check another baseball stadium off my list as a group of us attended a game at Coor's Field. Fun fact, the row we sat in was exactly 1 mile above sea level. I also spent time with the people they met out there and members of the church. It was a breath of fresh air meeting them and talking with them. Thanks again for having me Keith an Coyee!
July did July things with its summertime magic. While I didn't go on any major adventures, I took part in a handful of youth camps. I returned to Laurelville, PA to serve a jr. high camp where I had done so many times before. But this was the first time in 8 years that I had gone back and it was a real treat to be able to participate once again. I also took part in our high school camp which was held here in Cleveland. We planned this 10 challenge activity that I oversaw which required groups to complete 10 daunting tasks in the quickest time they could. I acquired a full costume for the bit and it was a blast. The other important event that occurred in July was our annual fantasy football competition. While we do get overly competitive, it's always a grand time when we can get the whole crew together for a weekend, especially when we don't see each other as often due to work, taking care of our families, being out of state, etc. I also attended the annual Midwest Geobash and camped in a tent there for the first time. I even ended up riding out a severe thunderstorm at 4am inside of it which was quite the experience and something I hope to not ever do again. So while I didn't travel far, but July was crammed full of excitement.
In August, I held an event to celebrate my 10 years in the game of geocaching at Lakewood park. Folks came out and we had a dandy of a time enjoying goodies, cornhole, and each other's company. August was also the month we took our family vacation up to Wisconsin. Not all of us were able to make it, but every time I go, I savor the moment. We rented a large cabin on a lake I had never been on before. We did a lot of fishing and boating, all while enjoying the natural beauty. We joined the family for a church pig roast, had fires on the farm, and spent time with the family. Other highlights included my cousin bringing his little speed boat and tube so we went tubing on the lake. I told him to not hold back and he went nuts trying to toss me. I went airborne 3 times and still managed to not be thrown. That was a great day. My dad, Stephen, Lydia, Hannah, and I took a day trip to Minneapolis to catch a Twins game at Target Field. That marked MLB stadium #18 for me and would be my last one of the year. My brothers, Nathaniel & Stephen, and my sister's boyfriend, Ben, and I tackled the 60th ranked disc golf course in the US. It was 27 holes all on a large piece of land. It was fantastic and one of the best courses I've played on. We ended the trip with dinner by the fire on the farm. No fish fry this year as my two bros left early for a wedding. Wisconsin is always a dandy time.
September started off as a chill month. There were some baseball games, geocaching events, and end of summer shenanigans, but as September came to a close, I was about to go on what one would call, and adventure of a lifetime. If you've been following this blog or my facebook page, you know what I'm referring to. Japan. My longtime high school buddy Ryan approached me in 2024 about this trip. He had already gone before, but wanted to do it again. He asked if I wanted to go and the answer was obviously yes. While there's so much I could put here, I'm already in the process of blogging it now. So I'll just add some photo highlights and let them speak.
The Japan adventure went into October and five days after I returned, I got in my car and drove all the way back again to my hometown in PA as my other cousin, the younger brother of the one who got married in April, was also getting married. They had their wedding about an hour away on a beautiful venue in the countryside. I got to see my nephews again and my grandmother who turned 90 in July. Congrats again Joe and Megan!
I turned 35 in November which I'm still undecided on how to feel about that, but for now, I'll take it as another year. This month was filled with small geocaching events with friends, multiple friendsgivings, and just being around great groups of people. We also got our first snowfall on Thanksgiving and other than a few days here and there, the ground has been consistently covered in snow and it's been quite cold.
And finally we come to December. The holiday season saw many events with friends and family, with the final adventure being a trip down to Maryland to Tim & Kay's new house for Christmas. I spent four days there with the family. We ate good food, went disc golfing on a surprisingly warm day, toured Longwood Gardens in the cold, exchanged gifts, and spent a bunch of quality time to close out the year. So overall, 2025 was pretty good to me. And with that, I say so long and hope for many joys, thrills, and blessings for 2026. Happy New Year y'all!
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