This end of year, like those before it, requires the ritual of reviewing the year I am leaving behind. Thanks to this reflection, I can judge clearly my desires and forge the path for next year. Many of the objectives require continuous dedication, or money and time. For 2025, I had the goal of visiting an Asian country. Unfortunately, I was unable to achieve it. Planning and concretizing the trip was becoming very difficult and I took it as a sign to postpone it for later. Luckily, it is something that I believe I will do very soon during 2026.
I went to the Sharr Mountains for skiing to start the year. In February I visited Berlin for the first time and in March I spent time with my family in Alberobello. April was the long-awaited month, when I’d visit Petra and Wadi-Rum. I spent most of the summer away from Tirana, mainly in Himara. I visited Peja and did the Marimangat Via Ferrata, and then later on I visited Theth. By the end of summer, I visited the island of Sazan for the first time and the Haxhi Aliu Cave, or as it is otherwise known, the Pirates’ Cave. I also made a final trip abroad to Poland for a week. Thus, I reached 38 visited countries. In addition to Warsaw, I also visited Zakopane and did the hike to Morskie Oko.
When it comes to races, I participated in 2 Sprint Triathlons in Himara and Shkodra, I won second place in both of them. Their training prompted me to write “Triathlon vs Marathon: Two Races, Two Perspectives”. In the running discipline, I participated in the Tirana Half Marathon and a 10K in Durrës. I have tried to run at least one 10K per month, but I have not always succeeded. Let’s just say that I have not given it priority. I have been content with my race training.
Unlike other years, 2025 had a specific goal. More than a goal, I would call it a challenge. The challenge to not buy any clothes or accessories, whether new or used. You can find the details of this goal in the article “Why and how I Decluttered my Space”. The realization of this challenge was very simple. The only exceptions were a concert blouse during the visit to Berlin and a pair of arabesque earrings during the trip to Jordan. However, while maintaining the modesty of this experience, I will continue to be careful about the things I buy in the future and especially about their lifespan.
As before, 2025 had the goal of reading 5 books. I have almost always exceeded this goal by 1–2 books, but this year would be different. I exceeded it by 22 new books, a total of 27. I will attach their list at the end of the article, since it is longer than other years. I read Diana Çuli’s Deer and Haruki Murakami’s “1Q84”, with over 1200 pages, which I had set as goals in advance. And yet, from the entire list I have read, I would single out:
- The Wisdom of Life – Arthur Schopenhauer
- Kukullat Nuk kanë Atdhe – Flutura Açka
- Free – Lea Ypi
- Laughable Loves – Milan Kundera
- Junkie – William S. Burroughs.
I think I have already gained the will to read and have integrated this habit into my life enough, to no longer set goals like I have done so far.
As I said before, during 2026 I intend to visit Asia. During 2025 I found that my dedication to Yoga was steadily growing, and during the coming year I would like to explore that path further. In terms of professional development, with 2025 I am also leaving behind my office career. The projects of 2026 involve more nature and less rules and bureaucracy. It’s a change that came very naturally, inspired by the experience in Himara during the year I’m leaving behind. I am very excited about the new project which, for me, proves the importance of staying open to new experiences. If things come naturally to us, generally, we should give it a chance.
2025 List of Books – from the most recent
- Palace of Illusions – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Naked Lunch – William S. Burroughs
- Junkie – William S. Burroughs
- Queer – William S. Burroughs
- The Heart of Yoga – T. K. V. Desikachar
- 1Q84 – Haruki Murakami
- Hippie – Paulo Coelho
- Laughable Love – Milan Kundera
- Free – Lea Ypi
- A Very Easy Death – Simone de Beauvoir
- Kukullat nuk Kanë Atdhe – Flutura Açka
- The Zahir – Paulo Coelho
- Kafka on the Shore – Haruki Murakami
- The Lover – Marguerite Duras
- We Solve Murders – Richard Osman
- Norwegian Stories – Translated by Kozeta Nushi
- Letter to Father – Franz Kafka
- Before the Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
- The Vegetarian – Han Kang
- The Wisdom of Life – Arthur Schopenhauer
- Norwegian Wood – Haruki Murakami
- A Genghis Khan of Modern Times – Alberto Bevilacqua
- Dreri i Trotuarëve – Diana Çuli
- Yoga, Arti i të Jetuarit – Sui Thanasi
