Let’s just get right to it…
1. The Waitomo Glow Worm Caves – Perhaps my most wonder-filled moment of the year came during our New Zealand trip when we got to take a short boat ride through the glow worm caves of Waitomo.
2. Rosalía’s Lux – What a stunning album. I’ve described it to a friend as Catholic baddie pop-opera-trap in 14 languages with a Bjork feature. Can’t wait to see her belt out Mio Cristo Piange Diamante in June.
3. Five Days a Week of Childcare – I’ve gotten so much more space to do things and so much energy back! And when they’re out of daycare and in school, that financial breathing room is gonna serve!
4. San Diego FC – I’ve already riffed on my fondness for San Diego FC and the story of how they won me over. All of it was true. A surprisingly terrific expansion season that came within one win of the MLS Cup
5. Mandelbro’s video titled No, The World Is Not Falling Apart – A solid case for optimism, feat. one of the most accessible and beautiful descriptions of the Big Bang.
6. My job allowing me to open our largest fundraising event with my David Attenborough impression – Perks of being employed eight years!
7. Honestly, work was very meaningful for me this year – At a time when many in my sector have lost their jobs. I’ve spent almost a decade being part of something really, really good.
8. My Friends by Frederik Backman – It’s hard to single out a favorite read from 2025, but Frederik Backman’s latest comes out as one of the most memorable. It’s everything I’d expect out of a Backman novel.
9. Firmly being out of the baby stage – Sure we’ll miss parts of it. But the kids are still cute. And potty trained! And overall easier to take places.
10. Georgetown University’s CE class on social impact storytelling – Almost a decade after grad school, I got to take a CE class on the exact thing I love to do for work.
11. Obsessively curating Google Maps – My system for saving places I want to visit has gotten intense.
12. Breakfast at Eight at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand – A top three breakfast for me, ALL TIME.
13. Sinners – Movie of the year, and it wasn’t even close. Who would’ve thought a blues vampire musical would claim that spot? Coogler makes it happen.
14. Doing a deep dive into all the historical, cultural, and musical references in Sinners after seeing it – Yeah, that gets its own entry
15. Kendrick & SZA, of course – From the Halftime Show to seeing them play in the pouring rain in Seattle.
16. Heung Min Son ending his run at Tottenham on top – I’ll miss him with Spurs, and I’m no fan of LAFC, but I’m glad his tenure got such a poetic ending
17. The Observatory Hotel in Christchurch – Shares it space with so many fun things. Has a drawing room with tons of personality. A short walk from the center of town and across the street from a big park. Firing on all cylinders here.
18. Tres Leches Cinnamon Rolls – As a classic summer activity, we ate absurd things at the county fair. This one was the least regrettable by far.
19. The Social Change Ecosystem Map Definition of Roles by Deepti Iyer – A simple but helpful guide to see where you might best plug into activism work
20. This Indian News Clip of a boy talking sense about India-Pakistan – He drops the mic like a SupHotFire rap battle skit from 2011, but about some higher stakes things. We need this energy.
21. Freestyle Rap Improv – First full year with Optimus Rhyme and man, we had some good shows. I especially loved our Halloween show!
22. AFCON – Everyone knows the World Cup, but Africa’s Cup of Nations is where all the juicy storylines come from.
23. Decorating for Halloween on September 14 – Time to inflate the giant lawn rat
24. This Kurt Vonnegut quote, paired with the documentary Join or Die – “What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.”
25. That Severance Season Two Finale – There’s a very fine balance between resolution and leaving things open to interpretation that can be completely satisfying. They nailed it.
26.That moment we realized a friend in a life-or-death health emergency would survive. As awkward as it is to sandwich that in between a season finale and a cheesesteak, it belongs on a list of something that made my year.
27. Dalessandro’s – Rhys and I did a cheesesteak war as part of our visit to Philly. Dallessandro’s came out on top for me, though he was more of a Chubbies guy.
28. Kouign Amman – Flaky delight of a pastry hailing from Brittany, France. I was introduced to in in the aptly named café Kouign Amman in Montréal. Trader Joe’s now has a make-at-home version, which is pretty good but completely different.
29. Making mango horchata from scratch – This was complicated and I don’t know if I’ll be repeating my efforts too often, but I’m glad I made a large enough batch to enjoy from for a whole week.
30. Burien, Washington – I unintentionally discovered Burien when my flight to Seattle came in a few hours before my friend’s. It was a great spot to eat up a few hours. They’ve got a sleek little downtown strip, a pretty diverse community, an active community life, and some good green space. All the right boxes!
31. Revisiting my childhood home in Philadelphia – and…
32. Discovering that the neighborhood is a hub of Eastern European/Central Asian communities. – So many good kachkapuri spots! We got dinner that night at the aptly named Uzbekistan Restaurant.
33. San Diego – Namely realizing that we’ve really carved out a community here that works for our lives right now.
34. Hope’s Frybread in Mesa, Arizona – This place is proudly native owned and shows up for its community
35. Andean Coluncos – In August, I got to hike on some 1,000 year old trails carved out by centuries of ancestral footsteps. How mind-blowing is that??
36. Hank Green’s cancer stand up special – Probably my favorite style of stand-up, which is very storytelling-centric. It seems almost unfair that he gets another creative skill that he makes look easy, but you can see how a lot of his creative skills translate.
37. Introducing my kids to The Sandlot – Juniper especially loved it. And they all loved the throw-up scene.
38. Air Canada’s selection of indie and international films – Sandra Oh’s Can I Get A Witness stands out most, but good lineup all the way around.
39. That one time my Phillies accidentally recreated a play from Rookie of the Year – Nick Castellanos & JT Realmuto. What a time.
40. The Soul Boom podcast episode featuring Hospice Nurse Julie – A awe-stirring chat with a hospice nurse whose witnessed so many people’s final moments. This comes with both the honesty of saying “I don’t know” when it applies, while also sharing what you can’t deny seeing.
41. Going all-out for Christmas this year – These are the years to be doing that
42. The Life of Chuck – I don’t think this film will be universally beloved. In fact, it’ll frustrate most who miss the fact that it’s a testament to the fleeting gift of simply being alive.
43. My mom turning 70 and getting to celebrate that at Disneyland – The fact that she wanted to do this with my three kids is a testament to her being in good condition at 70!
44. The Hike by Drew Magary – This book was a wild trip! It feels a bit like Alice in Wonderland recast with a midlife crisis on steroids. While it spends most of its time in the WTF space, it actually wraps up in a pretty satisfying way.
45. The Riverside Food Market in Christchurch, New Zealand – I only spent a few days in Christchurch but thought I needed to double up on dinners to enjoy all the options here I wanted to try
46. Dijon’s Baby! – The album, that is. Not an actual baby.
47. corner club – Sweet Asian-Am indie band with great feel-good music. Glad I discovered them early in the year.
48. Will Hines Improv Nonsense – Am I now nerdy enough about improv to have a blast reading a Substack about it? Absolutely, and Will Hines never seems to run out of gems.
49. Islands – I’m talking about the Southern California, Hawaiian inspired burger restaurant chain. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s the first restaurant beyond Denny’s that’s proven to be consistently kid friendly.
50. Switching up my illustration style – Gave it so much new life
51. Marlon Williams’ Te Whare Tiwekaweka – Marlon Williams is a great singer-songwriter, but his first delve into Maori language music is absolutely beautiful. I got to hear a few New Zealanders rave about how stirring it was to hear him sing in a language once banned at school.
52. My kids being great travelers – When I flew with Rhys, our flight was delayed. We had a less-than-pleasant eight hours in Dallas. He took it better than most adults. I’m realizing we’re reaping the reward of starting them early.
53. Haiti’s World Cup qualification – They’re in a pretty brutal group, so they won’t likely last long. But Haiti’s been up against so much, I’m happy to celebrate them being there.
54. Kyle Schwarber’s cameo on Abbott Elementary – Would be hard to watch if the Phillies weren’t gonna resign him. Thankfully we don’t have to worry about that!
55. Castle Hill in New Zealand – AKA where they filmed the Narnia battle scene. Perhaps the most beautiful place I set foot in this year.
55. Castle Hill in New Zealand – AKA where they filmed the Narnia battle scene. Perhaps the most beautiful place I set foot in this year.
56. Using a travel agent for the first time – We had someone from Fora book some of our New Zealand visit for us. It didn’t cost us much (thanks, commission). I’m so used to trip planning, but I decided to just give it a go. Went well!
57. My oldest kid getting to start a dual immersion kindergarten class – Your brain is never as primed for language learning as it is at this age
58. Shayne Smith – Newly discovered standup act. Great storyteller.
59. RF Kuang – When I started reading Babel. I did not expect such a rich and detailed world focused on a version of Oxford where the study of linguistics unlocks some kind of magic. It was brilliant, nerdy, and right up my alley.
60. Bookman’s in Mesa, Arizona – A pre-owned physical media paradise, including DVDs, VHS tapes, records, used books, musical instruments, toys, board games, and vintage video games. Consoles and cartridges. Reminded me so much of all those teenage afternoons spent at Sam Goody.
61. The Andean Bespectacled Bear – While hiking in Ecuador, I was pretty sure one was spying on us from the trees above. Truly charismatic creatures.
62. Buying physical copies of the Atlas Obscura books for the family bookshelf – They’re fun reads to just spontaneously pick up for creative inspo
63. Chai at Karak House – I fell in love with proper masala chai while in Kolkata years ago and it’s taken me up until this Fall to find a source of anything comparable in California.
64. Finally clearing out large amounts of baby gear from the garage – Still feels like there’s plenty more to go
65. Being in attendance when the Phillies gave the Dodgers their first loss of the season – If only that repeated itself a couple more times in October, but hey, glad they won for us.
66. Jane Goodall’s parting words – Some of her last recorded words have made the rounds including her Subway Takes with Kareem Rehma and her Last Word special on Netflix. Many remember her shots taken at certain public figures, understandably, but her I really appreciated was her gentle insistence on the good still unfolding in the world.
67. The Kea – A cheeky alpine parrot exclusive to New Zealand. These guys are smart, but often use their intelligence to harass people and sheep, even having a taste for the rubber sealant on cars.
68. Seeing Tank and the Bangas play live – Their Tiny Desk performance was a clue… they put on a great show
69. Growing mushrooms from a sprouting block – Fun guy things.
70. Sunday Ice Cream – San Diego already has a wealth of great ice cream shops, but why not add another?
71. Weapons – What even was that? I’m kinda lukewarm on the horror genre, but when they’re this creative, I hit play. Shame they did Wong so dirty, though!
72. Quito’s Craft Brewing Scene – The boom of microcervecerias there takes me back to Portland, Asheville, or Brooklyn in the mid-2010s. But with so many more Ecuadorean special ingredients.
73. Doing a deep dive into the history of movements for Maori reparations – Lots of lessons to be learned!
74. Wake Up Dead Man – I love a classic whodunnit, and the Knives Out series has yet to let me down.
75. Portland Hearts of Pine’s Valentine Bandit Soccer Jersey – The USL really does have some of the strongest jerseys
76. The fact that the “good house” for trick or treating was giving out mezcal this year – to the adults, OFC
77. Being invited to freestyle rap and play improv at Dim Sum Night – An AAPI Month variety show special.
78. Printing out my artwork in the form of trading cards – Took me a while to find a printer who could do this at low quantities for a good price. Now to figure out how to put them in packs for unboxing vids!
79. Running Regularly – No organized races, just ran to keep up with my marathon conditioning from last year and to feel good.
80. The Blocks w/ Neal Brennan podcast interview with Ken Burns – Made me appreciate Ken Burns’ craft so much more
81. The CLUE Mystery Walkabout – Part escape room, part walking murder mystery hosted by UCSD. I brought my escape room loving five year old and it was a hit.
82. Damian Lillard going back to Portland – That just feels right!
83. Crossing the 1K subscriber threshold on YouTube – A vanity metric. Small potatoes for the amount of time I’ve put into the channel, but hey, it’s good to have people watching!
84. All the Ichiro love as he went into the Hall of Fame – Bonus points for him actually playing in practice games with the Mariners during their playoff run
85. Helping Rhys create his own Mewtwo card – My Psydrive ain’t nothing to mess with
86. Gilda in Philly – My fave source of pastel de nata in the US, as well as hats in the 80s Phillies typeface that say Pastel de Nata
87. Chickenjoy bucket every other Sunday – We’ve done the math on how to feed our family, and the Jollibee deal really is one of the best value ways to feed everyone. And it’s tasty. If only it checked the box for healthy…
88. Gulyabani – I’ve been diving into Turkish folklore and superstition for a long-term writing project
89. Kitekite Falls – A nice walk through a sort of tropical, sort of alpine wooded area, culminating in a waterfall at the top. The pool beneath the waterfall made for a perfect swim hole, too.
90. Melissa Villaseñor – I got to see the SNL alum perform live in town. I love that her vibe is really nice, and that she does a ton of voices… probably because that’s the energy I bring to most improv scenes.
91. Bon Iver putting out an album this good 17 years in – The album feels like waking up to winter sunlight
92. Juniper watching The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe at a movie night at church – This specifically makes the list for how amped she got when the unicorns entered the battle
93. The Macquipucuna Eco Lodge – Another all-time favorite accommodation, where I got to recover from hiking in the Andes. A beautiful, sustainably run lodge with great food out in the wild. Plus close encounters with a broad-billed motmot, a kinkajou, and plenty of tarantulas.
94. G. Love’s Music & Art Show at the Soap Factory – Went here for a little birthday outing. Intimate show for an artist I’ve kept up with over the years.
95. Getting dinner with strangers – Do it for the storyline!
96. Outkast’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction – They’re not usually this memorable, but great things begin in tiny rooms
97. Happier Café in Los Angeles – A coffee shop with a sandbox I can take the kids to scores some points
98. Bananaball! – Getting to see the Savannah Bananas play in San Diego, with Trevor Hoffman getting the save
99. Realizing that I’m the same age as Steve Martin’s character in Parenthood (1989) – To be fair, Steve Martin is Forever 61. He entered his 60s a couple decades early and seems to be exiting it a couple decades late.
100. Ending the year rested and ready for an exciting 2026 – Took it so easy last year. I know this one will be a bigger more adventurous year, and I’m happy to be here for it.
