As the year slowly comes to an end, my Twitter and Mastodon feeds are overflowing with yearly reviews. I’ve never done one before, so I’m still figuring out the format. Fortunately, I came across a blog post by Steph Ango that served as a helpful guideline, though I didn’t cover all 40 questions.

Work

Work-wise, this was probably the most stressful year of my life. For the first time, I experienced being laid off. The company faced significant financial issues (so severe that they still owe me an entire month’s salary) and decided to pivot, abandoning the new product I had been working on.

Surprisingly, I initially handled the news quite well. I felt confident in my skills, both soft and technical, so I wasn’t overly concerned about finding a new job or managing finances. I had a decent amount of savings, my partner has a stable job, and, if absolutely necessary, I was eligible to apply for unemployment benefits.

Fast forward 10 months, and I’m still unemployed, the longest stretch I’ve ever experienced. I’ve gone through dozens of interviews (some roles even had more than six rounds), but none have led to a final offer.

I’ve always wanted to start my own business, but now the universe has really pushed me, I feel like I don’t have much of a choice. I haven’t registered my business yet, but I’m almost done with all the necessary paperwork and the business strategy. I’ll share more about it in 2025.

The market is obviously changing, and since Switzerland is a small country, my chances are pretty slim without being fluent in German. I really wanted to land a job with a Swiss company, but I’ve made peace with it and shifted my focus to other things.

Not everything was bad. I had some small wins, like applying to a FANG company for the first time in my life. I even had the opportunity to interview with one of my dream companies. Although I didn’t get the job, it was rewarding to know I was selected from over 200 applicants to interview for the position.

Networking

Having extra time really allowed me to network more, attend design meetups, and reach out to more people.

I grabbed a coffee at Google’s beautiful office in Zurich with one of the most interesting people I know, Merlin Rebrovic. At one point, I thought about asking him to be my mentor, but after hearing how busy he is, I decided to simply stay in touch with him, for now. Maybe another time.

I also had coffee with Google’s Director of UX, Javier Bargas, near his hometown in Rheinfelden(Aargau). He’s an incredibly interesting person, opinionated, energetic, and deeply passionate about user research and woodworking. He’s always ready to jump in and offer insightful career advice.

I also participated in my first-ever hackathon, Swiss Hacks. I went alone, not knowing anyone, but fate worked its magic, I ended up on an amazing team with four engineers, one business guy, and me. I didn’t have many expectations, aside from having fun, learning some Swiss German, and enjoying the free meals and drinks. It turned out to be an incredible experience, and I’d definitely love to do it again sometime.

Side Projects

After dealing with the constant frustration of feeling stuck unless I had an engineer to help, I stopped enjoying design and even started questioning if it was the right path for me.

So, I shifted my focus to coding. In the first half of the year, I spent my time learning SwiftUI and working on fun experiments that gained me a lot of followers on Twitter, some of whom have since become friends. In the second half, I dived into JavaScript and React. I even rebuilt my website using Next.js and plan to keep learning more about both React and SwiftUI, with the goal of finally building some apps or plugins.

I also started this blog, with a goal to improve my writing, and to have a place where my thoughts are secure and fully in my control.

Health

A random checkup at the dentist, prompted by an increase in mouth ulcers due to my weakened immune system after attempting water fasting for 6 days, revealed a large cyst above my front teeth. It was surgically removed, but since it had eaten away a lot of bone, my teeth became very weak, and I had to get four crowns to strengthen them. Luckily, one of my closest friends is an excellent dentist, so the process wasn’t too stressful. I’m still getting used to not being able to bite the way I did before, but as long as I have all my teeth, I’m happy.

Life

On a personal level I never been happier.

I’ve been with my partner for over a decade, and our relationship just keeps getting better. She’s full of love and support, always understanding and believing in me.

One of the most life-changing moments for us was when we decided to get a dog. We both had experience with dogs, my parents have two, and my partner’s dog passed away last year. We expanded our little family with a miniature Schnauzer, whom we named Xenon, after the chemical element. He’s now 6 months old, a curious, proud, and fearless ball of energy. Long walks with him have really helped me manage stress and overcome my fear of speaking German.

My relationship with my brother has improved so much that we even went to a concert together for the first time. We saw one of our favorite bands, Tenacious D, in Paris as part of their Meatball tour. Since my brother doesn’t enjoy traveling, this was a huge step for him.

I turned 30 and spent the day driving go-karts with new friends I met in Switzerland (my partner’s idea). I literally drove away from my twenties. I couldn’t spend my birthday with my closest friends since I was in Switzerland, but we caught up a week later at my friends wedding.

My best friend got married, and while I was a bit surprised he didn’t choose me as his best man, I’m genuinely happy for him. He found a wonderful person who loves him to the moon, and they’re expecting a little girl. He’s the second one from our small group to get married, leaving just three of us left.

In 2024, I started cherishing time spent with old friends more than ever. Since moving to Switzerland, I’ve met a lot of new people, and to be honest, I neglected my old friends a bit. Fortunately, they all understand and feel the same way. Not only do I play a significant role in their lives, but my partner does too, which is a really nice feeling.

Other

• I read 21 books this year, fewer than in previous years, but unlike before, I focused more on physical books and listened to fewer audiobooks. My favorite reads were Mastery by Robert Greene and Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson.

• My best purchase this year was definitely my M3 Pro MacBook Pro.

• My partner and I also leased a car for the first time. We chose a Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid. I’m not particularly into cars, but this one ticked all the boxes: it’s reliable in tough road conditions, comfortable to drive, and offers plenty of storage space.

• As for music, my most listened-to albums were Follow the Blind Man by Jelusick and From Zero by Linkin Park.

• When it comes to movies and series, not many new releases impressed me this year. However, Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen exceeded all my expectations, and I’m eagerly anticipating the second season. As for movies, As for movies, I particularly enjoyed Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Transformers One.

• I cycled less than usual this year, covering around 500 km, mostly within the Kanton of Schaffhausen (my backyard) and a bit in Germany. I didn’t go hiking this year, although I visited Interlaken and Glarus, two popular hiking destinations in Switzerland.

If I had to sum up my year in one quote, it would be:

Some years you win, some years you build character.

This year was undoubtedly one of character-building for me. It was a mix of highs and lows, filled with many “firsts”, some enjoyable, others less so. I grew a lot and gained more clarity about the life I want to live. It’s a year I’ll likely remember for the rest of my life, and that says something.

Now, it’s time to wind down, disconnect, and spend quality time with my closest ones.

Until next year ;)