2025 Favourites

Favorite things about 2025.

For me I'm still in 2025 - it hasn't hit me yet that we are in the new year. Perhaps there are things I haven't let go of yet. Perhaps after this journal entry. In any case I wanted to share some of my favorite things I did in 2025. For me it was year of travel. I don't think I ever travelled almost every month in a year. So damn blessed.

Perhaps, you'd find yourself reflecting or simply welcoming the new year gently, in your corner of the world. Starting at:

#2. Traveling to Toronto in (April, August, December.) month 4.8.12

ps: let me know if anyone knows any significance behind those numbers.

Since I was a teenager, I was obssesed with Toronto. The lights, the people, the energy. The competitiveness. I always saw myself there. Over the course of my young adult life, I tried to move and planned for it, but nothing really amounted to anything. I was back to my regular degular parttime food job, smoking cigarettes on my break.

Flash forward, to a year 2025, where I've chosen to move back in with my parents and reset and plan. I decided, Toronto it is. The amounts of times I've travelled there, and loved each time, and almost in every season - dead of winter, spring, summer. I started drawing apartments and figuring out how much money to save and what I'd like to do for work there.

So this year, I've travelled to Toronto 3 times.

In April, I spent a weekend there to audition for a dance group and see my bestie :)

In August I went for a wedding with my partner and then December I saw the bestie again, and it was spiritual trip. Brought out my inner child. And solidified that I'm coming back in 2026 - this time with keys in hand and unlocking my own apartment.

#3. Did a dance battle for the first time:

And man was it ever so invigorating! So basically every year they have something called "Latin Sparks Fest", it's the biggest dance festival in the city. Sorry correction, biggest latin dance festival. With dancing, drinks, music, live bands, food from all things latin culture. All night long. And starting from last year they had a dance battle. Last year I signed up, and I chickened out.

This year, I decided not this time. I'm going on that stage to conquer. Just kidding...I just wanted to have fun, and that's what i did. I did some Samba and Salsa moves and popping and locking too. In 1:30 seconds my turn was over and I was so exhilarated that I had that courage to do that. To dance freestyle in front a sea full of people.

#4. Jumping in a lake while on my period with a full face of makeup which ended up staying on all night (thank you Estee Lauder and Essence cosmetics)

Okay let me give some context. It was my boyfriend's birthday weekend and he decided to rent out a cottage - because that's his vibe. And he invited all his boys, so it was a boys night out, essentially. I was just crashing it.

I happen to be on my period that weekend, and was ultra annoyed at all the testosterone in the air. So i drank and smoked to my hearts content. To the point that all of them, including myself, decided to jump in the freezing cold lake. I thought it was all talk because we were all wasted. But then one by one, they jumped into the lake, and it was my turn. It was dark and cold and I was panicking for a moment, because it was so deep, but luckily I came up to surface, pushing my hair away from my face, in shock that I actually did that.

I immediately changed my tampon and hopped in the shower, and my makeup was still in tact - full coverage foundation, liquid eye-liner, mascara.

#1. Visiting home - South Africa:

South Africa will always be my home. Always and forever. I'll always be a South African girly at heart. I visited there with my family in July for 4 weeks, and let me tell you how healing it was for me, on all levels.

Also because, I've been back home, I was learning Zulu basics. Somehow made me feel connected even more.

I've been living in Canada for 15 years, so blessed. But not to say I don't miss home. My aunties and uncs and extended family live there, as does my grandmother who just turned 80.

Grandparents are so special. Treasure them if they live close.

So I grew up in South Africa for the first 13 years of my life and now live in Canada. And I've turned 28.

This year, it was special. I longed to see home. The home of my grandparents on the east coast of South Africa. It sunk in and truly reminded me of where I come from and what was even more special, is I saw where my mum went to school and her school route to and from her house

It was special.

To dress up for a prayer, in traditional outfits, and sit in a smokey room while incense is burning and your mum singing with the service group.

And then you eat biryani with your hands from a plastic plate under a tent or marquee, with all the aunties and uncles, who are asking you questions because they haven't since you since you were small.

To walk in the mall and suddenly code switch to a South African Indian accent and say "shameee" after a something problematic.

To see 4th generation cousins who somehow look like miniature versions of you and know all about "Tik Tok" and "Rizz". You talk with them and tell one of them to stay cheeky, because I was, when I was her age.

The fresh breeze from Umhlanga rocks boardwalk and tourists eating ice cream in front of the bougie beach hotel, that is a walk away from the beach.

And the drive around the area where you lived most of your life. The route to school. And then you met up with your childhood friend whom you knew since 5 years old and now we are 28. What a blessing.

So that was my favorite thing at number 1.

And now onto 2026.