Yes, We’re Still Alive! First things first: I owe you an apology.
I have all but neglected nextbiteoflife for well over a year, make that almost two, if we’re being honest. While I could spin some grand excuse, the truth is pretty simple: we’ve been busy actually living our lives, and I didn’t feel much like writing about Valencia anymore (many might have guessed that based on my last blog posts on the Valencia-specific site).
Part of that is on me, and the other part of that is Valencia itself. It has gotten overly expensive and very, very full. The city I once loved writing about started to feel like it didn’t need any more cheerleaders encouraging people to come. So I stopped and went quiet. I chose to live instead of documenting, and here we are.
Our days have been packed with travel, movement, family, health scares, long walks, good food, and a fair amount of existential hand-wringing. While 2024 was actually more travel-heavy, I’ll keep this post focused on 2025 and give the year an overall grade of B. Not bad. Not great but solidly fine.
Here’s the breakdown of our end of year wrap-up 2025:
Finances — C+
The markets made a stunning return this year. Congratulations to everyone who had the stomach and confidence to ride that wave. Moi? I was not one of those people.
Instead, I spent a good portion of the year being absolutely apoplectic and unable to bring myself to invest. I watched and waffled. I second-guessed myself into paralysis. In the end, I settled for a very safe and extremely boring 5% return for the big chunk of our funds. We rode the wave on the smaller chunk mostly because of Fede. Honestly? I am unbothered.
Could we have done better? For sure. Do I regret it? Not really. My peace of mind is worth something, too. We’ll see what happens this year. I reserve the right to change my mind… or not. I don’t have too much confidence in the world right now. Thank god we don’t have to worry about kids and all :-).
The Blog — F
A big, fat F, and fully deserved.
Between my general disengagement and the ever-shifting algorithm that now seems intent on burying independent blogs in “never-to-be-seen land,” this site took a serious hit. Writing began to feel like shouting into the void, and I didn’t have it in me to keep playing the game, especially because we didn’t need it to survive. It was a way of keeping track of our travels.
That said, I deeply appreciate those of you who stuck around anyway. You’re the reason I’m even writing this post at all, and we can be sure Google will barely let you see it… Find me on page 146!
Health — B-
Health this year was… fine. Uneven, but fine.
I lost some weight, then I gained most of it back. C’est la vie. I love food far too much to pretend otherwise, and at this point, I’ve accepted that weight loss for me will forever be a moving target. I’ve been chubby my whole life, and I love it, so if my health is good, so am I.
We started playing bocce like the old people we are becoming, and we both love it. Our primary form of exercise remains walking, lots and lots of walking, which suits us fine. Thank god we are surrounded by the beautiful City of Arts and endless miles of the Turia Park.
On the not-so-fun side, I developed a few trigger fingers. A retired doctor friend diagnosed it. I had been doing the wrong stretches and making things worse. The pain has been real; holding a pen, opening jars, and basic tasks have become a challenge. Poor Fede ends up doing a whole lot more.
I’ve done some hospital tests where they attach electrodes to your fingers, and I will start whatever treatment the doctor recommends after my next appointment. Fingers crossed (pun absolutely intended:-)) that I don’t need surgery, which is a last resort.
Fede, thankfully, is well, though he’s starting to see some old age creep in. I told him it would happen. He hadn’t believed me, but now… hahahah! Old age always has the last word!
Spanish — B
Spanish gets a solid B.
I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will probably never be fluent, and that’s okay. I still choke mid-sentence, still freeze at the worst possible moments, but the improvement is undeniable. I took a break from the conversation classes at the local university for the year because I felt I needed more real-life interactions.
The biggest win this year was joining a Spanish book club. You can read the book in English if you want, but all discussions are in Spanish. It’s tough and super humbling. Occasionally, it’s also panic-inducing. Every month gets a little easier because the ladies are very understanding. They are all from Ibero-Latin countries, and it’s interesting hearing their takes on life here in Valencia.
I’ve even attempted reading a few of the books in Spanish, which would have been impossible before. I will take the small wins.
Travel — A
Travel is where the year really shines. A well-earned A.
January found us in Dublin, meeting up with friends visiting from the States. Guinness was consumed (not by me!), Trinity College admired, long walks taken along the River Liffey, and we did all the well-known sights with zero shame.
February took us to London, our favorite place on earth. Seriously. Museums, theater, neighborhoods we know like old friends, and the comforting feeling of being somewhere that always feels right.
In March, we stayed home and endured Fallas as it had been a while. That should have told us something. We are not planning on staying put for it again anytime soon. My brain is already at work as to where to go. We also spent April at home.
In May, we did our first-ever Virgin Cruise, stopping in Cannes, Ibiza, Barcelona, Mallorca, and Corsica. It was an absolute blast, and we’re already planning another. No kids on board? Sold. The food, the ports, the ease of it all, completely won us over. It had been a while since we cruised, and it reminded me of why I love it so much.
June and July were spent mostly in New Delhi, taking care of one of my brothers. It was harrowing and terrifying for a while, and there were moments I wasn’t sure how things would turn out. Thankfully, he is doing much better now and is back home. Nothing puts travel and life into perspective quite like that.
August brought us back to London… yes, again. No regrets. I always say I’d rather revisit places I love than new places I don’t care to visit. Counting countries has never been a thing for me. We saw The Devil Wears Prada, Moulin Rouge, Phantom of the Opera, and a couple of other shows during the year.
In September, we took a 3.5-week trip through Italy, another country I never get tired of visiting. We didn’t go to Rome this time. Three of them were new cities for both of us. Maybe someday, I’ll do a full post on them. They deserve it.
- Bergamo: Wandering the Città Alta, taking in the views, and enjoying its quieter charm.
- Ferrara: The castle with a moat, we actually caught a racing car event, which was very cool. Renaissance walls and a calm city.
- Ravenna: Those mosaics. They are truly worthy of seeing. The food was also awesome. Enough said.
- Florence: Always a good time, even though this time was super, super crowded still. Enough for us to say it’ll be a while before we visit again. I’d wanted to go so I could get another handmade leather bag. Mission accomplished.
- We flew home from Bologna after eating very well. There’s another place both of us never get tired of visiting, with its porticoes and warm, gritty elegance.
We stayed home in October to catch our breath for a bit.
November had us spending three weeks in Aix-en-Provence watching a little dog, soaking up markets, cafés, and that effortless southern French rhythm, followed by a few days in Marseille, which remains beautifully messy and endlessly interesting. Our third visit and I’d still go again.
December had us back in London… haha! Again. I’m actually writing this from there and will be posting it once we get back home. Apparently, we have a pattern.
All in all, it’s been a wonderful year. Despite everything happening in the world, much of it horrific, we are grateful to be here, alive, moving, and able to see so much of it.
Food – A+
Needless to say that food will always be an A for us. Here are just some of the wonderful foods we had in 2025.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Our plans for 2026 involve more of the same, hopefully.
Canada and New Zealand are both on the maybe list. I have nieces in both places, and this might be the first they’re hearing about it… surprise! We’ll see if any of them still read the blog; otherwise, they are in for a rude awakening when we show up :-). I’ve visited Canada twice before, but it would be new for Fede. New Zealand would be new for both of us. Europe will, of course, remain firmly on the menu.
What about The States? I’m not ready yet. That’s filed away for another three years or so, and we’ll revisit the idea then.
As for the blog, I’m still undecided. I’ll probably pop in every so often, when I feel like I have something to say and the urge returns naturally.
Thank you, truly, for sticking around and for reading, and for checking back even when I went quiet. I’ve been trying to be more active on Instagram, but even that is a chore sometimes. Old age, maybe? 🙂
I’m curious as to how your 2025 went. What grade would you give it? Feel free to share.
Fede and I wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2026. Let’s hope it’s better than the last for everyone.
Here’s to the next bite of life (I kind of liked that name when I made it up, but I love it now as we are constantly evolving. All of us.)
I miss reading about your adventures on this blog but I am happy that you and Fede are doing well and enjoying life. Europe is such a welcome respite from the craziness in the US – I too am waiting out the next three years before I go back to visit. Spain permanent residency here I come!
Happy New Year Kris! I also missed our interactions on here and hope all is well too. Haha! I can’t say I blame you at all. Yes, permanent residency is great and I am so grateful to have it. There is so much crap going on everywhere.
I suspected that you were dealing with a little burnout and I understand. There’s a lot going on in the world now that makes me feel like crawling into a cocoon. But it looks like you two made a good year happen, so that’s something. Cheers to you both!
Hi caroline! Happy new Year to you guys and hope you’re all doing well. I think part of it was guilt too for having escaped things and also for talking too much about Valencia (not that I was a big fish or anything). Yes, there is a lot going on but we are making the best of it. I have also been doing a lot of writing (fiction), so that’s taken up a lot of my time. I enjoy it so much even though I suck at the publicity part but it makes me happy. I always wanted to be the next Jackie Collins and am doing it as a one woman team even if only a handful of people read it…haha.
Overall, it looks like you had a great year! I understand the difficulty of following a diet with such amazing food on the table – it’s almost impossible to say no to any of that mouth-watering feast.
As for the finances, I think that even “just” 5% on the plus is better than a potential 20% on the red 🙂 Stability and that peace of mind you mention are a lot more valuable.
That sea view alone would’ve made travel an A+! I hope you’ll get more like that in 2026 and forward.
Happy New Year C! Yes, I think I have come to the realization that I am happiest when my belly is full… haha! I don’t think I want to be thin and not able to eat all the delicious food in the world, especially when I travel.
I agree with you on the peace of mind with the 5%. The shite that’s going on in the world makes me nervous and I will err on the side of caution. I couldn’t stomach the ups and downs. 2008 is still fresh in my mind. That was brutal for us.
We loved the cruise so much, we already signed up for another this year :-).
KemKem – fantastic post When Travel and Food are A the others have less importance Health is Wealth and hope you recover soon (just had hip surgery yesterday, back at home) hope to meet for coffee in a few weeks if/when you are in town
Thanks, Candy. I agree about health and wealth :-). I never forget to be greatful for life every morning. Oh my! Sorry you had hip surgery and hope you heal well. You must have been in pain in Aix-en-Provence then. Sorry we missed you there. Yes, let’s meet for coffee once you’re up and running.
Kemi, Kem, Kem…:-) so nice to wake up to a note from you in my inbox. I’d all but given up that you (your blog) had gone by the wayside, as so many others have this past couple of years. First, you look great. I get the ‘my body was meant to be this size’ attitude. Just embrace it and do the best you can to stay healthy. l love your travel destinations. We were in London, Paris, and Edinburgh in December, Verona and Turin last May, and Canada in August. We have plans for New Zealand March-April this year (cruising). Great minds think alike.
We are also content with the boring 5% and have been out of the market for a while now. FOMO creeps in once in a while, but not enough to take that risk.
Glad to hear your brother is recovering, and I hope you get the trigger fingers sorted. I have a friend who is bothered by that, not good. Malcolm is getting PT on a shoulder that he injured when he took a tumble in Paris. The Dr. says 6 weeks. We only have 8 until we pull the suitcases again.
Don’t worry about the blog. We will be here whenever you pop in for a catch up. So nice to hear from you. Happy New Year.
Happy New Year! Oh, you’re so sweet to say that. I know I have been remiss with comments on your blog but I still receive and read every one of them. You are one of the champs that hung in there and I’m so proud of you. It sucked to read about the buyers pulling out but I knew you guys would make lemonade out of the lemons. Pretty sure you’ll make the house as perfect as your old one.
Your travels have also been great and I love the fact that cruising has been a good part of it. What a great idea about cruising to NZ. I’m gonna have to see if that will work for us. I dread flying that long after being used to the short flights here. You should have seen me complain about the Sofia flight…3 hours and 20 minutes! WTF… haha!
Yeah, I’ll take the 5% and sleep well. It was rough in 2008 and I would never want to go through something like that again.
I hope Malcolm’s shoulder heals before you leave again. Do you ever feel like it’s snack, crackle and pop in old age? What the hell happened? My mind feels 30 but my body feels like 100 sometimes! Hugs to you both.