It has been a long time since I actually sat down to write something here. For months, I’ve been content to let the images do the talking, treating this space more like a gallery than a journal. So, this post is a little different: a return to storytelling, a recap of our not so frozen December in the mountains, and a proper goodbye to the year.
I’m not sure when exactly the autumn turned into winter, or when the months started blurring into one another, but suddenly, here we are at the finish line. To hit pause, we escaped to the High Tatras for a few days of freezing air and warm tea at the end of the month just before the Christmas. Standing there, surrounded by ancient granite and fresh snow, the year suddenly felt heavy with memories – good, bad, and everything in between.
But before that, let’s first look at other events during December.
At the very beginning I was in Bratislava, Slovakia for a meeting with the management of Slovak Railways, who may become a major partner in my upcoming project. My brother was already in town, so my mum brought grandma along to meet us, and we spent some time enjoying the Christmas markets together!
Mom stopped by around mid-month. I have to say, my beard was way past due for a trim.
A lovely pre-Christmas catch-up with friends took place a few days before holidays.
I want to take a small detour down memory lane. This time of year (among many other things) brings back a very specific memory for me: being a small child, bundled up in layers, and going door-to-door caroling with a group of other kids. There was something so pure about walking through the freezing winter air, singing our hearts out just to spread a little joy.
I want to share two recordings that instantly transport me back to those days. I hope they bring a little bit of that old-school holiday magic to you, too.
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High Tatras
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And finally, a few words for the year that is ending.
Social media has a way of acting like a highlight reel. A curated gallery of summits reached and smiles captured. But as I look back on 2025, I know that the reality was far more complex. It would be dishonest to wrap this year up with just a pretty bow and pretend it was all easy. It wasn’t.
This year brought storms I didn’t anticipate and struggles that I have had to carry quietly, away from the public eye. There were days that felt incredibly heavy, and moments where the path forward was entirely obscured by fog.
But in navigating those darker months, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea that life isn’t just about the peaks; it is also about how we walk through the valleys. We cannot always control the suffering that life throws at us, but we do have the autonomy to choose how we respond to it.
I found myself returning to the words of Viktor Frankl. He was a psychiatrist and a Holocaust survivor who endured the unimaginable in concentration camps, yet he came out of that darkness with a profound realization: that human beings can survive almost anything, as long as they have a why.
Frankl argued that life is not primarily a quest for pleasure or power, but a quest for meaning. And most importantly, he taught that we can find meaning even in suffering. He believed that while we cannot always control the tragedies that befall us, we retain the last of the human freedoms: the ability to choose our attitude in any given set of circumstances.
The challenge hasn’t been to avoid the pain – that was impossible, but to stop asking ‘Why is this happening to me?’ and start asking ‘What is this asking of me?’
So, goodbye, 2025. You were harder than I expected. You taught me lessons I didn’t want to learn. I am leaving this year with a little more scar tissue, yes, but also with a much deeper resilience, with the knowledge that meaning can be found anywhere.
I’ll leave you with a song that has kept me company through it all: ‘Keep It Up’ by Good Neighbours. It’s a little energetic nudge to keep going, no matter what. Enjoy the listen.
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Looking Forward: Intentions for 2026
If meaning is found in action, then I want to enter the new year with a clear plan. I am trading vague wishes for these specific goals:
- For others:
- Giving food to the homeless
- Committing donations to three non-profits/fundraisers close to my heart
- Spend some time physically volunteering
- For myself:
- Read 12 books (one for every month)
- Showing up consistently at the gym
- Committing to “No-Phone Sundays”
- To push physical limits, practise Cold Water Exposure
- Learn a new physical skill
- Hike 5 new peaks
- The Challenge: Participating in 5 organized races and completing a 20km run at a better pace than last year
Let’s see what we are truly capable of.
Here is to finding the light, even when it’s faint.
Have a Very Merry Christmas, everyone!
Marek
2025