Plans, Fears, Travel, and Change: My 2025 in a Nutshell

Last year, I wrote a summary of my year, and this year I wanted to do the same. For me, this has become a nice practice to look back and remember what I’ve been through, and to see myself from a distance. Last year, I wrote this post only in English (you can read it here). This year, I wanted to share the same story.
You can also find the Turkish version of this post here.

This year was a year in which I experienced many new things in my life. With its good and bad sides, it was a very meaningful and instructive year for me. What started with expectations and plans continued with experiences I could not have even imagined.

✈️ UK Plans 🇬🇧 and a Changing Route 🇵🇭

When I entered 2025, I had drawn a very different path for my life. My plan was clear: to go to the United Kingdom, enroll in a language school there, improve my English, and later find an opportunity to work at one of the companies I had always dreamed of.

It was a path that had been thought through for months, researched in detail, and carefully planned. It felt safe, logical, and structured. At that time, it felt like the right choice for me.

But while you are making plans, life often has other plans for you. As John Lennon says in Beautiful Boy:

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.

Conditions changed, possibilities changed, and at some point it became clear that my UK plan could not continue. This was not easy for me to accept. I felt confused, my motivation dropped, and for a while I was left alone with the question, “What now?”

Alongside my UK plans, I had already been planning to take a break from working. At the same time, things at the company were not going well. After completing our last project with both its good and bad sides, the team first moved from full-time to part-time work. One month later, the company stopped its operations, and we all went our separate ways.

🇵🇭 The Philippines Decision: Going With the Flow

Right in the middle of this uncertainty, while doing research without really knowing what to do next, an unexpected alternative appeared: the Philippines.

Sometimes, when everything is going wrong or when you don’t clearly know what to do, you just let yourself go with the flow. That’s exactly what I did. Within about a week, I made my decision. School, accommodation, flight tickets, required documents… Everything happened very fast. Suddenly, I found myself first packing my luggage, and then sitting on a plane to the Philippines.

When I landed in Cebu, I didn’t really know what to expect. A different culture, English that I could understand but struggled to speak, and a lifestyle far outside of what I was used to… That’s why I still remember my first days in Cebu very clearly.

🏙️ First Days: Fear and Shyness

Everything felt unfamiliar. The people, the culture, the streets, the food… Even going out alone to eat sometimes made me anxious. “Will I do something wrong? Is my English enough? How will people react?” These questions kept running through my mind.

And then there was living in a capsule hotel at a school dorm, especially for someone who had been used to living alone for years. A very small space, just a bed, a few belongings, and me. Although capsule hotels are quite common in Asia, they are not something we are very used to in our culture. Even my mother was very surprised by this decision.

During the first weeks, I was shy and a bit restless. I was mostly observing, trying to understand, and making an effort to adapt to my surroundings. But day by day, I got used to it. The environment adapted to me, and I adapted to it.

🏫 Learning English and Self-Discovery

Starting to learn English in a different country turned this journey into something much more than just a language course for me. While trying to express myself, sometimes I stuttered, sometimes I formed wrong sentences, and sometimes I didn’t feel like speaking at all.

But my teachers, friends, and even small conversations on the street showed me one important truth:

Learning a language is also a way of getting to know yourself.

With every wrong sentence, I noticed my patience. With every correct sentence, I noticed my confidence growing. Without trying to be perfect, I felt myself improving step by step. I met many wonderful people from different countries, learned about their cultures, and broadened my perspective.

📆 Changing Plans, Expanding Dreams

This journey gave me a new way of looking at life. Living in a different country helps you grow in many ways. You learn to trust yourself, take risks, make mistakes, and live with uncertainty.

Life is not something that can be fully planned; it can only be guided.

When I was in Turkiye, I had long-term work plans, career goals, and dreams of a more structured life. In Cebu, I realized that plans cannot always keep up with how fast people change. What you want today can turn into something completely different a few months later.

Returning to Turkiye and building a classic working life is no longer as appealing to me as it once was. I now have different possibilities in mind. Maybe I could work in Europe. Maybe I could live in Asia for a longer time. Maybe I could become a digital nomad and travel the world while working. Or maybe something I have never even considered will happen. I no longer say, “It has to be this way.” Instead, I say, “Let’s see where life’s plans for me will lead.”

This year, I learned that overthinking everything often brings unnecessary anxiety, and that adapting to the best opportunity you currently have is the first step toward happiness.

💡 Thoughts for 2026

After leaving here, while still in Asia, I have a few ideas in mind for 2026:

• Japan: To experience the simplicity, order, and completely different world of its culture.
• Singapore: To understand how modern life and a tropical spirit can exist together.
• Thailand: To feel a sense of freedom and the relaxed rhythm of daily life.
• Vietnam: To experience everyday life closely with its chaotic yet lively energy, explore the local culture, and of course, drink lots of coffee 😄

Maybe a short trip, maybe a longer adventure… But one thing is certain: even when this journey ends, new ones will be waiting for me.

🧳 Farewells and What Stays With Me

By the end of February or March, I will be leaving Cebu. When that day comes, I know I will miss this place and the people I met here very much. My teachers, my friends, and the moments we shared together…

Thousands of kilometers away from my home country, I experienced one of the most instructive periods of my life. The Philippines was not just a chapter of my life; it became a turning point that reshaped me. I will carry everyone I met on this journey in my heart, and I want to thank all of you for being part of this journey.

📎 Things That Didn’t Happen & Notes

Of course, not everything went perfectly this year:

• I only read 4 books. 📚
• I couldn’t build a healthy eating or sleeping routine (interestingly, just like last year, I’m writing this around 3:00 AM 🤦‍♂️).
• I didn’t lose weight, but somehow I got a bit slimmer.
• I couldn’t find enough time to study for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification.
• I wanted to share more content about software and life on social media, but I couldn’t manage to do it. 📹

All of these are still on my mind for 2026, and I’m determined to give them another try.

📰 Short Summary

2025 taught me that:

• Fear is the first step toward change.
• Shyness fades, courage stays.
• Life surprises you, and plans change.
• People can change if they really want to.
• Sometimes the best decision is the one you make without fully knowing why.

For me, 2025 was a story that first unraveled and then was woven again. Looking back today, I can easily say this:

I’m glad I came to the Philippines. I’m glad I changed. I’m glad I lived this year.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

⭐ I wish you a happy, healthy, and fulfilling new year. See you next year! ☃️🎄