As we step into 2025, I’ve decided that this is the year I make three promises to myself. Not resolutions—I’m too seasoned for that fleeting nonsense—but actual promises. Things I plan to keep because after years of chaos, grief, and general life curveballs, I need a shakeup. And not just any shakeup—a deliberate one. A thoughtful, intentional shaking of the life tree.

So, here they are: my three promises to myself for 2025—centered around tasting, touching, and traveling through life like a seasoned explorer who refuses to sit still any longer.

Promise One: Connect with Friends and Family (Touch) 
The last few years have flown by in a whirlwind of work, worry, and “what just happened?” moments. Somewhere along the way, I lost touch with people who matter. And I don’t mean the perfunctory “Happy Birthday” text—I mean those deep, soul-filling connections that once kept me grounded. So this year, every month, I promise to reconnect with someone. A coffee date, a Zoom call, a handwritten letter (or, okay, maybe an enthusiastic voice note because let’s be real). There’s no excuse for being remiss in this digital age. 
2025 will be the year of intentional touch—not the physical kind, but the emotional one that bridges time and distance.

Promise Two: Cook a Recipe from Around the World (Taste)
I used to love cooking. There was a time when the kitchen was my playground—a world of spices, textures, and experiments that either failed gloriously or resulted in triumphs I bragged about for weeks. Somewhere in the grind, I stopped trying new things. But 2025 is the year of culinary rebirth. I promise to cook a new recipe from a different part of the world every month. Thai, Ethiopian, Peruvian—you name it. Not only will this reignite my love for cooking, but it’ll also be like taking a mini-vacation for my taste buds. Because who says you can’t travel from your kitchen? Plus, my son deserves to see me cooking something other than my greatest hits on repeat.

Promise Three: Travel at Least Once a Month (Cast a Wide Net) 
Ah, travel. My true love. My escape and my joy. And yet, the last few years have made travel feel like a distant memory, not a lifestyle. So, here’s the deal: 2025 will be the year of wanderlust reborn. I promise to pack my bags at least once a month, even if it’s just for a weekend getaway to somewhere nearby, or a surprise jaunt to a different corner of the world. The point is to cast a wide net—figuratively and literally. To throw myself into new experiences, new cities, and to rekindle that sense of adventure that’s been sitting in the corner collecting dust. No more excuses. Time to chase the horizon.

So, here it is in simple terms: I’m going to taste, touch, and travel through 2025 with intentionality and joy. Maybe you can call it “Connect, Cook, and Cast a Wide Net,” or “Taste, Touch, and Travel.” The name doesn’t matter—it’s the action that counts.

Life’s too short to keep putting things off. Let’s shake it up, shall we? Here’s to a year of adventures—big, small, and everything in between.