Hello, Renrenspeakers! Happy end of the year! Can you believe that we have made it to the end of 2025? I simply cannot. Today marks the FIFTH anniversary of Renrenspeaks. I started this blog during the height of the pandemic, and to say that it is half a decade old already is just mind blowing. As yall may have noticed, I unintentionally took a year hiatus from my blog. I apologize for this! It has been a crazy, whirlwind of a year, but it is so good to get back in touch with you all.

This year has been one filled with so many emotions and life altering events. I’ve experienced significant changes, invoking sadness, joy, laughs, hurt, worry, and peace. Truthfully, the first few months of the year were tough mentally and emotionally. In January, I had to abruptly move to a new home in which I was not mentally nor financially prepared to do so. In February, one of my childhood friends suddenly passed away. This was the first time I experienced the loss of someone close to me. And in March, I felt overall job pressures, imposter syndrome, and burnout take a toll on my overall mental health. It felt like one event after another event tested my resilience. However, turning to my support systems, prioritizing self-care, and finding impactful coping skills really helped with processing the first few months of grief and uncertainty.

Fast forward to the second half of the year, I felt much better holistically. I was able to travel back home more often and spend more time with loved ones. As I get older, I am so appreciative of the roots that I have and how they’ve shaped me to be the person I am today. I witnessed beautiful engagements and unions of love, celebrated family gatherings, and saw people from many different chapters of my life that were pivotal in different time periods of my life.

I was also able to complete four out of five of my financial goals for this year! This year, I really focused on growing my financial literacy and hitting financial goals since this was the first year of starting my career. I have a HEFTY amount of student loans (shoutout six-figure debt club), and I’ve been able to pay $30,000 of it back so far. I feel incredibly blessed that I have been able to achieve such a feat, as having six-figure debt takes a toll on you mentally, financially and emotionally. I am very proud of the mindset shift that I obtained during this year when it comes to finances. Having such a large amount of debt felt embarrassing to talk about and share. Moreover, it felt extremely isolating especially when it can feel like other people are ahead financially. However, it taught me SO much discipline and patience in the process. I’ve picked up another job per diem to help achieve these financial goals, and I am very blessed and privileged to be able to have the stamina and drive to do it. I pray for and claim financial freedom hopefully by my mid-30s. I do believe it is possible for myself, as hard as the daily grind is. 

Going into 2026 will be an interesting year. I think it will be a time of great reflection and mourning to some capacity, as it will be my last year of my 20s– I CAN’T believe it! Some of my personal goals for next year are to continue expanding my financial literacy, pay these loans DOWN even more, pivot settings as an occupational therapist, prioritize sleep and fitness, and tap into my previous hobbies prior to graduate school. I also want to be more present on my blog, even if it is quarterly check-ins! Despite those goals, I really have no specific expectations for 2026. All I hope and pray for is that it is one of joy, growth, safety, and good health. I am thankful for another year of life, especially after witnessing first-hand how short life can be. 

We are that much closer to the next decade of the century. I am wishing everyone a happy new year! 

Peace and love,

Irene 

*In remembrance of Sarah. My sweet friend, you may not be here on this physical earth with us anymore, but you remain in my heart forever. I know you are made whole in heaven. Your spirit shines bright still, and you’ve changed so many lives around you with your testimony. ❤