Monthly #22

A suppppper late monthly this time around due to a very busy first few weeks of November squeezed in around a few bouts of sickness.

October 2025

🇯🇵 3 amazing weeks in Japan. For Kay and I, October was our big break month in 2025. We ventured to Japan, partly in order to meet up with my sister and her husband who were traveling there at around the same time. We met them for a day in Kyoto squeezed in between spending time in Hiroshima, Kurashiki, Kinosaki Onsen, Matsue, and Izumo.

It was a wonderful three weeks, visiting a few spots for the first time while also exploring some places we’d already visited a little deeper.

A definite highlight were the 6 days we spent in Matsue and Izumo, a part of Japan that neither Kay or I had been near before. Matsue in particular was such a chill city, with things operating at a pleasant pace, and some beautiful spots along the lakeside to spend the afternoon. We happened to be there in time to catch the end of the city’s lantern festival around Matsue Castle, which included a really nice little open air night market.

I’d love to explore that region a bit more if time allows ~~

Tracking start, stop, continue targets

These are my current Start, stop, continue items for 2025. I’ve made one change to the “Start”, removing drinking a glass of water every morning (that’s become habitual) and replaced it with a goal to get 2 days at the gym in each week for the rest of the year.

Start

Tracking habits daily: 😔 Nope. I’m canning this one, it’s not going to happen.

Carrying a water bottle with me: 😄 Yes!

2 days at the gym each week: 😅 No, but I did get in a run every 3 days in Japan. Managed to get my pace down to 5:29/km which is pretty solid for me historically.

Making a weekly “Links & Listens” list: 😅 Haven’t updated the links page in a while, sorry.

Cooking more regularly: 😔 Nope.

Stop

Reaching for sugary (fizzy) drinks: 😔 Nope. Japan’s got some wild sodas in the convenience stores.

Not waiting for things to be perfect before releasing them:😅 Nope. Working on some major changes to our verification process at work, which is probably something we’d want to have close to perfect before putting it out there~

Continue

Trying to get Touch into more local schools in Taiwan: 😔 Nope. Things have been quiet on this front.

Getting in a 20-30 minute walk during the day: 😄 Yes! Much walking in Japan. Many sightseeing.