Of New Starts
Wrapping 2025 up and looking forward
I took a relatively short hiatus from posting in September to stay focused on work and other boring but necessary personal obligations. But here I am, once again typing some words here on Substack.
Wrapping 2025 up — and what a year it was — I felt the need to come back posting, maybe to put some thoughts in line or just take a retrospective look at the last 12 months.
A busy but good year work-wise, suffice to say to not be tedious, and an outstanding one for my hobbies and personal interests.
Music has been a staple, as I kept on playing the guitar, attending the music academy with my drumming and singing daughter, I even started a singing class!
In October, I made a long-time dream come true, as I finally purchased a ‘serious’ guitar, my first and probably last Fender Stratocaster. I got a Mexican Vintera II 50s model, and I will never go back to cheaper instruments.
Together with my Orange amp, I am finally finding my guitar tone, as my teacher is helping me through the learning process about pedals, effects, and amp settings. I am more and more into the blues and this vintage, twangy tone of my Strat is inspiring me to play licks and riffs in the mood of the musicians I appreciate the most.
I was blessed to play with my daughter in December, as we played Metallica’s For Whom The Bell Tolls, and I sang and played Foo Fighter’s Time Like These with my music school band.
My little rocker, also sang Gorillaz’ Clint Eastwood while drumming, something that totally blew my mind: even if I watched many rehearsals, listening to her rapping live while blasting the drum set was a moment I will never forget.
2025 was particularly good for board games: the heavy rotation strategy I already wrote about paid off very well. We had the opportunity to get a deeper understanding and appreciation of Concordia, definitely one of my all-time favorite Euro games.
I had the opportunity to add to my collection a couple of classics I was missing, like Lorenzo il Magnifico and Sagrada, a game my family is particularly fond of.
Before Christmas I went to Rome for the annual holiday party held by the company I work for and had a good time with my colleagues.
I came back home with Reiner Knizia’s Rebirth and a huge flu. I spent most of the holiday in bed with high fever and an excruciating cough I am still dealing with.
However, the game is a true delight as the FLGS I went to visit for the first time. It took a while to reach the store but it was definitely worth it. If you happen to stay in Rome, do check “I Civettoni”: as small as it is, the store is packed with board games for all tastes.
Unfortunately, we had to wait a while before our first game but yesterday we finally played Rebirth and loved it so much! Too bad a couple of pieces are missing, but I’ve already contacted the customer support.
I played a lot of board games in 2025, with 801 games across 69 different titles. But the best part is that I shared such good times with friends and family members. According to the BGStat app, I played with 87 people but I think this metric refers to combinations since my gaming group is not so numerous.
I am so lucky and blessed to have some wonderful gaming buddies and friends to share quality time. I love my family and adore the moments and memories we made together this year.
Looking forward, I will keep doing what I started last year: taking time for myself and my family, taking care of my health and be a better person.
Before the holidays, I joined a gym because I want to lose weight, train and improve my health (with a special regard to my cardiovascular system), be fit and strong for my kid and my wife.
I don’t know what 2026 will bring, and I don’t want to cling to unrealistic resolutions but being healthier sounds like a good plan.
Happy new year y’all and thank you for reading!