This year really kind of flew by for me.
Then again, they pretty much all do once you reach a certain age. And I reached that age a long time ago. Unless you are in pain or in some serious kind of misery, time seems to go incredibly quickly, with breathtaking speed, as you grow older.
Still, you do your best. We all try to, anyway, right?
And for me, some of that involved some traveling this year. Indeed, 2025 marked my first ever trips to some memorable destinations, including Lisbon, Portugal, as well as Barcelona, Spain. And there were several destinations in France which I visited for the first time earlier this year. That would include Carcassonne, Toulouse, Beziers, Narbonne, Perpignan, Semur-en-Auxois, Époisses, and some other places, as well. This marked the first time in my life that I ever made it to the Mediterranean, although I did fly over it once. But it was nighttime, so I couldn't see anything and thus, don't count that.
Otherwise, this year was mixed. Some good things, but some bad things, as well.
As far as the state of the world goes, it felt rather dire. We saw Donald Trump and his MAGA cult following once again take power. Predictably, he brought his trademark chaos. Equally predictably, he attacked American democracy to the point where it feels like it almost no longer exists. At the very least, it feels like it is now on life support, as a form of modern fascism has taken root.
Some have warned before, it is different than some of the things we have heard of in the past. Many make comparisons to 1930's Germany, but this is a different time and different era.
This has been very difficult to watch. We marked the 250th anniversary of the outbreak of the American
On a personal note, this has been, on several levels, the most successful year for "The Charbor Chronicles." It was earlier this year that it reached the two million views milestone and, as I am wrapping this year up, there are currently more than 2.4 million views. Also, this year set a new record for the most blog entries in a single calendar year, surpassing by over 1000 the old record of 1,115 set way back in 2014.
That felt like a real achievement. Especially since I am not being paid a single cent for any of this. Taking time and effort of my own accord to try and keep this thing going. It feels good to see some real markers of success like that. I don't want to pat myself on the back, but yeah, I do feel proud of what I have done here.
As one last entry into the Charbor Chronicles, it seemed fitting now to do a "Year in Review," which has become kind of an annual tradition. That will of course include photos.
Enjoy.
Époisses:
Semur-en-Auxois
Paris:
Carcassonne
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