Not of walls or furniture, but of direction.

What I offered changed. What moved me forward changed. And somewhere along the way, I realized I was no longer the same person. I chose calm over constant movement. I stepped away from noise. I deleted apps from my phone, not as a rule, but as a choice. I wanted space again.

<He saw me, hesitated, knew that was the place we planned for the proposal to happen, turned towards the bridge, looked out over the water, embraced her, and then, kiss her on the forehead, and went down on one knee. This was my favourite proposal of 2025, and this one was my favourite photo of that moment.>

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With fewer distractions, my work became more focused. At the same time, my life became wider. I learned how to enjoy my own company again. I started traveling alone, not to escape, but to listen. I joined workshops in other cities. I took full-day trips, sometimes even crossing borders, just for the experience of being somewhere new for a few hours.

<Since the first conversation, it kind of felt like family. Easy to talk, sending interesting questions that actually made the beginning of the Q&A this year. We had two days of sessions, and we walked around Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans, and The Tulip Barn. This one was my favourite family session of the year. And the selection is always about how they made me feel. Thank you so much.>

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This year, I learned what “enough” means to me. And I believe that definition is different for everyone.

For the first time, I lived fully from my direct income and invested everything that came through business partners. That single shift shaped many of my plans for the future. It gave me clarity, but also peace.

If I had to choose one trip this year, I would probably say Berlin, where I spent my birthday. But then Dinant in Belgium comes to mind. And Mechelen, for Arun’s birthday. And Milan, where I took a workshop. That’s when I realize trips are not really about places. They are about what we lived while being there, and how each place made us feel. This year gave us memories. It gave us distance from the online world. It gave us real time together. Long walks. Endless conversations. The kind of conversations that remind me of Before Sunrise: unrushed, curious, honest. Those are the moments I care about most.

This is Dinant in Belgium.

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I see life as a book made of chapters. Each chapter holds a year. Big changes rarely happen in one chapter. Sometimes they take five. Sometimes ten. And that’s okay.

I dreamed of living from photography when I was thirty. Now, at forty-five, photography doesn’t just support my present. It allows me to think about my future, my retirement, and my sense of calm. That feels like a quiet victory.

Snapshot from the phone while in a tulip garden in Voorhout, the tulip region of South Holland.

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I believe the magic that makes dreams real already lives inside us. Time is the tool. Not how much time we have left, but how we choose to use it. On purpose. With care.

My favorite posts this year were the ones where I slowed down to explain something I truly love about The Netherlands. Like the difference between tulip fields and tulip gardens, and why gardens matter for the long-term care of the bulbs. Or explaining how an engagement proposal at Keukenhof Gardens actually unfolds. This one from Alkmaar first cheese market of the year, showing the connection that is part of every market truly makes me smile.

I loved days like visiting Alkmaar during the medieval reenactments, visiting the Peruvian ship at Sail, or walking through Christmas markets in December. Some moments were intense, like the celebration at the Amsterdam ring road. Others I missed because of my diagnosis and surgery in October. But then, there were quite a few highlights too. Glow in Eindhoven made me realise more than the busyness of the Christmas markets, I enjoy winter light shows. Traveling to Berlin for my birthday, to have a relaxed moment in a city that has a lot to offer. Those moments stayed with me.

Every year deserves a pause like this. A moment to look back and see how far we’ve come. The good, the hard, and the messy parts. All of it shapes us, even when we feel unchanged.

I wish you a gentle beginning to this new year. Be kind to yourself. Be your own friend. Make room for things that feel true to you.

I believe we are all capable of building the life we dream of.

So here’s to time used with intention.

And to dreams that slowly, patiently, become real.

Until next year in Amsterdam :)

Joanna

Your vacation photographer in Amsterdam