January

I finally gave up on my long-cherished overseas job pursuit. I took the IELTS test and applied to many companies, but I didn't receive any good results. When I thought about it rationally, I wondered if any European company would issue a VISA to a 3-year-old East Asian frontend developer.

This thought transitioned from doubt to certainty, and I decided to give up on overseas employment.

I wasn't upset about it. But I was disappointed that I didn't realize it sooner.

I met with my LG classmates again after a long time. They seemed to be doing well, which was good.

February

I went on a two-week trip to Hokkaido . I took my first ANA flight and the service was excellent.

Sapporo, Asahikawa, Biei, Noboribetsu, Hakodate, etc. I visited many places. Each was beautiful with a lot of snow and delicious food.

The Asahi Zoo was full of cute animals (I should have bought some souvenirs), and the skiing at the Furano Ski Resort was fantastic.

The first time I rented a car in Japan, I was lucky that the weather was good and the driving was not too difficult. If I travel to Japan in the future, I will definitely consider renting a car.

March

I started working again at the Wines & More store in Yeouido, which was my first part-time job. It's because I couldn't stay at home all day without a job. I was able to start working without an interview because I was good at my job when I was a student.

I was more mature and could deal with customers better according to the store manager's sales strategy.

I would definitely become a wine shop owner when I retire.

I took the OPIc test again for job preparation. Thanks to my IELTS preparation, I naturally got an AL.

April

I visited Shanghai around late March to early April. Perhaps because of the vast land, even in Shanghai, where living costs and housing prices are the highest in China, the hotel rooms were huge and the prices were even cheaper.

I finally visited Shanghai Disneyland, which I had always dreamed of. I still can't forget the ecstasy I felt in the Zootopia theme area.

The delicious food and Shanghai's night view were also wonderful, but Disneyland was definitely the best.

I want to go again.

May

My job search activities really picked up. I was working on 2-3 coding assignments simultaneously, and sometimes had 3 interviews in a week.

The more interviews I went through, the more I realized where I was lacking.

June

I visited Fukuoka. After finishing Attack on Titan, I went to Hita, which is said to be the author's hometown. I remember the Sapporo factory, outdoor hot springs, and the onsen on the rooftop of the accommodation.

Downtown Fukuoka wasn't as fun as I expected. The wine was really cheap. I'm envious of a country where you can buy Cervaro for around 50,000 won.

July

Since I had been to so many interviews, I was getting to the final round no matter what. Among them, there were companies I really wanted to join, and there were also places where I thought "such companies exist" due to the interviewer's rude attitude.

I took a short break in Hyeopjae, Jeju Island. I haven't traveled much domestically, but Hyeopjae Beach was truly beautiful. I even had to take an aptitude test during my trip because the recruitment schedules overlapped.

August

I started preparing for the move in earnest. Since the move and remodeling overlapped, I, being unemployed, went back and forth to the remodeling site to check on the progress. It was a really tough time due to countless decisions and on-site variables.

On August 26th, I participated in the first interview at the company where I currently work.

September

As I mentioned in August, I had been going back and forth to the remodeling site, so I happened to be an expert in apartment remodeling, which was this company's domain.

On September 2nd, I had the final interview with the CEO. When I mentioned that I was in the middle of apartment remodeling, the interview turned into a completely different session. We had deep discussions about my thoughts on remodeling, the CEO's thoughts on remodeling, and the challenges that Apartmentary, the company, was trying to solve. Apart from everything else, the business potential looked promising, and most importantly, it was a great fit.

I even ran into the interviewer from the first round on my way home after the interview. What a funny coincidence.

Anyway, on my way home, I thought I just needed to get through the salary negotiation. And so, I started my first day on September 22nd.

October

Right after joining the company, I went on a trip to Bali. It was a trip I had planned before joining, so there was no choice. I was worried that my leave wouldn't be approved, but fortunately it was.

It was really fun, but I caught a cold on the second day and suffered from a runny nose until I came back. The food was really delicious, and I was shocked at how cheap the AirBnB with a private pool was. I could enjoy luxury at less than half the price of Korea.

I want to go again.

November

I got used to the company. Cursor IDE was supported, so I started using it properly. My productivity increased incredibly, and I got used to working with AI.

I also learned a lot about how to communicate with colleagues at work. I realized many mistakes I had made at my previous two companies.

I started swimming as exercise. It's embarrassing to say this myself, but I had a talent for swimming. I was learning 2-3 times faster than others.

It's an exercise I want to continue consistently.

December

Zootopia 2, which I had waited 9 years for, was released. Rather than leaving a review, I should just state this fact. As of the day I'm writing this, I've seen it 6 times.

It was really well made.

Looking Back

2025 was eventful. However, I learned a lot and grew through the process.

I realized many of my shortcomings, and I got to know myself better.

I want to continue to grow and become a better person.