2025: The Year of Beginnings, Professional Growth, and Financial and Physical Wellness

Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist

As 2025 comes to a close, I find myself looking back not only at the big milestones, but at the small, intentional choices that quietly shaped the year. In many ways, this was a transformational season for me—the year I earned my Master’s degree, stepped into a new job outside my core expertise, and allowed myself to grow in unfamiliar directions.

One of the simplest changes I made—skipping Grab rides and choosing jeepney trips instead—taught me how everyday decisions can ripple into something meaningful. Beyond the money saved and invested in UITF and MP2, those rides grounded me in the rhythm of daily life. Slowing down became both practical and reflective. Sometimes, sustainability and mindfulness begin with choosing a seat by the window and letting the city pass by.

This year also marked the long-awaited completion of a chapter I worked hard for: finally receiving my Master’s degree diploma in Geology. Holding it felt less like an ending and more like a quiet affirmation—of perseverance, late nights, and the belief that returning to the academe can be purposeful, especially when it is rooted in solving real problems from the industry I once worked in. Soon after, I stepped into a new job, beginning a fresh professional chapter that challenged me to learn, adapt, and re-ground myself—especially since the work now sits outside my original field. And because my workplace is too far from my residence and the commute too tedious and stressful, I rented a crib near the area that has also become my art and science space.

At work, I found myself returning to skills I had carefully built over the years. I was able to apply machine learning models and Python scripts to data management workflows, helping improve efficiency and insight within our team. These efforts led to our team being nominated and selected as finalists for the company’s Innovation Awards—a shared win that reminded me how quiet, consistent problem-solving can make a real impact.

I also found unexpected joy in learning and play. During our Copilot training, I was named Prompt Queen, and earlier in the year, I even took home the title of Master Chef at work. A friend once told me that I wear many hats. Maybe I do—but I’m learning to enjoy the transition between roles, and to see curiosity and creativity as strengths rather than distractions.

Movement made its way back into my life, too. I rediscovered joy in badminton and pickleball, returned to bellydancing, and finally came back to running—finishing a Garmin marathon after years of hiatus. None of these were about medals or performance. They were about showing up for my body and mind with kindness.

Creativity and family life continued to anchor everything I do. From watercolor explorations and thoughtful product reviews to community workshops, art remained a steady companion. At home, the betta fish tanks and terrariums born from our science studies are thriving. Even with both my boys now in high school, we still find ways to learn together—through nature walks, birdwatching, and creating watercolor pigments from natural materials, with the outdoors as our laboratory.

Music also found its way back to me when I picked up my ukulele again and began learning new songs. Chabibi’s long-held wish came true this year as well: after his teacher advised it, we finally brought home a full-size piano, now that his skills have reached the level of a first-year university music student. With my new job—and with the help of selling some of my artworks—we were able to make it happen. Another quiet family win.

2025 was a year of quiet victories: choosing practicality, honoring long-term goals, embracing new work, applying science and technology with purpose, moving my body with care, and welcoming change with intention. If there’s one thing this year taught me, it’s that progress doesn’t always arrive loudly—but it stays, and it matters.

Thank you for being here and sharing this journey with me.

xoxo,

Grass