More questions for 2025
A month ago, I published my only real year-end ritual. I try not to overthink it when I sit down with that list, but I don’t always have an immediate answer. Still, by coming back to it a couple of times, I’ve never left a question unanswered over the years. So, here are the answers I hadn’t given yet.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. In May, Marcella and Andrea had their second child, Alice. And in July, Silvia and Piero welcomed their first daughter, Luna.
Did anyone close to you die?
No.
What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year?
Living nearer to some people I really care about (and being able to meet up more often).
What date(s) from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I hiked with several friends who enjoy spending time outside, wandering around with a backpack, a tent, the necessary food. I recall each and every one of those hikes, and remember who walked with me.
What was your biggest failure?
I’ve probably made a wrong choice—that’s what I mean with failure—innumerable times. But they are just the most likely outcome of any human endeavor, and none of them stand out to me as statistically relevant.
What other hardships did you face?
None. To be honest, it was a good year, and I’m grateful for that. Cheers!
Did you suffer illness or injury?
Despite being vaccinated, I managed to get a seasonal flu twice.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
My parents, for their constant support in whatever choice I decide to make.
Whose behavior made you appalled?
I don’t want—nor care that much—to list names, but my mind immediately thinks of a bunch of politicians who utterly deserve this nomination.
Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Richer or poorer? Healthier or unhealthier?
This one is tricky because it’s three, very broad questions. But I’m not bailing out by saying that nothing radically changed. I’ll add that, in September, after so much hiking during spring and summer, I felt my body was in top shape, ready to tackle pretty much anything.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. “Hate” is a difficult word and quite a drastic emotional stance.
What was your favorite meal?
Anything made with fresh fish; it’s not something I can have often where I live.
What did you want and get?
I got (or found?) the courage to make a bold decision about my career.
What did you want and not get?
Meeting up in real life with someone I’d connected with online, thinking we had something to share. It never happened, and it never will. And that’s fine.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I wished my feelings for someone were reciprocated. And in a way they were, just not how I had hoped for.
How would you describe your personal fashion this year?
Irrelevant. My mother keeps telling me I’ve the same wardrobe I had in high-school.
Which celebrity/public figure did you admire the most?
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Predictably, all the armed conflicts that keep going on, no matter what.
Who did you miss?
I thought of my grandmother several times, maybe because in 2024 I could only say goodbye to her from the other side of the world, while walking through the Sierra Nevada.