2025 Review: First Year of Career Change
2025 marks our return to a settled life. In 10 days, we went from “feet in the water” under the Jordanian heat to “snow in the North.” After 8 and a half years of wandering, we decided to come back to France so JB could start his new career in cybersecurity (I talked about JB’s career change here). A job search was launched across the country, but it was finally in Lille that we chose to settle down.
Fortunately, the conditions are still favorable because JB has unlimited remote work. Braving the cold and wind to go to work every day would have been hard for a former nomad. In a few months, JB has been able to learn very quickly, become autonomous, and he handles increasingly complex tasks. However, the pace is very tiring. He works all day, and in the evening he continues learning about cybersecurity to get other certifications & work on other personal projects. It’s intense. But for people who change careers like JB, the journey is often accelerated. Instead of taking 5 years to become an expert, they’ll take 1.5-2 years. Granted, the salary drops in the first years but can catch up very quickly afterwards. That’s what we try to explain to people wanting to change careers.
Coming back to France has its advantages, such as making it easier to handle administrative tasks. We also managed the restoration work on our rental apartment in La Rochelle after the tenant left. This would have been much more complicated if we were still abroad.
Our main goal this year is to eat well. After almost a decade of eating out twice a day, the impact on our health is noticeable and it’s urgent that we get back to making good home-cooked meals—to limit the amount of sugar consumed. I’ve really hit it off with Jérémie, a French chef I met in Koh Phangan, who made me more aware of choosing ingredients. I read a few books on traditional Asian medicine, which considers food as a source of qi (vital energy). So even if my dishes are simple, every ingredient and every dish is chosen with care to respect the yin-yang balance and the energy of the season. Plus, my sister lent me her Cookeo machine, allowing me to cook tagine, couscous, mashed potatoes, soup, velouté, potage, etc. without difficulty. Moreover, every week, my greengrocer prepares two baskets of seasonal fruits and vegetables for me on demand. I also learned how to prepare tea properly. With the right water temperature and the right way to brew tea (e.g., you never drink the first water), the taste and aroma are better. I highly recommend an afternoon with my friend Vân to learn how to prepare tea and discover organic Vietnamese teas (at 34bis Rue Bichat, 75010 Paris).
The Comfort is also one of our top priorities. Before, we didn’t have a say in our equipment; we slept in Airbnbs. Now, despite a pre-furnished apartment, I’ve been able to add maximum comfort. I noticed that the difference between a 5-star hotel and a 4-star hotel is only in little details. We can thus upgrade our apartment by adding these little details. Now, all our bath and bed linens come from suppliers of 5-star hotels, or at least have the same textile composition. No longer traveling, we can stop wearing technical clothing and switch to natural materials. 90% of our clothes are now 100% natural materials (linen, silk, wool, cotton). I’ve spent a lot of time researching textiles, weaving, fiber length, weight… The goal is to buy as little as possible, but enough to maximize our comfort. My most useful DIY project of the year is a cashmere throw. Being surrounded by beautiful, high-quality objects does a lot of good.
Another aspect I want is the reduction of mental load. We’ve introduced a dose of home automation into our apartment; we delegate, we automate as much as possible.
Training is also a top priority. With AI, many jobs will disappear; it’s urgent to reinvent ourselves. JB spends a lot of time on certifications and self-training in cybersecurity and English. For a year now, he reviews his ANKI flashcards every day, adding new ones constantly. As for me, I’m working on general knowledge and soft skills, to build “the momentum,” which I explained here. I discovered the existence of municipal libraries. It’s a change from all those itinerant years when I only read ebooks. I took the opportunity to treat myself to some books for bibliophiles (the idea is still to surround myself with beautiful things). This year, I read 55 books, a bit more than last year, but mostly books on craftsmanship. My favorite of the year is The Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the four great classical Chinese novels and in my wishlist for a long time, which I read in both text and illustrated versions. The illustrated version is gorgeous—it’s one of the most beautiful books in my collection! My second favorite is Chữ Thời by Kim Định, a Vietnamese philosopher, which explains the concept of time. I’ve discovered two new sources of knowledge on the Internet: a YouTube channel by a Chinese professor: Predictive History. And a writer, an expert in Vietnamese philosophy Dang Than.
Since 2024, I’ve been translating 6 Chinese books (I don’t speak Chinese) about the I Ching into Vietnamese. And that’s it—in March 2025, this big 1,500-page project is finally done! I’ve realized that translation is the best way to truly understand a book. In the meantime, I’ve corrected the translation of two other Chinese books and I’m currently correcting the translation of two books on the Tao Te Ching. Being able to access any book, regardless of language, is essential to me—so I’m not limited to translated works. After all these years, I’ve learned to fine-tune AI translation.
Vacation
Since we’re located in the North, we now prefer Nordic destinations. Brussels is only 30 minutes away by train. We did a mini road trip to the Netherlands, revisited Brussels , and London. I’ve always dreamed of visiting the Warner Bros. studios for Harry Potter.
We spent 2.5 weeks in Vietnam to see my artisans again, soak up some sun, and bring back my leatherworking tools… before heading back to the sun in Porto.
My parents came to France, and we welcomed them in Lille too. Then we spent the summer in Paris to look after friends’ cats. I took the opportunity to meet people (and make a few new friends—that’s rare because I choose my friends very carefully, so it’s worth highlighting) and visit lots of museums. In September, my best friend came to stay in Lille for a few days. We enjoyed the Lille Great Braderie for the first time. Every year, I revisit either Amiens, Chartres, or Rouen… this year, it’s Amiens’ turnAmiens.
Having only 5 weeks of vacation plus RTT is always too little for us, who used to be nomads, but having visited many countries, we no longer feel the pressure to see every “must-see” in any given city. When we travel, it’s to get a change of scenery, eat, rest, enjoy the city’s vibe; not necessarily to be tourists.
This year, being settled allowed me to fully enjoy my creative hobbies. It’s something I really missed during my old nomadic life. Every week, at least one creation comes out of my little workshop (you can see all my creations on my new blog Mehach.com and the Instagram)account. It’s the first time I’ve had so much space to create. Not only was I able to continue leatherworking, bookbinding, and paper cutting, but I also took up sewing and new hobbies (miniature houses, illumination, calligraphy, sacred geometry, watercolor). Creating allows me to be free (I don’t depend on current trends) and brings me a lot of joy.
I tried sewing for several months and it remains an activity I don’t really like. It just lets me take an interest in sartorialism, recognize fine finishes, and choose my clothes better. Through sewing, I gained knowledge about textiles (which helped me pick household linens like in a 5-star hotel), and I had to read many books on bespoke clothing and shoes. As a result, JB and I were able to have custom shoes made, and it was a really fun experience, one to repeat! As for leatherworking, I only had time to make a watch storage box for JB and a few mini handbags. Nothing groundbreaking.
I had a real revelation after my workshop in illumination. I think it’s something I could do for a long time. I’m particularly proud of the facsimile of Gutenberg’s 42-line Bible Genesis, the bio-folio of the “Emerald Tablet,” and my illuminated initials. I now understand why spiritual masters often practice calligraphy. These activities, once reserved for monks, are truly meditative.
Even though we’re in Lille, where the vibe is less gloomy than in Paris, you can still feel the French melancholy. A decline in quality of life, a tense atmosphere, a loss of hope, the urge to lose yourself in hobbies and social media to forget reality, people who are deeply unhappy spiritually and psychologically. It made me think a lot. I talk a lot about freedom this year because I find that many think they have it but don’t. Geographic freedom is a luxury that very few can afford. Around us, some talk about expatriation but don’t realize how hard it is to get a permanent visa. Not to mention the freedom to manage your own time, freedom of expression, thought, exercising your rights…
All I can wish you for 2026 is to be truly free.
Top experiences in 2025
- Having custom shoes made in Hanoi (see travel diary in Vietnam)
- Visiting my woodworker in Da Nang (see travel diary in Vietnam)
- Receiving letters and gifts from friends, for no reason or special occasion
- Courses inillumination & miniature house & filigree
- Drinking a hot chocolate in the William Morris room at the V&A museum (London)
- Visiting the Harry Potter studios (London)
- Seeing Queen Mary’s dollhouse (London)
- Exhibition “Les Très Riches Heures” of the Duke of Berry
- Visiting the Jacquemart-André museum (see travel journal in Paris)
- Babysitting
- Nailing my homemade dishes
- Living in an apartment worthy of a 5-star hotel
Flop 2025
- Renovation work on our apartment in La Rochelle
- Visiting London right during transport strikes
- Visiting the Netherlands before the tulips bloom
- Gloomy atmosphere in France
